The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-05 00:00:00

THE ROMANTIC ELOPEMENT.

Further facts have been obtained with regard to
the runaway marriage of Percival Reginald Foster,
son of Captain Foster, of Stourton Court, near
Stourbridge. and Alice Dora Devitt, youngest
daughter of Mr. John F. Devitt, poulterer, of Hor-
sley fields, Wolverhampton. Yesterday a reporter
visited the home of the bride tied saw her mother,
who, in the course of a conversation respecting the
marriage, stt ted that Mr. Devitt saw the bridegroom
on Monday last, and he Vice said that it was his
intention to go to Liverpoo', but, said Mrs. Devitt,
instead of that he has taken a different course
altogether. They were aware that an attachment
existee between him and her daughter Abe.), ane
ne had asked consent to marry hr. To this they
objected. as he had not the consent of his pere.uts.
Mr. Devitt, who had come into the r oat during the
conversation, endorsed the statetneet of his wife
The reporter was then intro laced to th- chief actor
in the romantic episode. He is a young man
possessing a pleasieg and rather handsome count-
enance, dark, and of a refined east. His face is
al:cost devoid o! the token of manhood, he having
only a slight budding moustache with no whiskers.
[Jo poeseses a gentlemanly bearing and an unaffechd
style. On being asked if any statements had been
published in the press which he would like to refute
he replied, "Oh no, it was very correct." He read-
ily entered into conversation with the repo:ter, and
vountarily made seine remarks concerning his marri-
age. He appeared solicitous that no blame should
be attached to his wife, to whom be seems much
attached, and evidtntly desired to shield her as much
as possible from public curiosity. It was, he
remarked, difierent altogetFer wi h himself. Ile
was perfectly wiling to stand the onus of reproof
and the blame attachable to the course pursued. He
went out freely, he said, and on the previous night
took his wife to the Wolverhampton Theatre Royal.
Touching upon the subject of marriage, were he
bride's parent aware of his in•ention ? tie was asked.
"On, yes," Mr. Foster replied "I came here to
inquire her age, and was informed that she was
nineteen." He had since learned that his wife was
twenty-two. Last Monday he saw Mr. Devitt, and
then bade him "Good-bye." He never took a ticket
foe Liverpool, and in that his pursuers were totally
off the scent. When he ran away from the college
he disguised himself to prevent anyone following,
and he added, with a humorous twinkle in his eye,
that they followed his brother instead of himself, he
at that time being not a yard away. In answer to
queati. nas to whether he had any anticipation of
, becoming reconciled to his family, the bridegroom
, Baia he supp esed that he should be reconciled later,
but at the present he had not the faintest idea. Ho
could not say what his ago was—some told him that
he was sixteen, eighteen, and others nearly twenty.
Mr. Devitt, be: e.ieve..!, had received a letter from
Mr. Barker, hut he did not wish to have anything
Ito do with him, and he did not care what he said.
The worn iee he was married, he said, he was at
Colwyn tia,e, at 8 a.m., and was at Stourbridge at
11 am. His parents hid determined teat he should
not ate the girl, hut he thus fus rated them. Allud-
ing to the police who were set to watch hie Move-
ments, he considered it a great joke that when he
was standing outside his now-father-in-law's
p:entires when the detectives were there, they did
not tPcognise biht, and lie watched them with the
greatest taraketnent all the time, Throughout the
interview the bridegroom evinced a p easant dis-
position, 1.A.1 took the estrangement from his parents
wilt perfect sanj froid. For the presel t it would
seen he intends to reside at his father-in-law's
house, and has not yet fdecided upon the course he
will pursue the future.—Birtninel.am Daily Gaut**,
11,orentber 3, 1387.
Yesterday, Mr. Percy Reginald Fester, aged about
seventeen, only son and heir of Captain James
Foster, Stourtou Court, Stonrbridge, furnished oar
correspondent at Wolverhampton with dctails of
his romantic elopement with Miss Alice Dora
Devitt., aged tweuey-on-e, youngest daughter of Mr.
Devitt, poulterer, Llotseley Fields, Wolverhauiplon
and who at the tine of the elopement was barmaid
at se wine and spit it vaults in High Street
aStour-
bridge. The young man stated that he became
acquaintance with his
sfouaruidaaVmeonruingagge.,l dirt:rngaa the early hours of recent