Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-26
DIR. n. CLAFLlN STORMED BY
WooERs NOW THAT HIS IN.
TENTIoNs ARE KNOWN.
MESSAGE FROM SPIRIT
WORLD MAY INTERFERE
Bridegroom's First Wife Sends Mes.
sage to Spiritualist Church Pastor,
Telling Him That Margaret, Aged 20
Is Girl For 7-Year- Old Widower-
Clafin Talks.

That roses alone are not strewn upon
the matrimonial pathway of DR..
Hebron Clafiin. the former Marshall
town physician, is indicated by the
latest development as shown by the
Chicago Tribune OF Thursday.
a great many people have evinced
a sudden interest in the matrimonial
possibilities of the 17-year-old swain
in the announcement of his avowal to
claim as his bride Mrs. Laura X. Whit
beck, widow, aged IS, of Syracuse, \.
Y. The doctors Hayes Hotel castle is
now being literally stormed by would
be wooers, il is asserted.
And even the spirit world has taken
a hand. The pastor of a Spiritualist
church has received messages from the
doctors late lamented wife, in which
she says that Margaret, aged 90, of
San Francisco, and not Laura, is the
one that the spirit world would have
as the bride. The Doctor however,
announces that he is going to take
Laura, spirit messages to the con-
trary.
Chicago Account Of Case.
The Chicago story of the wiles OF
Cupid as he is now shooting indis-
criminately at DR.. Clafiin follows:
The fateS are beginning to close in
on DR.. Hebron Clafiin, and the T-year-
old hero of many gallantr!es expressed
himself yesterday as being not little
veXed about il.
Nov that every one seems to be
expecting him TO get married the doc
tor is not nearly SO sure that he wants
TO. Not only is there an embarrassing
number of candidates for the honor.
but there are such an awful lot of
people who have shown a sudden and
eager interest in the match.
Lady Tennessee Cook Cables.
For example, there il DR.. Claflin's
sister, Lady Tennessee Clafiin Cook,
who has cabled from London that she
wants the wedding postponed until she
can come and attend it. That mes
sage came the other day when DR..
Clafin was safely engaged to Mrs.
Laura Whitbeck, a Syracuse, n. Y,
widow, but there have been develop
ments since, SO the situation there is
a bit delicate.
Then there is DR.. George Y. Cord
ingly, pastor of the Progressive Spirit
ual church. thru whom DR.. Claims
first wife has been sending spirit mes
sages to the effect that Laura isn's
the right woman at all. and that Mar
garet,' a 20-year-old San Francisco
girl, is the one the spirit world wants
him to marry.
"And finally there is Mrs. Whitbeck
herself, who departed mysteriously
from her home in Syracuse. Relatives
said she was going to New York to
meet DR.. Clafin there, but that she
might-just might, mind you-be on
her way back to Chicago.
Fine For Young Women.
Meanwhile DR.. Claflin spent the day
at the Hayes Hotel talking things over
confdentially with two or three young
women who declined to identify them
selves, but were much interested. He
seemed annoyed when reporter
showed a disposition to ask questions.
Am I going to marry Mrs. Whit
beck!' he said. Why, yes. yes, of
course I am. She was here last week,
but It took her just an hour to trans
act her business in Chicago, SO she
went back to Syracuse. We didn't
quarrel about my financial affairs
at ALL
"When Is the wedding to be!' asked
the reporter.
"The doctor waved his hands.
"'Gracious, don't know he said.
Maybe five days, maybe five weeks,
maybe-O, how can tell? We are
going to be married In New York and
live at the Waldorf. and that's all there
is to it,"