davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

From the Chicago Chronicle.
Not content with seven wives, Alex
ander Gregg Bellev.lle, Of st. Louis,
IS about to complete his octette OF
spouses by taking unto himself an
other.
Bellcvine is a pious and goodly man.
and he has lost no wives through the
divorce court. but has followed each
one to her grave before looking aoont
for her successor. He believes that II
IS A mans duty to take care of women.
always provided that he marries them
tandem fashion, and he is now about
r. enharl5 on his eighth matrimonial
trial "trip.
He works in an iron foundry in East
ST Louis, and has now come to the
age Of fffty-seven years, but his last
selection in brides is but fifteen years
old Her name is Josie Miller. and
her mother is heartily in favor OF the
match. believing that a man who has
given good funerals to seven wives
cannot possibly make q bad husband
Tor the eighth. Josie Is willing, too,
for she is very poor, and she looks for
ward to having a house and husband
Of her own. having no squeamishness
about the seven departed ones.
Justice Haughton, OF St. Louis, had
different ideas on the subject of mar
riage between a man Of fifty-seven
and girl of fifteen, SO there has been
a temporary delay in the nuptial cere-
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

less originality, As may be imagined, the
marriage, consisting of elements such as
these. was unhappy. There were violent
quarrels and disputations until things were
brought to climax one night in Delmonico's.
when Jack" threw plate OF Ice cream into
his wife's pretty face. A separation followed,
and Marie went to live with her father, who
was In Italy.
Her nervous system was entirely broken,
and at her fathers advice she returned to
America to seek rest in a sanitarium. In a
few hours after her landing she was In
Bloonaingdale asylum. She endeavored to COM
municate with her lawyer and he with her,
but to no purpose. John Wallace and Frank
lin Allen, of Brooklyn. styled ''uncles in af-
fnity," were appointed as a committee for
her estate.
When her hour was darkest Mrs. Jack
Bloodgood interested herself in the case and
managed, with Attorney de Lamere, to gain
an interview with Mrs. Wilmerding. They
then saw Mr.. Levy. The latter insisted that
his client was perfectly sane and denied fat
ly the diagnosis Of an Italian physician that
she had incipient paresis; He then determined
to apply for writ of habeas corpus and to
allow the courts to decide whether Mrs. Will
merding Ia q fit subject for an insane asylum.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
WORD TO THE WISE VIRGINS

If You Would Marry Claim to TWEEN
ty-Five Years Mt Once.
From Black and White.
We believe Beaoonsffeld once said
that there are three kinds of lies: ~
lies. e. damned lies, and 60 statistics,
and this Is a saying which one should
remember in tabulating men and wom-
en-. AS Sam Stick Remarked: "There's
a great deal Of human nature about
man." and man refuses to reduce him.
self to a mere unit.
Yet If there Is one field in which sta
tistlos about human life are permissi-
BILE, 1t surely is the field of marriage
ana counting Fer there we are all
or handsome figure, all without ex-
ception.
Hence it Is that we can unreservedly
praise the immense research and labor
Of J. Holt Schooling, who has devoted
an almost GeHnna M Perseverance to the
analysis Of bacheiers and widows, and
has given us work that shall be q
possession forever, "a Woman's
Chance Of Marriage"
Let us take some Of his figures and
show how marvellous is the truth he
has unfolded. Thus, of spinsters aged
twenty to twenty-four, one in thirteen
marries, while Of spinsters aged TWEEN
~ -HN0 w "LiAlC, OllS III SlSAl
marries.
From this two observations and rec
concentrations may be drawn: Either
let your unmarried girl Of twenty f1irt
gayly till she Is twenty five-for then
she will have 60 per, cent more chance
of getting married-or let her publish
herself as twenty-five and get the ex-
ira chance at once.
This latter advice. though somewhat
more immoral is really most likely to
be successful; for the man who sees the
woman of apparently twenty-five so
well preserved and fresh will consider
her beauty no passing bloom Of youth,
but truly an abiding splendor.
Or. there is another thing that she
might do. OF widows aged twenty to
twenty-four one marries out of every
eight. Let then the spinster Of similar
age simply become a widow, and she
will at once shave go per cent more
chance of being married.
AS Mr.. Schooling, has shown that wild
ows are always the favorites, we may
make this advice Apply to all spinsters,
and recommend than simply to become
widows if they1JFaqt to be sure of their
husbands. II
According to,thi5ebrochure, widowers
Of a certain agespldst, indel d, be fasci-
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

