Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-07-17
THE NIAGARA PALS TRAGEDY.

THE NIAGARA FALLs TRAGEDY.
The STORY OF Two OF the victf,as-An
ElOPement and Fatal Pleasure
Trip.
From the Cleveland (O.) Herald July 10.
Our readers are familiar with the
principal circumstances connected with
the terrible casualty at Niagara Falls.
on the Fourth of July, by which Eve
persons lost their lives---two couples of
young people and boy. Two of the
party were from near Cleveland, and we
give below, in brief, the story of their
elopement and its fatal ending
The names of this couple, as they
appear in the Buffalo papers, doubtless
taken from the marriage license found
among their effects, were John Elliott
and Margaret Rollinston. The latter
name is correct, but that of the young
man is not, he having given fictitious
name, and reported that they were
from Cincinnati, in order to throw
their friends off the track in case of
pursuit. His name was John Emerson
and his father lives at Euclid Creek,
ten miles east of Cleveland. The faith
err of the girl lives in the township of
Willonghby, five or six miles east of
the Greek.
The young man was about 10 years
OF age, and his .fndncee perhaps year
younger. The Rolliston family came
to this city from Canada little more
than year ago, and soon.after went
to Euclid, where they were employed
upon the farm of Mr.. HINT. An in
timacy sprang up between Miss Roll
linston and young Emerson, which re-
suited in their engagement to be mar
ried. 1t is understood that his friends
opposed the match on account of the
youth of both parties, and for other
reasons known to themselves. The
amatOry pair therefore laid their plans
for an elopement.
The tale we are telling is not. wholly
romantic and affecting one, Of g true
| love" crushed and trampled under foot
by f1inty-hearted parents, of flight for
all that seemed worth living for, and
of death in each others arms, amidst
the roar of the mighty cataract. Part
of these sensational features belong TO
the case, but the unpleasant fact is also
! to be added that John broke open q
trunk and stole $500 of his fathers
money to give himself Gift" in the
world, with his young bride.
| The parties left home on Monday Of
last week, Emerson taking, at Euclid
Station, q train for Buffalo, on the Lake
Shore Railroad, Miss Rollinston Join.
ing him at Willoughby. 1t has been
ascertained that they went to Buffalo
and either there or in Canada procured
q marriage license, though it is under.
stood they had not yet been married
when they embarked for that fatal trip
Miss Roilinston had an aunt living
near the Falls, in Canada, and the
couple had been visiting there for .
day or two. A young brother of hers
was also staying there, and he was the
boy lost in the boat that went over tht
falls, having accompanied the party or
the excursion.
When they went upon the river fol-
a pleasure ride, they were warned tt
keep near the shore, and as they val
ued their lives, TO keep out of the re-
sistless current. Carelessly rowing
and floating along, their boat was i'm.
perceptibly drawn into the current
and when they realized their danger
II was too late. More swiftly eacl
moment they were hurried on to TIT
verge of the cataract and then the
fearful plunge came and ended theil
young lives. It is not yet known who
| the other couple were.
We clip the following from the Buff
faly Commercial Advertiser:
We learn from our correspondent a
the Falls that the names of the young
man and woman who lost their lives
there on Friday last, was correctly
| given, as John Elliott and Margaret
Rollinston.
The father and mother Of the cir
arrived yesterday for the purpose o
recovering, If possible, the bodies o.
their daughter and son. These people
live in Toronto. The young man wa
from near Cleveland, and went K
Canada and run away with the GIN
who, with her little brother, was Wis
iting an aunt some distance from theil
home. The father went to Youngs
town yesterday afternoon in order tt
ascertain if the body of the femal,
found floating in the river there, ant
buried on Saturday last, was that O
his daughter. The body will be disin
tered for that purpose.
The body referred to had evidently
been in the water but few hours, NJ
decomposition having taken place. TIL.
neck and one of the legs were broken
Although it has been observed tina
the bodies of people going over tn,
Falls never float SO soon after, the cir
cumstances are such as to render i
highly probable that the remains in
TERED at Youngstown are those o.
Margaret Rollinston. The parents ar,
said to be, evidently, in poor circum
stances.