Year: 1877

curious cases on record and yet the
lust covered legal records of Michi


gan tell Of case still more singular


Miss Knox was engaged 10 young
ma named Merritt, the day was sci
for the nuptials, they drove away to-
gether and were married, and now
Merritt vows he was not the bride
gro ON. She vows that he was, but
cannot prove il, and both make cut q
pretty good case. One may we'll ar
que that he -oughtto know whether be
ever married a certain young lady or
not, and the said young lady may well
argue that she ought TO know the man
who rode TO The clergyman's with her,
stood mp beside her, made his response
in due form and drove her back home.
The arguments are what mystify the
Knox ease. Now for one still more
singular. -a'ac-


About twenty years ago there lived
in central Michigan 4 curious old
benedict named Dodsworth. At the
age of fifty he married girl of twenty,
and when the burden of sixty yeArs
bore him down his wife was only
half his age. Dodswsrth was noted
for his peculiarities, but the climax
came " hen he found himself on bis
dying bed. He was worth $50, 900,
and he had not Q blood relative living.
30 far as he knew. He wanted TO leave
his property to his wife, as the pair
had lived happily. but yet he could
not leave il without displaying some
OF his pcculiarities in the provisions
OF the will. Some old men display q
mean spirit when making their wills
and draft in q provision cutting the
wife OF with q shilling If she marries
again. This old man was not Of that
stamp. His young wife was good
looking. vivacious OF society, and it
was folly 10 suppose she would mourn
for "late departed" any great leagth Of
time. Therefore Mr.. Dodswortn tur-
ned his heel on the usual custom and
said in his will:


'In case nay wife Celia does not
take unto herself another husband
within thirteen months from date OF
burial all bequests otherwise made in
this will arc TO revert TO the State of
Michigan, TO be used for building and
furnishing home fer old women"


Whether Celia was pleased or dis
pleased at this provision does not ap-
pear, but the old man had not been
under the sod more than six months
when the widow was said 10 be look
ing out for husband. If it was singu-
lar for the dying Dodsworth to urge
his wife to marry again It was still
more singular that he should desire
the ceremony to be performed under
.he following circumstances, viz:


"And it is made incumbent on said
Celia Dodsworth that in taking IL new
husband the marriage ceremony shall
be performed in the big barn on my
farm, on the H-road. 1t shall
take place at ten o'clock in the even
Jag, oa the main floor, without lights
of any descriptions, with all doors
shut. and free invitation shall be ex-
tended to all. The clergyman shall
stand in the stables and tile bride and
groom on the main floor. and the
principal parties TO the ceremony shall
be dressed in black throughout" The
widow announced her intention to
faithfully obey in spirit and letter, the
will was probated and the twelfth


month had scarcely passed before she


issued an invitation for the public to
attend wedding at the big barn.


Jus: who the groom was to be ne one


could positively assert, as the widow


had been keeping company with


widower, bachelor, and tive Young


men, and as far as any outsider could
judge, she loved one ss we'll az the


other. Being good looking and talen-


ted, and having fortune behind her,


it. was not strange that she should


have number of suitors. She seemed


TO enter into the spirit of the affair


with great Zest, as also did the minis


ter; and 10 further mystify the people


in attendance the bride entered the


barn alone at one door, the groom


alone at another, and no one knew that


the minister had arrived until his


voice was heard in the stable. There


was great number of people present,


end each one understood that even the


striking Of a match would break the


will. Many jokes were passed and


considerable confusion existed, but


at length the minister announced that


all was ready. The ceremony was


gone through with, and at its conclu-


sion, the affair having been pre-


found success" rush was made for


the bride: she was kissed by hundred


men, and was then carried home a dis


tance of mile and half, in a big


armchair. Now comes the mystery,


When the lady was set down at her


own door the widower, the bachelor
: and the two young men each claimed
to be her true and lawful husband
None Of the crowd could say who wa.
) the lucky mar, ,the minister was at sea
; and the bride herself seemed to have
doubts. The widower was the mar
. OF her choice, but in the confusion ht
5 could have been hustled aside, and he
did affirm that an attempt was made tC


choke him and get him out of tn,


barn. The bachelor vowed that sh,
had promised to marry him, as alsc
did both young men, and each on,
; was sure that he held the widow
plump hand and was legally married


to her. The four men had fight. bu
/ that did not mend matters. Tn
crowd ducked two of them in a creek
but that did not decide the question
: Just how it would have terminate,
had not the widower been a man O


nerve no one cah tell, as the othe


three had already appealed to the law