wanted to be. He says that his mar
riage makes no difference with his af-
fairs iii court"
The wedding was a unique one the
parents of the bride and the jailer be-
ing the witnesses The ceremony was
necessarily brief, and the bride and
groom parted at the justices office
The New York Sun of Thursday last,
under the caption "a Privileged Prison
err" fprinted the following editorial on
the marriage Of Mr.. Spalding:
Liberty to marry seems to be one of
the privileges enjoyed by convicts in
the penal institutions of the state Of
Illinois.
"a prominent Chicago banker named
Charles w. Spalding Is an inmate Of
the Joliet penitentiary. He was taken
from the prison totGhicago a few days
ago to give evidence as a witness upon
the trial Of a civil case in that city.
After the court before which he testi-
fed adjourned Spalding was permitted
by his custodians to go to neigh
boring office where a Justice of the
peace was in attendance, who there
upon performed a marriage ceremony
which made the prisoner and Sarah
Louise Erwin, his former stenographer,
man and wife. The happy pair were
then conveyed to the county Jail in Chi
cago, where Spalding was kept until
his testimony in the civil suit was con-
cluded.
ACCORDING To the Chicago Inter
Ocean, this proceeding was sanctioned
by the prison authorities, after taking
counsel with the governor. The Inter
Ocean also mentions the interesting
fact that Spalding's first wife procured
a divorce from him on account of the
attention which he paid to the stenog-
rapher who has now become his sec
ond wife.
Evidently stone walls do not prls-
on make, nor iron bars a cage so far
as matrimony is concerned, in the
state of Illinois. The hardships Of in
generation there do not extend so far
as to debar the convict from the priv
ilege of taking unto himself a wife
and a wife for whom he manifested an
unquestionable affection by preferring
her to the former partner of his bos-
ON. Everything is done regularly and
highest officers of the state; and no.
body appears to think that there is
anything strange about 1t.
I'm this part Of the world, however,
the incident suggests some inter-
esting questions concerning prison dis
cipline: If man is so bad that the
state shuts him up in the penitentiary
as a punishment for his villainy,
would it be too cruel, during the period
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
WEDDING RINGS
ana One WOman's Fad of Freouen
ly Changing Hers.

And One WOman's Fad o9 Erecr.r
ly Changing Hers.
from the New York Herald.
me most frivolous woman I'D to date :,
the one who followed assiduousIv all ~.
lashlons and lads to an extravagant and fool
ism extent. She so carried this habit tn er-
cess that 1t extended even to her wedding
ring This she changed from time to t,n,e
as the fashions changed and a new width nr
shape came into favor u
When 1t was first placed upon her 6noer
the ring was a broad, heavy, oval tanned
ring, with rather sharp edges That moor III
tie circle has gone through the fire enough
times to change it into fiat ring with soua1a
edges into perfectly round wire. into half
wire. into fiat-top band with round edges
and even to eliminate its identity entireIv q,
wedding ring, and 1t Is now no more her
original wedding ring than any other ring
which she wears. But she still calls IL her
wedding ring and her wedding ring is AWAY.
in the latest fashion.
Whether she does this entirely for the rea
son that she cannot bear to wear anything
out Of date even In jewelry or whether sII,
wishes to appear a bride, or appear younggr
than she really Is, is a mystery. She herself
is scandaliZed at the idea that any one will
insist upon wearing an old-fashioned wedding
ring, and expresses great disgust with any
woman who allows herself to be out of the
fashion in this matter
Quite a discussion took place on the Hud-
son river boat the other day between her and
another woman who had romantic ideas con-
corning her ring. and had never allowed 1t to
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

