Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-30

INFANT ELOPEMENT.
The Way the Aristocratic Children OF st.
Louis AImuse Themselves.

nc Way the Ar1stocratic Children of ST.
Louis Amuse Themselves.
tFrom the st. Louis Dispatch
On Friday night last occurred one of the
most extraordinary elopemeuts ever at
tempted in this city. A party o ffour young
scrapegraces, consisting of two girls and two
boys, whose ages ranged between IA and l6
years, packed their kits, and to avoid the
scrutinizing Of angry parents they being the
scions OF some of the most respectable fami-
lies of this city proceeded to the Main street
depot aud boarded a train bound east on the
| Vandalia line.
They had purchased a section of a sleeping
coach bound for New York, and therefore en-
tered the palace on wheels and took charge
Of the section assigned them by the sleep
ing-car conductor, and as the train steamed
across the bridge there was at least four
happy souls on board, though there were
eight aching hearts left behind.
By some stroke of fortune one of the
fathers Of one of the truant boys, a getle-
man well known in commercial and financial
circles, got wind of the escapade, and at
once took measures calculated to dampen
the ardor of the runaways. He proceeded to
the chief of police and related his fears,
whereupon the chief tel~egraphed to the head
Of the police department at Terre Haute,
Ind, giving a partial description of the
clippers, and directing the officers to arrest
them upon the arrival of the train at that
point.
The telegram was certainly received, for
as the train slowed into the depot at Terre
Haute, about the moon of night" it was
j boarded by the minions of the law, who
7 made their way back into the sleeper, and
. after explaining their mission to the con-
! ductor, the love cote where the erring ones
were reposing, locked in a fond embrace,
was pointed out to them, and upon parting
the curtains which shut out from the rude
world the billing and cooling of the inmates,
, there they were, paired off and occupying
! the upper and lower berths Of the section,
4 just as though the sanction of the law had
licensed the transaction.
b officers, Of course, did not wait tic
moralize on the situation, they politely in.
formed them that they were wanted
u Had a cyclone passed over the train and
3 landed them in a ditch our young heroes
and sheroes could not have been more thor
oughly surprised or more painfully con
sclous of their situation.
e At first they all "set up a yell" after the
manner of the baboon's sister, who was
married to the monkey. But they con
q cluded that this eternal blazon must no
be- and so they Immediately changed thei
tactics and assumed an air of injured limo
. cence, and demanded to know by wha'
!, authority the officers thus invaded the sane
= tity of their sleeping apartment.
The telegram Was presented and read tt
them by the officers, and the latter assured
them that resistance was useless, and hastil,
donning their daylight apparel, the,
= marched out OF the car and into the depo
e to await the arrival of the passenger trail
o coming west. Upon its arrival they re
embarked, but alas, not alone; a burl,
. officer OF the "lor" accompanied them, no
did he leave them for a moment until the,
reached their final destination.
a One on the paternal ancestors of one Q
d the erring boys, who was more anxious thai
the others, went over to East St. Loui
to meet the youthful prodigal, to whom h
laid claim, lest, i they were brought to thi
re side Of the river. the thing might leak gu
l. and the vigilant busy bodies, reporters, Nigh
get wind of it. He proposed, after brie
4 though imphatic lecture, to take his DO
. and bring him over along to quiet any sas
"a picions which might arise, but the police
k man from Terre Haute said none of Their
ID should go out of his tender careuntil he ha
;. received some remuneration for his Sci
= vices, and the gentleman finally paid one
y fourth of the "hostage" and reclaimed hi
rs lost treasure. and brought him over on tn
bridge, where we leave him.
Another parent, father ofone of the youn
ladies, callei at the Chestnut street static
s early this morning to inquire if anythin
IS. had been heard from them, but that was be
10 fore thu r arrival.
lf Suffice it TO say all arrived safely and wer
= reclaimed by their parents and friends, an
reconciliation, and explanations followed a
usual.
u One of the boys told the officers that
b. was their intention to get married upo
le their arrival in New York, and settle down.
is Since that, however, he has concluded t
settle dow here, and pains will be taken t
prevent a repetition Of this elopement ex