The daily gazette., 1879-05-07
CAPTAIN Cox's ROMANCE.
How . Yeung LsAy Frosa : wa.
mingtsn seSsei Eiepes WIS Hiis

mtngtsn 0eheel Eloped witt Miia.
When Captain Ed Cox, who IL now
being tried III Atlanta, Ca, for the muir
der Of Col. Alston, was boy he had q
love affair that gives his history q tinQe
Of romance to which the murder ofOol,
Aston IL not an appropriate ending.
When Cox was young man his father
died, leaving an estate of considerable
value and three children to share it.
The eldest child girl, married law
yer in Atlanta, and her husband became
the guardian of the affairs of Edward
At the beginning Of the fall term of 1859
Of Col. Hyatt's Delaware Military Acad-
emy, at Wilmington, Edward Cox's
name appears in the roll of the lower
class. On the 10th of May he ceased to
he Q student of Colonel Hyatt's school,
and 1t was between the date of his arriv-
al ct Wilmington and the 10th of Nav
Of the following year that he added the
romantic chapter to his life's history by
eloping In the most approved style with
one Of the pupils of the Misses Grim
shaw's select school for young ladies in
Wilmington. Since Captain Cox has
becme 30 prominent because of the
murder trial In which he is the defend
ant, the ssory of this elopement has been
variously told, but those who drew il
out of the past evidently had the assist
ance OF others on whose memory the
dust of years had fallen not lightly.
From persons who were personally as
sociated with the affair the story here
with given was obtained, and at least
TWO OF the gentlemen concerned have
reason to remember 1t well.
cox AS A sCHooLBoY.
When young Cox came to Wilmington
ne was nearly seventeen years Of age.
He was a great broad-shouldered fellow,
with immense muscular development,
and he distinguished himself almost i'm
mediately for his strength by lifting four
hundred pounds dead weight to the
heighthO of his shoulders. In manner he was
quiet and unasstrming, but quick to an
ger when he felt Aygrieved, and reckless
OF consequences when aroused. Colonel
Hyatt at that time was at the head of q
college in Delaware such as he now main
tains at Chester, in this State. Cox was
not far advanced in his studies, in fact,
beyond being able to read, write and do
q little In elementary mathematics, his
education had been much neglected.
Nevertheless he was q manly fellow,
with that self-confidence natural to the
Southern youth, and he was the chosen
companion and friend Of his instructor in
French and Spanish, an ex-army officer,
Captain Jefferson Nonis, whose native
State Is Virginia. When young Cox
came to Wilmington his youngest sister,
Mollie, came also, and entered the select
school of the Misses Grimshaw, where
she had for roommate Miss Louisa
Watkins, from East Tennessee.
Miss Watkins, although not beauti-
full girl, is described as being one of
those toward whom all persons she came
in contact with were irresistibly attract
ed, Bright and witty in conversation,
graceful and pleasing, she formed ac-
quaintances only to make friends. There
seems to be only one bar between her
and beauty, and that was the presence on
her face of large mole-so expansive,
indeed, that it destroyed the contour of
her right cheek, and therefore, in form as
well as color, was blot on an otherwise
lovely face. Louisa-or Lulu, as she
was more generally called-was roman
tic girl, and her French exercises and
tasks in botany were often neglected
that she might peruse the novels that
about that time fell 80 abundantly from
the pens of Mrs. E. ID. e. N. South
worth, Marion Harland and Caroline
Lee Hentz. Mary Cox, her roommate,
was also of romantic turn, and lady
In this city, now married and the matern-
al head of a large family, but who was a
schoOlmate and confidante of the two
Southern girls, relates that it was Miss
Mollie who proposed the match between
her brother and her roommate.
HOW HE MET HIS WIFE.
Young Cox had frequent meetings with
his sister and had entree to the strictly
select school of the Misses Grimshaw and
was thus afforded an opportunity of meet
ing Miss Watkins as often as he chose
He chose to meet her at frequent inter-
walls. His sister and the lady now in
Philadelphia, who wishes her name with
held, jealously guarded these interviews
from outside eyes and curiosity. They
acted as scouts in this campaign of love
and were entirely successful in protect
ing their charge.
1t has been stated and published that
Cox and Miss Watkins had love affair
in the South before they came North to
school, and that Cox having been sent
away to break up q possible match, the
sAuS-AOoipCu SiiA dioCOFCICu RidCc
withdrawal and so adroitly managed
affairs that she, too, was sent North to
school, to the very town indeed to which
her lover had been banished. Much
as such an incident adds to the in
terest and romance of the story, the
faithful narrator must pronounce it in
variance with facts, for Miss Lulu,
and Mr.. Edward were strangers to
each other until they met in the
little parlor of the select school for young
ladies which the Misses Grimshaw kept.
But after that the course of true love ran
smoothly till one day-the Goth of May,
186O-young Cox, walking with Captain
Norris, said 81 want to entrllst you
with secret and want you to give me
your word of honor as gentleman that
you will never divulge it,"
"Well," said the captain, smiling at
the earnestness of his favoritie pupil, las
take it for granted that you haven't
murdered or robbed anybody nor COM
mitted arson, suppose l will have to
promise silence" en
son your word as gentleman, prom
ise," insisted Cox, and laughingly the
captain promised and Cox went on: 81
am going to marry Lulu Watkins to-
day."
"Nonsense, you are not going to dc
anything of the kind. Why, shant
permit you to make such foolish step