amount and tells him to arrange the rest.
honeymoon Is to be passed until they are
on the ship or train, as the best man accom-
panies them to the station or wharf, checks
their trunks and hands. the bride groom the
tickets only at the last moment When the
happy man opens an envelope he finds his
route laid out for him, and is saved the an
noyance of telegraphing to hotels and ar
ranging minor details.
The plan Is an awfully good one in some
course, speaks as If she had spent her life
trying the different sorts of wedding tours
Flying about sightseeing is absurd when
you have eyes and thoughts for one person
only, and staying in the country is apt to
be dull and damp If one Is married in April
or very early in June The one disadvantage
OF the secret honeymoon Is that the poor brice
does not know what to wear. The best man
ought..t to give her a hint as to whether the
Rangeley lakes or the Keys of Florida are
to be the destination. Our honeymoon was
spent up IN Pike county, heaven on earth in
the mountains. We lived at a delightful
clubhouse and spent our days rambling in
woods and fishing. I had brought s.veral
pretty, thin frocks, but only my travelling
dress Tor day wear, as We were only to re-
main away for ten days You can imagine
the order Of the day. I sacrificed the travel
ing dress. 1t was beauty and cost more
than my white ball dress; but one is bride
only once, and l had to enjoy my honeymoon
But II that tactless best man had only warned
me that i would need q short skirt and high
boots what a weight ofsworry he would have
spared me-"
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

NEW YORK. July so-The case of Mrs.
Jack" Wilmerding, who has been confined
against her will in Bloomingdale asylum, at
tracts much attention because of the high
position in society Of all concerned. This
case is now pending in court in the shape
Of habeas corpus proceedings, and all Mrs
Wilmerdng's former society friends. includ-
ing the whole Vanderbilt family, of which she
is a member, are eagerly awaiting the out
come.
The story behind Mrs. Wilmerding's trou-
bles is peculiar and interesting. The writ of
nished by Mrs. Jack" Bloodgood James de
Lamere, and one other person whom Louis
Levy, Mrs. Wilmerding's counsel, has refused
to name. These three had had interviews
with the patient and declared her to be
perfectly sane.
Mrs Wilmerdlng was Marie Allen, the
daughter of Vanderbilt Allen, and grandniece
of the old Commodore Vanderbilt. She was
a pretty, dashing girl. and Jack" Wilmer
ding fell in love with her and married her
in 1892. Husband and wife were both fond of
gayety, and Mrs. Wilmerding spent money
freely. She was not without some fortune
of her own, and her gowns were the envy
of many women who had more wealth but
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
THE MUcHMARR1ED BEI1Ev1LE AND HIS ocrErrE OF WIVES

world caused this young woman to lose
her self-control.
She rushed to the minister, threw
her arms round his neck and with a
burst of tears exclaimed:
"Oh, Charlie, dear, 1 can't live with
out your
1t was too much for the Rev. Mr.
Atwood. He was completely wilted
When he had disengaged himself from
the young woman he spoke.
1.-THE investigation need not go or"
he said, feebly. II had intended to de-
fend myself to the last, but 1 have
changed my mind. I desire to place
my resignation in the hands Of the
trustees"
with, and Mr. Atwood's connection
with the Whiting church ceased at
that time.
But it didn't stop the marriage. Miss
Bigelow was so happy in winning the
minister from the other sixteen that
the prospect Of marrying a man with
out job didn't trouble her in the least
1t may be remarked incidentally that
his father-in-1aw is among the minis
declared that he will stick to Mr. At
wood through thick and thin.
~ It. has been, said that Mr.. Atwood Is
talking very much about the Tilted six
teen, but he has an explanation. This
is what he said to the W orld CORE
spondent: -
'It is very odd that the young ladies
should have misunderstood me as they
did. I loved them all because they were
members Of my flock, but I had no
thought CT making any of them my
wife except the woman I married.
think it is very likely that I did say
would marry them. but all I meant was
that would marry them to other hus-
bands when they asked me to perform
the ceremony"
The young women had a deal more to
say. A consensus Of their feelings to-
ward the man who Tilted them is in
teresting. Only one says she hates
him. Five admit that they love him
still. Two are philosophic about it. One
thinks he is crazy and one contem-
plates breach Of promise suit, but
decided to drop it because he has no
money.
Altogether there is no denying that
the Rev. Mr.. Atwood was extremely
fortunate to escape so easily.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

