The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-08-05
An Extraordinary Romance,

| The following incident is related in the st.
| Louis Denoe,atof the 18th Instant:
! OF all the utterly abandoned women of
Almond street Annie johnson is one of the
worst, the most reckless and depraved. She
probably has not drawn a sober breath for
several years. The police docket is black
with her name, and she is as we'll known at
the calaboosc as the turkeys cat ills di1-
ficult to imagine, while looking upon tins
bloated features and listening to the bias
phemous language of the poor creature, that
"once she was pure as the beautiful snow"
Yet such was the case. Up toa certain Pc
Rod OF her life she was innocent and respect
ed, and her prospects we're as fair as those of
a majority Of young women. There is moth
| ing new or strange in the story Of her fall
Thousands have fallen in a similar manner.
but very few ever descended so low as Annie
| johnson
In the days Of her innocence and beauty
she was passionately loved by young man
named VIM. ii. Harrison, who resided in the
State of Ohio. Harrison was not the only low
er Annie boosted of, nor was he the fayorite
of her bosom. She rejected him, and gave her
heart to another, but not her hand She
was betrayed, and went forth from her happy
nome ruined and dcspised outcast Har-
rlson sought her far and near, but on entering
upon life of shame she took new name
and studiousl y avoided meeting with any of
her old associates
At length, after losing all hope of finding
the object of his first and only love, Harri-
son met her in the city last Thursday, She
was fearfully changed, but he at once recog-
nlzcd her, and the love of his youth revived
IN his bosom, and notwithstanding her repul-
sive appearance, he worshiped her as in the
old days. At the time Of the meeting An
ME was beastiy drunk, and was in charge Of
policeman, who had arrested her for va
grancy. She had engaged Col. Robert Clai-
borne to defend her in the Police Court, and
to HIM Harrison applied to know how he
could serve the prisoner. lie told the LAWYER
OF his early and undated love for Annie.
and lntlmated that he was anxious to marry
her, degraded as she was Col. Claiborne
saw that this was good chance to get his
client clear of the charge Of vagrancy, and
hndlng that the man was in earnest, he made
arrangements for the wedding at Justice Gun
nlngham s office. Harrison spent nearly the
whole OF Thursday night in walking with
Annie through the streets, for the purpose
OF getting her sober but she was SO thor
oughly soaked" with bad whiskey and beer
that nothing less than season at water cure
establishment would "purge her bosom of
the perllous stuff which she had for years
been imbibing on Almond street.
Accordingly, when the bride appeared be-
lore the Justice to undergo the marriage Ger.
emony, she was still drunk and her manner
was far from the accustomed modesty of a
bride
The first difficulty that presented itself to
the bridegroom was the marriage fec of SIS
Tor the Justice. lie searched his clothes
ana could not resurrect single stamp. He
called upon the bride to liquidate, as the fee
was required in advance
"Aln't it bad enough" said his bride.
With an oath, 'that | must marry such man,
without having topay for it %
The fee being settled the Justice told the
bride to take the hand of the bridegroom
Annie objected to this, and said 'she wouldn't
take any mans hand.' On being urged, she
changed her mind, and slapped her hand into
that OF Harrison with a report like a pistol.
The Justice was proceeding to tic the knot
IN due form, when the bride interrupted him
with an oath, and told him to s'make it short"
1t was the most ludicrous marriage ceremo-
ny ever performed. The spectators includ-
ng Col. Bob Claiborne, we're convulsed with
laughter. When the knot was firmly tied,
The strange couple walked out with swag-
ger, and started for Ohio. Harrison thinks
&c can reform Annie, and thus she will make
nm good wife. We hope he will not be-
as.