Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-10
4 MARRIAGE MIR 70 4 MIsr4KE.
Curious Complications Arising Over a
Telegraph Operators Suppnsition.

Telegraph Operators ~upphsition.
Il was during Lent several years age
that a prominent young man and
popular young lady Of Mascoutah were
married, contrary 10 tile rules OF tho
church Of which they we're both mem,
bers, says sthe *, Louis Gi0jo- Democrat
The young man urged that the marriage
take place az that time, and the bride-to.
be consented 10 the arrangement upon
the condition that special permission be
secured from the properchurch authors
Ties.
In accordance with the wishes of the
young lady letter was sent to the
bishop Of the church, asking for his
consent for the marriage 70 take place
with the usual rites of the church. The
young people were, it appears, confident
Of securing favorable answer from tue
bishop, and the day was set for the
wedding, The days rolled By, and the
day for the marriage came, and still no
answer had been received from the high
official of the church. In desperation
the would.be bridegroom hurried TO the
telegraph office and dispatched mes
sage In haste to the bishop asking him
to telegraph his consent for the mar
hours went by, and the expected mes
sage came not. The hour set for the
marriage approached, the guests arrived,
| and still no telegram had been received.
In greatly excited frame of mind the
young man paced back and forth in the
telegraph Office, He stopped every few
minutes to inquire Of The operator II the
message had not been received.
Fortunately, or rather unfortunately,
as il afterward turned out to be, the
name of the telegraph operator and the
name Of the bishop was the same. The
| early religious training Of the key
mailipulator had been sadly neglected,
and in spirit Of Jest he sat down al
| the table and wrote upon telegraph
paper the following words:
You have my consent to be married at
this time. (Slgnel) SIMPSON.
1t was his own name that he signed,
but it was also the name of the bishop,
/ The bridegroom to be was overjoyed
upon the receipt Of the supposed mes.
sage, and thanking the sacrllegious
telegraph operator heartily for his
trouble, he hurried away to carry the
| good news 10 his soon TO be bride and
the waiting guests at tho brides home.
The wedding took place at the appointed
time, and il was duly celebrated BY those
invited 10 the feast.
The day after the wedding there came
terrible shock to the whole party. II
was in tue shape of letter from the
bishop, withholding his consent to the
marriage at that time. Il was a crush
ing blow to the bride, who believed that
her young husband had been party &c
the deception practised upon them al
the telegraph office. True to her religion,
she renounced her husband and lief,
him. A divorce was secured by the
young wife some time later, but neither
of the two ever married again.
Unfortunately, this is not story Of
fiction, but story of facts, of two lives
that We're wrecked by telegraph
operators joke. The circumstances oI
the case and the names Of the parties are
we'll known to all Of the old citizens o.
this community. The two leading
characters in the drama of real life dice
about the same time dozen or more
years ago In the cemetery near here
they were buried in two graves, side by
side, reunited at last-in death.