Mail-Order Brides: Eleanor Berry and Louis Dreibelbis

by Martha Hutchens

Image from smartnenko, Deposit Photos

Mail order marriages were frequently long-lasting and happy. But not always. This is a rather dramatic example of one of the failures.

Eleanor Berry was born in California in 1851. Her parents died when she was a baby, and she was raised by her neighbors. She became a teacher and reached the age of 22 without marrying. At this point, she decided to respond to a mail-order bride advertisement placed by Louis Dreibelbis. This was in 1873.

Louis Dreibelbis portrayed himself as a lonesome miner living in Grass Valley, California. He described himself as wealthy and average-looking.

Image from voronin-76

The two exchanged letters for several months before Louis proposed by letter. Eleanor accepted and boarded a train to meet her soon-to-be husband. Since the train did not go through Grass Valley, she completed her journey on a stagecoach.

Unknown to her, the stagecoach was also transporting $7000 in gold destined from a Grass Valley bank. This gold was in a safe that was attached to the stagecoach.

The first part of the journey went well. Eleanor was the only woman of the thirteen passengers. The passengers swapped stories. Evidently, the men enjoyed Eleanor’s “vivacity and charm.”

Later in the journey, the stage stopped quickly enough to toss Eleanor into the floor. A voice from outside demanded that the passengers disembark. 

Image by Elnur_, Deposit Photos

When she left the coach, Eleanor faced four men wearing masks and carrying guns. The driver of the coach tried to convince the bandits that the gold was on another coach. Then he noticed the men had taken the precaution of covering their boots with gunnysacks to prevent the police from following their footsteps, and he knew he was dealing with professionals. He pointed out where the safe could be found.

The men tried several methods to open the safe, but were unsuccessful. Finally, they decided to blast it open with gunpowder.

At this point, Eleanor stepped forward and asked them to remove her baggage first, which they did. During this process, Eleanor noticed a scar on the hand of one of the men. She made a mental note of its shape and placement. Maybe it would help the police find the men.

The thieves then blew the safe open, probably damaging the other passengers’ baggage in the process. Once the safe was open, the thieves rummaged through the debris and pocketed any gold they found. Then they rode off.

(Side note: I don’t know why they had the gunny sacks over their shoes if they were planning to ride away, but that is what the record says.)

After the thieves left, the coach driver inspected the damage to his vehicle and decided it could make the journey to Grass Valley. Eleanor was dropped off at her intended’s home, and greeted by his landlady. Her soon-to-be husband had been called out on business, but the landlady provided her with a place to prepare for the wedding.

When Louis arrived, his landlady escorted Eleanor into the parlor, where the minister was waiting. When she first saw Louis, she thought he looked older than she expected. He also seemed taken aback by her appearance.

As they exchanged vows, she thought his voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

And then they signed the marriage license. And she saw his hand. More particularly, the scar on his hand. The same scar that she had seen on one of the thieves’ hand.

Image by Stokkete, Deposit Photos

She screamed, ran from the room, and locked herself in the apartment where she had prepared for a happy marriage only minutes before.

Louis had recognized her, of course, but had no idea how she had recognized him. Still, he knew he had no time to lose, and raced out of the home to ride off into the night.

Eleanor remained in her room all night. The next morning, she told everyone that she had not married that man. That she had no memory of a wedding, and that she had decided that she and Mr. Dreibelbis would not suit after all. She returned to Gilroy.

Deputies caught up with Louis, who gave evidence against the other thieves. He was released without charge and told to leave California, never to return.

Gossip followed Eleanor to Gilroy, despite her denials of a wedding. One month later, she attempted suicide. The neighbor who had been the only mother she knew, found her before it was too late.

No one knows what happened to Eleanor after that. Did she find love in a more conventional way, presumably after an annulment or divorce? Did she live out her days as a schoolteacher, with a generation of children she taught giving her a secure place in the community? I really wish we knew.

Martha Hutchens is a transplanted southerner who lives in Los Alamos, NM where she is surrounded by history so unbelievable it can only be true. She won the 2019 Golden Heart for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha is frequently found working on her latest knitting project when she isn’t writing.

Martha’s current novella is set in southeast Missouri during World War II. It is free to her newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe to my newsletter at my website, www.marthahutchens.com

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