Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-07
A DEAD BRIDEGROOM.
A LIVE WOMAN AND A DEAD MAN WEDDED AT THE "OPENS SIDE.

LIVE WOMAN AND DEAD MAN
 WEDDED AT THE coFFlN'S SIDE.
 Lovers. but in His Presence Their Hands
 Are Joined-Who and What the Inter-
 ested Parties Were and Are.
 oncc interviewed for The Sun young woman with bright blue eyes and a pink face who had been married" to dead man. She stood beside the coffin in which the dead man rested, and placed her right hand in his right hand, as her father stood at the head of the coffin and read the ceremony and answered for the voiceless lips in the coffin. That young woman is alive today, and lived at last accounts in Elm avenue, Philadelphia. She formerly lived in New York, but after the strange ceremony went to the Quaker City and married a truck driver It is a long story that led up to the cere-. mony and ono that required months work, day and night, to thoroughly sift and demonstrate its truthfulness.
 A SINGULAR CEREMONY.
 X little over dozen years ago scion of the Polish aristocracy, with eminent connections in Paris, came to New York to live. He was fairly wealthy at the time, and later on was joined by his mother, a widow. They lived in a num- Der of New York boarding houses, and at last put up permanently in one in Wash ington square. The young man there met the blue eyed young woman and fell passionately in love with her. She was the daughter of the landlady of the house.
 The money of the mother and son be- gan to give out, and they were joined by an aunt from Paris, whose sole wealth was in valuable paintings. The young man was stricken down with quick con- sumption. As his dying day approached the father and mother of the young girl suggested that tho young people be mar ried. The mother and aunt of the young man acquiesced, but before the ceremony could be performed he died.
 His relatives could not speak English. They were devout members of the Cath olic church, and were told by the father and mother of the young woman that the laws of the church in this country permitted a marriage between 0 dead man and their living daughter. The dead mans relatives at first demurred, and then acquiesced. X friend of all the parties who was present at the cere- mony said that the body was in full evening dress, and was leaned up against the wall of the parlor, where it's picture was taken before it was put into the coffin for the ceremony. ''There is the spot" the witness said to me, as she pointed to 9 corner in the parlor, land don't l remember distinctly how fright ened my little daughter was when she entered the parlor and saw the dead man standing in the corner before the photographer came. When the time for the ceremony arrived a score of people were clustered in the room, and the bride, standing beside the coffin, took her dead lovers hand in hers. Her father, at the head of the coffin, first addressed the corpse, Max, wilt thou have Fanny to be thy welded wifeY etc., after the man. ner of the ritual, and, bending down into the coffin, he uttered a sepulchral 'Yes,' for the corpse.
 Turning to Fanny, the father said: Wilt thou have Max for thy welded husbandT etc., and Fanny, between her sobs, said Yes A ring that had been bought for the occasion was then slipped on the wedding finger of the young wo- man. All the company then had cakes and wine and a wedding publication"
 NOW X TRUCK DRIVERS WIFE.
 The body of that young man now rests in sealed coffin in old St. Patrick's cathedral in Mulberry street. The mother of the boy is dead. The aunt Even ill the little room in Eldridgc street, where she told me of this strange ceremony, she looked veritable grand dame of France. She was 60 years old, and her silver hair combed over her fore head and her dignifed mien were truly aristocratic. She was in Mtle room 15 by 12, and was making shirts for livelihood. She managed to eke out 8 a week. She had been accustomed to all the luxuries of life. She spoke of the dead boy as my crown, my pride and my joy.'
 The mother of the boy was the Coun- tess Betkowska. Max as boy went to school with the Dominicans in Paris and at the Lycee Bonaparte while waiting to be admitted to the Oratoriens, learned religious order.
 The parents of the girl were MT. and Mrs. r. R. Emmertz. They frankly ad- mitted the marriage, and so did the girl. I loved Max very much," she said to me, land we were betrothed. A mar riage ceremony was said between us as he lay in his coffin. I was known as Mime. de Betkowska for a long time after Max's death. took his name after the ceremony, and want to say this: That in the event of the death of his mother and aunt should consider myself en- titled to any property that should fall to Max's widow" At tho time she said this she was the wife of the Philadelphia truckman.
 All the parties interested have photo graphs of the body in evening dress as it stood in the corner before the ceremony. The ceremony took place on Oct. 12, 1878. at 53 South Washington square. The DrinciDalS all seemed to accent tho