1880 Jilted on Wedding Day

The following long article was published in The Fowlerville Review:

A rather strange marriage was consummated under peculiar circumstances at this place, on Monday evening, the facts as near as we can get at them being as follows: Burr Knapp and Miss Sadie White had been keeping company for some time and everything had moved along very pleasantly until last March when John W. Kent, of Muskegon, a widower with three children, and reputed wealthy, came here to visit his brother, E.P. Kent. Miss White met the gentleman and made his acquaintance, as did many others, during his stay here of about one week. He then went home and passed from the minds of most of his chance acquaintances, until he again visited the place about a week ago.

Mr. Knapp and Miss White finally arranged that they would become as one and for that purpose made their to the residence of Rev. Thomas Riley, on Monday evening, and after spending some little time in making their wants known, they were placed in position for having the knot tied when a rap at the door interrupted the ceremonies and a messenger informed Miss White that there was a lady at the door who wished to speak with her, and turning on her intended husband asked him if she might be excused for a moment, and he of course replied in the affirmative.

She was gone about five minutes when she came in and told them that it had taken more time than she had expected but to be patient and she would be in in a moment and again went out. After sitting for some time and she did not appear, an investigation was made and it was found that she had, upon leaving the house the last time, immediately repaired to the M.E. parsonage and had there married Mr. John Kent.

Mr. Knapp is an estimable young man and may feel himself well rid of so fickle a lady as Miss White has proven herself to be. Let all young men contemplating matrimony take warning from the above that delays are dangerous and act accordingly.

A few weeks later, this short blurb appeared regarding Mr. Kent's brother's meat market, located here in Fowlerville:

Some party or parties decorated E.P. Kent's meat market on Wednesday and Thursday evenings of last week with images supposed to represent a boy standing at the door with a letter in his hand, and Mr. Kent is represented as standing at the gate, being profusely decorated with tar and feathers. It is probably intended for a 'take-off' on the marriage last week; but Mr. Kent does not see it in that light and offers $25 reward for the conviction of the person or persons who did the job. It was also decorated with hieroglyphics on Tuesday night of this week.