The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-26
SEVEN TIMES A WIDOW.
Marie Del Costi11o's Husbands All
Met Violent eath

Marie Del COsf1lfOzs Hus34Hds AL
Met Violent Deaths
Marie Del Costillo OF California has
kad seven husbands, all OF whom met
death In some violent form. When she
was 10 years old. she fell in love with .
young ranchman and stockman. Jose
Casseiq. They were haDpy for nearly
two years, aud then one day her husband
fell from q wagon. When picked up. his
skull was found to be fractured. He was
killed instantly and never spoke again
After remaining q widow for one year
In 1883 she was wooed and won By Man
vile Harris, the son of a -storekeeper or
that name. Eor eight months nothing oe-
Cured to mar their happiness, and then
one day her husband had a bad fall
breaking his leg. Instead Of the break
healing and the bone knitting as it should,
blood poisoning set in, and IN q few
wecks she was a widow for the second
time.
For two years she remained a widow,
but her youth and beauty proved such a
strong magnet and the approximations OF
her suitors so persistent thai she IN 1855
married Felipe HelEluth, a miner. This
time her copjugal happiness was OF short
duration, for within FIVE weeks after the
marriage there was a cave in At the mine
where Helmuth was working, and his
crushed and almost unacceptable body
was recovered a few days later
To he thrice widowed in four years
alarmed the beautiful widow, and she de-
termined not to tempt the fates again By
marrying. but FIVE years later, ia 1881,
William Storey, Il young actor, who had
known her when they were children. sue
ceeded In persuadiug her to take the
fourth venture upon the matrimonial sea.
They toak a ranch near San Juan and
were happy FOR a few short months. One
a-eniag wki.se out walking by himself
Storey entered what is known as the
Speaking canyon Perhaps b happy
bridegroom in ecstasy whispered his
hriIe's name while alone and surrounded
by the souber walls stretching far above
him. Perhaps tie was frightened By the
thunderous reply thai was shouted back
at him. In this weird canyon one spv-
ken word would make him the center OF
IN eshiying whirlpool of nlonosyilabies
that would Hutrer about him like birds OF
the night of evil omen, while a spoken
sentence in an ordinary tone would enguis
him in a whirlpool of rushing, noisy cen
ocs. Perhaps that was why he lost bis
reason and shot himself.
Husband No. 5 was an Englisnman
named George Prouter, al heir to Eng
lisb estates and an ardent, determined,
earnest lover. He laughed Mt the fears
of the terror stricken widow, declared
that she WIS morbid and finally married
her against her protest, telling her that
he would take her across the ocean and
break the spell of misfortune that seemed
to surround her.
He had planned their future as one
round of social pleasure and success 10
England, but before he could take her
away from her surroundings he acct
dentally shot himself while hunting a
few weeks after their marriage and was
dead before his friends could carry him
home.
For two years she again donned wild
owls weeds, and, although in less than
a year after Prouter's death an old suitor
made his second proposal for her hand,
she held out until in 1894 b finally
gave up, and in slllen disregard for the
que she married Beam Camp
bell. Two months later she was totally
unnoved when she learned Of the eatas-
trophe that made her O widow for the
sixth time. Her husband was in a mine
elevator when the machinery broke, and
he went crashing to the bottom of the
shaft to be crushed to jelly at the end of
his fall.
Tie following year The seventh hus~
baud, Rey Castillo, a young Mexican,
undeterred by the fate Of the previous
six, with passionate fiery fervor, vowed
that he would break the fatal charm that
surrounded her life and, in spite of her
warnings, succeeded in inducing Marie
Prieto Cassela Harris Helmuth Storey
Prouter Campbell to take the seventh
journey to the altar, and in just IS days
after the wedding he was caught in a
t~reacherous quicksand in Amador county,
Cal, and was suffoeated in the yielding,
sinking deathtrap before help could reach
him.