Widow Married Her Own Brother story from 1868 year. There passed through this city yesterday en route Chicago, a lady whose history is one of the most remarkable ever brought public notice. In 1838 her parents emigrated from England,, leaving behind them an only son some ten years of age, who had engaged as a cabin boy in a merchant vessel in the East India trade, they landing in New York, when, a few months later, the subject of this sketch was born.
Revealing the identity of the widow, the wife of her own brother
While she was yet a helpless infant, both her parents died, and she was sent to the Foundling’s Home, where she remained some time, when she was finally adopted by a lady and gentleman, who then resided in Elmira, N.Y. Of course she knew nothing of her sailor brother, and she grew up in the belief that she was really the child of her foster parents. At the age of eighteen she married an industrious young mechanic, and set out for the great West.
After travelling in various states, they finally settled in Missouri, where they continued prosperous and happy until the storm of war burst upon the country. Then her husband, in common with the thousands of his misguided countrymen, enlisted in the service of the rebellion, and was assigned to General Price’s army. He served faithfully during the first eighteen months of the war, but was finally killed in one of the South-western engagements.
From the breaking out of the war the lady of whom we write had lost all trace of her foster parents, owing to the disturbed condition of that portion of the country in which she resided, and after her husband’s death she removed to St Louis, where she sought to maintain herself by serving.
In 1863 she again married, and her husband embarked in business in St Louis. This marriage was a thoroughly happy one, and in the course of time two children were born unto them. The husband gradually extended his business operations, so that much of his time was necessarily spent in travelling about the country, and during one of his business tours he visited Chicago, where he became acquainted with a lady and gentleman, who by a fortunate chain of circumstances, he ascertained were the long lost foster parents of his wife.
Delighted at the discovery he had made, and pleased no doubt with anticipations of the joyful surprise he should give his wife, the husband at once concluded his business with the intention of returning to St Louis and bringing her to Chicago for the purpose of reuniting her with her friends, without having first prepared either party for such an event.
On the night of his contemplated departure for home, while conversing with Mr and Mrs.., it happened that he was led into a recital of his adventures about the world, and before his narrative was finished his listeners knew that their adopted daughter had married her own brother, who, before she was born, had sailed for the East Indies.
Horrified beyond expression, the wretched man fled from the house, and from that hour no tidings of him have ever reached his friends. This was in March last, and a few weeks later the wretched sister wife was rendered comparatively poor by the destruction by fire of a large portion of the property left in her hands.
Although written to by her stricken friends, their letters never reached her, and a few weeks since she started for Elmira, her native home. Upon her arrival here she learned the address of her foster parents, with whom she at once communicated, giving them full details of her experience since she had first bade them farewell, upon setting out for her Western home.
Their answer to her letter contained a statement of the terrible discovery of the identity of her husband and brother, together with an affectionate invitation to come to them with her children and share their home. Heart broken, and nearly crazed by the strange denouement of her happy married life, the wretched woman hastened to accept the offer, and this morning will doubtless see her re-united to her earliest and dearest friends.