The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-03-09
A DEAD BRIDEGROOM.
A LIVE WOMAN ANC A DEAD MAN
welded AT THE COFFIN, SIDE.


Lovers. but In His Presence Tkir Hands
Are Joined-Who and What the Inter-
ested Parties Were and Are.
l once interviewed for The Sun a young
woman with bright blue eyes aud pink
face who had been married" a dead
man. She stood beside the pffin in
which the dead man rested, ano placed
her right hand in his right hand as her
father stood at the head of the colin and
read the ceremony and answeredfor the
voiceless lips in the coffin. That young
woman is alive today, and live, at last
accounts in Elm avenue, Philadelphia.
She formerly lived III New York, but
after the strange ceremony welt to the
Quaker City and married a tru0 driver
1t is a long story that led up to he cere-
mony, and one that required ;month's
work, day and night. to thoroughly sift
and demonstrate its truthfulnes.
SINGULAR CEREMoNl
A little over a dozen years aeo q scion
Of the Polish aristocracy, with eminent
connections in Paris, came TO New York
to live. He was fairly wealthy Pt the
time, and later on was joined by his
mother, widow. They lived in mum
Der of New York boarding houses and at
last put up permanently i'll one inWash-
ington square. The young man there
met the blue eyed young womm and
fell passionately in love with he She
was the daughter of the landlady Ct 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. ThGyoung
man was stricken down with quick con-
sumption. As his dying day approached
the father and mother Of the young girl
suggested that the young people lie mar
ried. The mother and aunt of theyoung
man acquiesced, but before the ceremony
could be performed he died.
His relatives could not speak English.
They were devout members Of the Cath
Ollie church, and were told by the father
and mother of the young wonan that
the laws Of the church in this county
permitted marriage between Il dead
man and their living daughter. Tie
dead mans relatives at first demurred,
and then acquiesced. \ friend of all
the parties who was present at the cere-
mony said that the body was in full
evening dress, and was leaned upagainst
the wall Of the parlor, where itspicture
was taken before it was put INTO the
coffin for the ceremony. There is the
spot" the witness said to rae as she
pointed to u corner in the paror, land
don't | remember distinctly how fright
ened my little daughter was when she
entered the parlor and saw he dead
man standing in The corner lefore the
photographer came. When the time for
the ceremony arrived q score Of people
were clustered in the room, and he 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 wife:' etc, after the man
ner OF the ritual, and, bending down into
the coffin, he uttered sepulclral Yes, >
for the corpse.
Turning to Fanny, the father said:
Wilt thou have Max for thy welded
husband? ETC., and Fanny, between her
sobs. said Yes y ring that had been
bought fer the occasion was thin slipped
on the wedding finger Of the young wo-
man. All the company then had cakes
and wine and q wedding joliIication. +"
NOW TRUCK DRIVERS WIFE.
The body Of that young nan now
cathedral in Mulberry street. The
mother of the boy is dead. The aunt
was the Countess Marie de Pruchoff
Even in the little room in Eltridge
street, where she told me of this strange
ceremony, she looked veritablc G,and
dame Of France. She was co yearsold,
and her silver hair coInbed over her FIRE
head and her dignitiod mien We're truly
aristocratic. She was il q little room
- by l., and was making shirts br a
livelihood. She managed to exc cut 50
q week She had been accustomed to
al! the luxurics of life. She spoke q the
dead boy as my crown, my pride and
my JOY"
The mother of the boy was the Coun-
school with the Dominic2ns il Paris and
at the Lycec Bonaparto whiIo waiting to
be admitted to the Oratoriens, leaned
religious order.
The parents of the girl were Dir. and
Mrs. +. L. Emmertz. They frankly adj
mitted the marriage, and SO did the girl
L loved Max very much" she sail to
me, land we were betrothcd. Anlar-
rage ceremony WAS said between US as
he lay in his coffin. | was kno9n as
Nine. de Dctlc.vsl,;. for 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 fal TO
Max's widow" At the time she said
this she was the wife Of the Philadelphia
truckman.
All tho parties interested have photo
graphs Of the body IL evening dress rs it
stood in the corner before the ceremony.
The ceremony took place on Oct. II,
1873, at 50 South Washington square.
The principals all seemed to accept tho
ceremony IS binding. The Countess
Pruschoff owned the famous Murillo,
The Flagellation of Christ, on c..hibi-
ton several years ago at the Metropolitan
museum. There is contest for its
ownership among several lawyers grow
Tag out OF this strange cereEony.-3e-
Porter in New York Sun.
African Railways.
1t is proposed, by q new company Just
orned in Brussels, to build a railroad TO
onnect The head of navigation on the
1v-p1 Cpr,cro with G+o,la-y Pol H.,