elegant, and@Of~Ghe most inf1ammable
gallantry.
..It was necessary with him to make
love to the LIPS he was near. At least
you would think so from Mrs. Quarles'
story, which ran something in this
Not long after their engagement he
Was. ordered away to join Hoods army
in the invasion of Tennessee. Word
came back presently that he was pref
ty badly wounded. Miss Vivian thought
1t right and proper to go and nurse
him. She embarked upon a little
wheezy Steamboat for the first stage
Of her journey, and found herself the
only woman passenger. 1t was to be
a nights Journey but she was too
anxious to- sleep, 80 sat In the cabin,
wishing 1.-The, beat had wings. At the
first stop another g! woman came aboard.
She also came Into the7 cabin and sat
down, evidently tB great distress of
mind. Other women lcanle aboard and
into the, bin at various landings until
there We're seven sitting In melancholy
silence, now and then wiping away
tears. By this time 1t was close to 3
o'clock-and the limit of feminine ST.
lence had been reached. A Iate-comer
turned to her next neighbor, signing,
almost sobbing out: I thought the
boat would never come. I am so i'm
patient to reach my betrothed hus-
band, who I have just heard is badly
wounded
:" Why what; a. coincidence! So Is
mine: I am going to nurse him. said
the woman addressed. The other wom-
en- pricked up their ears and looked
sympathetic. At last the boldest of
them ventured to say: I am going to
do the same thing
"'And so am L. And so am L. came
in chorus from the rest-all except
Miss Vivian, who could not trust her
self to speak, she was so full Of sym
pathy with the weight of woe. At last
one Of the Others women said: We
may as well tell who our sweethearts
are. Maybe we can help each other.
Mine is-Gen. Quarles.
g Gen. Quarles! You must be mis-
taken; am engaged to him., came in
various keys from EACH Miss Vivian
still kept silent-and thanked her stars
she had not been expansive, like the
others. She left the boat at the next
landing, resolved to give her lover at
least one chance for his life. He must
have taken it-for; he lived to marry
her,
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

mating creatures. Thus, widower
aged f1fty-five to sixty-four, the only
age at which a widower Is worth mar
rying, Is equal to 5.S bachelors from a
marrying point Of view. If, then, a
woman Is courted by one widower Of
this age and So bachelors, better make
for the widower at once, as there is l8
per cent more chance of his offer being
genuine than those Of any five of them
put together.
Bachelors, indeed, are hardly worth a
look except when Of the age of twenty
five to thirty-four.
The conclusion to be drawn from all
this is that widows take more than
their fair share Of husbands. But, real
ly, one can forgive them their greedi-
ness. they are such delightful crea tures.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
PECULIAR COURTsHIPs.
Gay General Who Was Betrothed to
Seven Girls.

U8y UeneraI VINO vas betrOthcu TO
Seven Girls.
From the Chicago Record
Romances without number have cul-
minated in the face of impending or
6ers to the front. One girl the daugh-
ter of colonel in the regular army out
on the Pacific coast, married her lieu
tenant sweetheart year ahead of time,
and three days later sent him away to
fight in the Philippines without sadden-
ing him with one tear. God will bring
him back to me- she said with an
exalted smile. Then there is the Jersey
girl whose honeymoon lasted just as
long as it took ferry boat to cross the
Hudson river. Her soldier lover could
not get even a half-days leave. So she
pluckily got a. minister, met him EN-
route to the train that was bearing him
southwark and married him in mid
stream.
Weddings at the front, or the camps,
have been numerous. In talking them
over the other day two white-haired
Southern gentlewomen became reminis-
cent: THAT Is all very romantic" one
of them said, ''still it does not match
things I remember. Maj. Falconnet,
Of the Confederate engineers married a
cousin of mine. She lived at Florence
Ala. The Federals were advancing-it
was in so, I think. But they had
great wedding. The bride wore a mag
nificent white brocade, which had been
ordered from Paris before the war be-
gan. The ceremony was just over, and
people crowding to congratulate the
couple, when a trusty negro rushed in
with news that a squad of Federal
cavalry was less than 300 yards away,
and coming straight to the house.
Maj. Falconnets horse stood saddled
in the back yard. He caught his bride
in his arms, leaped through window
with her, swung her up behind him re-
CARELESS Of the white frock and gaIlop-
ed off with bullets singing all around
him. He managed to escape and reach
the Confederate lines in safety. That
was about the suddenest and most ILL
provided wedding tour ever heard Of"
Yes, the other agreed. ''Still, 1t
was not so strange as Lizzie WIS we'd
ding. Don't you remember her ?-she
was sort of freak-didn't like men to
come about her, and only accepted the
man she married upon condition that
he should leave for the army the mo-
ment the ceremony was finished. He
was rich and good-looking and years
younger than she-nobody quite under
stood what made him so crazy In love
with her. He took her upon her own
conditions-left her right at the altar
steps, and never saw her again until
she came to nurse him after he was
mortally wounded. I always did think
it q shame that she got his fortune
that he willed 1t to her, and his mother
and brothers would not contest the
will"
did I ever tell you about how Ned
Cooper was half-married?' the first
speaker ran on. THAT was out in Co
lumbia, and all middle Tennessee was
debatable land. Ned had sweetheart
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
NEWEST PLAN

