The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-08-24
MATTHEWS
MARRIED..

Atlantic City, N. j., August 3d.
Death s shadow hung over cot ia
the City Hospital this afternoon al
Justice Of the Peace welded q
patient. dYin, with broken neck
10 weeping Young woman, hii
sweetheart, who after three years
Of waiting. had her hopes fulfilled
under circumstances which mean
that she may become widow at
any minute.
! TIE groom was Joseyh Matthews
quartermaster aboard the United
States cruiser Newark. residing at
No. 25l0 Collins street, Phiiadelphia
who had, after three years service
IN the Philippines, returned to KEEP
the plight he made before he sailed.
Bat the wedding was to have oc
Cured two weeks from today.
! Matthews came here on Sunday
for bath in the surf at high tide
and when he went on the beach thu
water surged beneath the Board
walk. In reply to his question
someone told him that there were
seven feet OF water under the walk.
whereupon he diyed into what
proved to be two feet of water.
The shock fractured the seventh
ccrvic al vertebrate. or IN effect broke
the spine near the neck. When
consciousness came Matthews wat
paralvzed from the chest down. He
has not moved since.
HIS SWEETHEART SUMMONED.
Realizing that he was dying, he
asked that his sweetheart be sum
moned here and she came. After
some pleading she consented to be.
come his bride, cripple that he is
and will be fo& life, should he by
any chance recover, which is ex.
tremely doubtful. The priest re-
fused to perform the ceremony uu-
til a disps ation had come from the
Bishop and a license could be is
sued, as the bride and groom were
non-resIdents. The bride 10 .
Protestant.
The bride, Miss Eva May Saln,
OF No. 202 South Thirty second
street, East Camden. and her
mother and brother. Mrs. Elizabeth
Saln and Francis Saln, arrived
here to-day aud after consultation
with Matthews the mother and
daug hter sought the servicesof Jus.
tice OF the Peace McAllister, He
readily consented to ot1iciate and
drove with them to the hospital.
Mother and daughter were weep
ing when they entered the ward.
and from the moment they gathered
about the bed until the ring was
pressed on the brides finger tears
were flowing accompanied by heavy
sobblng, The bride stood by the
left side Of the cot. She was at
tired in pretty lilac gown, with
out hat. She is slender, grace
iul and attractive.featured girl,
with brown hair and eyes, and talks
in low voice.
The Justice took his place beside
the bed, near the bride, The groom
was unable to move his arm, aud
the Justice lifted up and placed his
hand in that Of the young woman.
KNEW IT WAS HIS WEDDING.
"Do you realize what you are
about to do?' asked the Justice OF
Matthews. and he repiedin weak
voice:
"Yes sir; perfectly am to be
married. 1t is as | wish.
The big hearted Justice nearly
joined in the sobblug as he pro-
ceeded slowly with the form pro.
vided in the civil marriage contract
AS he placed the ring upon thegirl's
finger he pronounced them man aud
wife.
For a minute or longer the bride
leaned over and whispered in an
affectionate manner to her husband.
Out in the hall the hospital attend.
arts had gathered, silent witnesses
to the pathetic scene. The wedding
party soon retired, as it was feared
the excitement would tend to weak
en- the patient, The bride remained
in the hospital while the physicians
prepared to perform an operation
upon her husband.
Matthews was smiling as he was
carried to the operating room. Here
one OF the most difficult operations
in surgery was performed in des.
perate hope that his life might be
saved. Dr.. Emery Marvel and DR..
J. II. Dougherty cut open the back
and cut open out the fractured YER.
.ebrae. A few hours later the pa.
lent was able to feel the touch of
he fingers almost anywhere on the
body. The operation is entirely
successful and it remains for his
iouth and vitality TO save him.
There is bat a small percentage of
.ases OF recovery from similar oper-
ltions, which are very rare, and
he patient usually dies soon alter
ccclvlng the injury.