American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-02-13
A Romantic ElOpemenr.

| 4 Romantic ElOpemenr.
THE New York Mercury tells This
pretty little story:
| About two miles northwest of Newark
n. j., is located the little village of Was
sessing, and here an elderly couple took
| up their residence last May, giving their
names as Steinbrenner. Some two months
ago young lady of some twenty years
was seen in and about the neat little cot
tage, but she never appeared ON the
street, nor did she visit any of the two or
three stores that form the business part
OF the town. Several times a coach was
seen standing in front of the cottage and
tall, fine-lOOking man was noticed get
ting in and out OF the same, visiting the
Steinbrenners. Who the old people, the
girl and the strange man were seemed a
mystery, notwithstanding all the efforts
made by the inquisitive neighbors and
the gOssipers of the town. Last Mon
day another strange man appeared about
the town, and during the week it was
discovered that he was watching the cot
tage and the mysterious Steinbrenners.
This man always left in the evening by
Conductor MOore's train, which goes
only as far as Newark. On New Years
morning one OF the neighbors heard loud
talking In the cottage, as if parties were
quarreling, and noticed the coach stand
ing in front of the door. Presently they
saw the young lady come out, accompa-
MED by the gentleman who had been
making daily visits to the cottage and
the man who had been lettering about
the town for the past week. They drove
off rapidly toward Newark, and this was
the last seen of them by the Wassessing-
ties: They crossed, it seems, over into
Hudson County and to the residence of
Squire Hall, where the young girl and
the regular visitor were hastily married.
And now for the explanation of these
mysterious movements. The gentleman,
it subsequently TRANSFERRED, was Gen. AL
fred Storms of Philadelphia, and the
young lady Miss Otto Louisa Kellogg,
of the same place, the daughter of a
very wealthy old Quaker family. 1t
seems that the parents Of the young girl,
objected TO her marriage with Storms
because he was not a believer in their
faith, and the two finally agreed to elope,
but Miss Kellogg was to keep her mar
riage a secret.
Storms found the old couple, Stein
brenners, and they agreed to board the
girl. The girl informed her parents by
note on her departure from home that,
as they would not let her marry Storms,
she intended to enter a convent, and
on her again, as friends had agreed to
get her in an institution under an as
sumed name. Mr.. Kellogg, as soon as
he found that his daughter had disap-
peared, put two private detectives of
Philadelphia on her track, and all the
converts in the Eastern and Middle
States were visited, but no clew to the
missing girl obtained. At last one of
the officers, Detective Leary, with the
aid of Detective Hurley, got on the track
of Storms in New York, and followed
him on several occasions. They traced
him to Wassessing two or three DAYS,
and watching the Steinbrenner cottage
they became satisfied that they had dis
covered Miss kellogg's mysterious con-
vent: 80. on the above day, when Storms
had been in the cottage about half an
hour, Leary put in an appearance, and
immediately made known his business,
producing warrant for the arrest of
the young lady issued by Justice
Hall. Gen. Storms Immediately
claimed her as his wife, but Leary
would not heed it and told
the poor girl she must go along with
him Storms, seeing that there was no
alternative, rendered his coach and asked
to be allowed to accompany them. This
request was acceded to after some words
had passed between Leary and himself
The latter then whispered to Miss KEEL
logg and in a jiffy she was ready for the
journey. They were not long in reach
ing Justice Halls, when Storms asked
the Justice if he could speak in private
with him. This the Squire agreed to,
and after Leary had returned his search
warrant Squire, Hall said he would hold
a private interview with the young lady.
They retired to the 'Squire's private
Office, and soon Gen. Storms was asked
to step in the room for moment. Leary
suspected nothing, but while he was
pacing up and down the room congratu-
latIng himself, no doubt, over his success,
and big reward for his services, Miss
Kellogg was being made Mrs. Storms.
Soon the party returned to the main
office and Squire Hall stated that the
lady would have to be given over to the
custody of Gen. Storms, as he had proven
TO his full satisfaction that she was his
lawful wiie-hs held the evidence-and,
besides, she was of age Uwcnty), her
parents having by law lost their legal
rights over her for the past two years or
more. When Leary ascertained the
facts he was compelled to take his de-
parture without the lady, while Gen and
Mrs. Storms and the Squire drove over
to Newark.