For the Honeymoon Is to Have the
Best Man Arrange 1t.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Homogeneous change with the fashion as well
as other wedding customs. Once upon a
time the turtle doves went on a long trip,
visiting cities that they perhaps had never
seen before or never hoped to see again.
For the last five six years a cruise in a
yacht or a journey in a private car alternated
with a sojourn at somebody's beautiful coun-
try place lent for the occasion. But the very
newest plan for a honeymoon sounds more
interesting than any of its predecessors The
newly made Benedict tells his best man how
long time he may absent himself from town
or business, gives him check for generous
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
SPALDING'S MARRIAGE.
1t Excites a Whole Lot of Comment
East and West.

East and West.
CHICAGO, July 3O.-Attorney Magee
In the Globe Savings bank hearing yes
terday. made objections to what he
termed the estate matrimonial agency"
which permitted the recent marriage
between Charles w. Spalding, the ex-
banker and convict, and Miss Sarah
Louise Erwin.
The objection was made while Spald-
Ing was on the witness stand, and
after he said that he had been married
to Miss Erwin with the consent of the
state authorities and under their su-
pervision. The admission seemed to
Kettle Attorney Magee. He turned to
the court and said:
Your Honor this is simply a case
Of the state Of Illinois, through it's Of
fcials. aiding and abetting this man
to manipulate his assets to the injury
of the bank and it's depositors. Through
this marriage the second Mrs Spalding
becomes entitled to the life insurance
upon which the receiver has paid the
premiums since the bank failure, and
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
HOW THEY woo IN IDAHO.

One Bride Happy After Being
Brought to Time With a Revolver.
From the Vale orr Advocate
The youthful couple came to town few
days before to get spliced, but during the n
term of preparation the bride-elect char ged
her mind and absquatulated; whereupon the
sturdy young swain took her trail with a
marriage license in pocket ard SIX
holed persuader in the other. overhauled her
and brought her back. The W Ing hen
took lace as per schedule, and the pair ap-
peared as loving two little DOVES On a
lamb when observed by the Advocate nan
Monday. In this instance instead of taking
wedding tour, he took pistol to FER.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31
ENGAGED TO SEVENTEEN GIRLS
The Remarkable Activity of an

The Remarkable Activity of an
Iowa Reverend.
Special to the New York World.
WHITING, To-, July 27.-He was the
incest minister that Whiting had ever
known. Like Caesar, he came, he saw.
he conquered. Seventeen mafdens- of
various styles Of beauty fell at the feet
of the Rev. G. T. Atwood.
What was a susceptible young min
lister to do?
This young minister followed the
line OF least resistance; he became en-
gagged to the whole seventeen. de had
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

be removed from her finger since 1t was
placed there by her husband during the mar
riage ceremony, considering 1t a sacred em-
biem too precious to be removed even for q
moment.
The frivolous woman. however, is not ut
terly devoid of the proper sentiment about
this important ring, or she would put 1t away
In her jewel casket and buy a new wedding
ring with each new style. 1t would cost less
money than to have the old one done over.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-31

OF his incarceration. to deny him the
privilege Of marriage?"
The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-03-03

the RockB
|
| i ellis time
| De a to- of he He
be How
| There isonl one He
charge his Cash Customers and Good Credit Customers high
! these They
The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-03-03

Worth from s1.OO to $500 each. Your choice Of the
for SOC and 75e.
We closed out Ten Thousand Waists from a manufactu
who needed the ready cash. made the price and b
One Thousand of them for Armore These Waists
manufactured for these prices and every lady who tn
will say this is a FACT.