It looks like Ferney or Furney probably had a previous marriage given his age in 1900 and the date of his marriage to Laura:

Name: Ferney Whitfield
Spouse: Laura Scott
Marriage Date: 01 Feb 1889
County: Monroe

You might want to look at this record in 1880:

Name: Fenny Whitfield (looks like it could be Ferney on record)
Home in 1880: Aberdeen, Monroe, Mississippi
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Birthplace: North Carolina
Relation to head-of-household: Self
Spouse's name: Silva
Father's birthplace: NC
Mother's birthplace: NC
Neighbors: View others on page
Marital Status: Married
Race: Black
Gender: Male

I realize the age is off compared to 1900 - but I've seen age swings of over 10 years between census periods.