The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-02
HELD FROM THE TOMB.
AN HETEROGENEOUS INSTANCE OF
WIFELY DEVOTION.

A Solemn Compact With Her Hus-
band to Enter Oblivion as Near the
Same Time as Could be Arranged by
Suicide-Ihe Body Of the De d
Mayor OF Cordele Resurrected From
lite First Interment and Embalmed
in lis Widows Home-A Curious
Case
CoRDELE, GA. Oct L-Cordele furnishes
an instance Of wifely devotion unprece-
dented in the history OF Georgia, and uu-
precedented by the tabled goddesses. This
is a broad assertion, but the story Of Mrs.
George W. Marvin, wife Of the late mayor
of Cordele, will bear me out fully II making
it. On July 10 of this year DIR.
Marvin saw the last Of this
world surrounded by faithful friends
who had attended him through a long ill
ness and his crushed and heart-broken wife.
Those who witnessed the scene say they
have never seen anything more thrilling
and touching. Mrs. Marvin lost complete
control of her nerves aud raved furiously.
She refused to be comforted by her friends,
she made the startling announcement
then and there that she had made
a solemn compact with her husband
before his death agreeing that they would
both enter oblivion ct as near the same
time as could be easily arranged by means
of suicide. Those who we're with Mrs.
Marvin at the time thought, of course,
that when the excitement caused by DR..
Marvin's death wore off she would forget
her threats Of self-inhioted death and take
up the weary course of life again with
peaceful resignation. It seems now how
ever, that the assertion that she
intended to kill herself was the announce
ment Of a fixed determination, and she
still contemplates taking her own life as
soon as she has made some arrangements
for the permanent interment of her hus-
bands remains, for it must be understood
that at this moment all that Is mortal Of
DIR. Marvin occupies a place in his
late residence and the present residence
of his widow. An embalmer from Macon
was telegraphed for Immediately upon the
death of DR.. Marvin, and his body was pre-
pared for burial.
The funeral procession was nearly q half
mile long, and the business houses in Cor
dele were closed showing universal respect
for the man who had added 30 much to the
city's prosperity, but the
SENSATIONAL FEATURES
OF the situation were only begun.
Four days the body lay in the ground
and the people were beginning to forget the
excitement attending his death and burial.
In the darkness of quiet night
there was another funeral procession, but
no carriages followed the hearse and no one
on foot accompanied the dead, except those
who helped to dig the earth from above the
coffin and bore the corpse back to the place
from which the first procession had started
In the dead OF night a few trusted
friends whom Mrs. Marvin had re-
quested TO act went TO the cemetery
and brought back the body. Next morning
W.D. Al erson, young embalmer, arrived
from New Orleans, and at once began the
process OF embalming the body so that It
could be preserved indefinitely. At the
same time an Italian sculptor, who now re
sides in Augusta, arrived, and began pre-
pairing plans for an immense mausoleum 20
be erected in Cordele in memory of DIR.
Marvin. The artist submitted plan Of a
monument which would be pride to any
city, and if the original idea had been car
ried out this city would have the most mag
niheent tomO in Georgia. The design was
OF monument to consist Of a room as a
base, with at each corner a second set of
columns on the top of the tomb and capped
with shaft the whole to tower in the air
slxty-tye feet 1t would have cost when
completed $4,000 She intended placing
Dr.. Marvins body in this tomb, and then
killing herself, leaving the whole of her
wealth, which Is estimated at over 1856, 600
as al endowment 10 sustain park around
the monument. She gave up the idea of
building this tomb aud substituted the
plan of
BUILDING A COLLEGE
as a living monument 20 her husbands
memory. In the meantime, the body is
Kept IN her house on Ninth avenue. 1t lies
In handsome metallic casket, aud on a
beautiful silver plate on the lid is inscribed;
DIR George W. Marvin, Cordele, Georgia.
died July 10, 1892" The room Ia darkened
and the key is intrusted to G.. A. Good
rich, gentleman who has proven himself
one OF Mrs. Marvin's best friends In her
hour of trouble. She now has living with
her Miss Mamie Trammell, a cousin from
heriwether county. She proposes to erect
magnificent college of music
and endow 1t with her to-
tai estate. She expresses her
full determination to kill herself as soon as
these arrangements have been made This
is one of the most remarkable cases In the
history Of Dooly county, aud the people
from the county will never cease to marvel.
Mrs. Marvin has been annoyed by requests
from couutrymen to see the doctors corpse,
which she, OF course, refused Indignantly
The people here deeply sympathize with
her in her distress.