Year: 1877

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central Michigan curious old Benedick
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. Dods.
worth was noted for his peCuliarities, but
the climax came when he found himself
on his dying bed. He was worth about
thirty thousand dollars, and he hadn't a
blood relation living, so far as he knew
He wanted to leave his property to his
wife, as the pair had lived very happily,
but yet he could not leave it without dis
playing some of his peculiarities in the
provisions of the will


Some old men display mean spirit
when making their wills, and draft in d
provision cutting the wife off with a
shilling if she marries again. This old
man wasn't of that stamp. His young
wife was good-looking, vivacious, fond OF
society, and it was folly to suppose she
would mourn for her slate departed" any
great length of time. Therefore Mr.
Dodsworth turned his heel on the usual
custom, and said in his will


SIN case my wife, Cecilia, does not take
unto herself another husband within thir.
teen months from date of my burial, all
bequests otherwise made in this will are
to revert to the State of Michigan, to be
used for building and furnishing home
for old women"


Whether Celia was pleased or displeased
at this provision, deponent saith not, but
the old man had not been under the sod
more than six months when the widow
was said to be looking out for another
man. If it was singular for the dying
Dodsworth to urge his wife to marry
again, it was still more singular that he
should desire the ceremony to be per.
formed under the following circumstances,
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sand it is made incumbent on said
Celia Dodsworth that, in taking a 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 evening, on the main
floor, without lights Of any description,
with all doors shut, and free nvitation
shall be extended to all. The clergyman
shall stand in the stables, and the 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 we'd
ding at the big barn. Just who the
groom was to be no one could positively
assert, as the widow had been keeping
company with widower, bachelor, and
two young men; and as far as any out.
slider could judge, she loved one as well
as the other. Being good-looking and
talented, and having fortune behind
her, it was not strange that she should
have a number of suitors, She seemed
to enter into the spirit of the affair with
great zest, as also did the minister; and
to further mystify the people in attend.
ance, the bride entered the barn alone al
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 were at least two hundred peo-
pie present, and each one understood that
even the striking of a match would break
the will. Many jokes were passed, and
considerable confusion existed, but al
length the minister announced that all
was ready. The ceremony was gone
through with, and at its conclusion, the
affair having been profound success,
a rush was made for the bride; she was
kissed by hundred men, and was then
carried home--a distance Of a mile and O
half-in big armchair.


Now came 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 was the lucky man the minister
was at sea, and the bride herself seemed
to have doubts. The widower was the
man of her choice, but in the confusion
he could have been hustled aside, and he
did affirm that an attempt was made tc
choke him and get him out of the barn
The bachelor vowed that she had promised
to marry him, as also did both the young
men, and each was sure that he held the
wi1ow'splump hand and was legally mar
ried to her. The four men had fight
but that didn't mend matters The crowd
ducked two of them in a creek, but that
didn't decide the question.


Just how it would have terminated, had
not the widower been man Of nerve, no
one can tell as the other three had al
ready appealed to the law, when the wild
over stepped in and took his place as
husband, and settled with the others for
two thousand dollars each.


One of the young men, now over thirty
years old, and having all the wife he
wants (she weighs two hundred pounds,
is living in Jackson, Michigan, and dur
ing an interview had with him, he solemn
ly and earnestly assured the writer that
he was legally married to the Widow
Dodsworth that night in the big barn
Another of the parties lives in Clinton
county, and he has time and again as
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