The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-10
MR.. COX'S TRIP TO MARYLAND.
An Adventure Of Col. A.sto..'c Ascai!ant
Many Years Ago.

oil. Aston. whose TRIAL ami coililctlcll OF
murder in the first degree life
sentence to the penitentiary has just
concluded at Atlanta. Georgia:
When Captain Ed Cox was boy he
had Il love affair that gives his history a
tingc of romance to which the murder of
Col. Aston. in Atlanta, Ga. is not an
appropriate ending. When Cox was a
young man his father died. leaving an
estate of considerable value and three
children to share it. The eldest, Il girl.
married a lawyer III Atlanta. and her
husband became the guardian of the
affairs of Edward. At the beginning of
the Fall term. of 1859, Of Col. Hyatt
Delaware Military Academy. at Viii
mington. Edward Cox name appears in
the roll of the lower class.
On the Goth Of May. he ceased to he
student of Col. Hyatt'S school. and it
was between the date of his arrival at
Wilmington and the Goth Of May of the
following year that he added the roman
tie chapter to his life $ history by clipping
in the most approved style with one of
the pupils of the Misses Grimshaw's Sc
lvct school for young ladies in Whining
ton. When young Cox came to VII
minTton. his younger sister. Mollie. came
also. and entered the select school of the
Misses Grimshaw. where she had for Il
room mate Miss Louisa Watkins. from
East Tennessee. Miss Watkins. although
not Il beautiful girl. is described as being
one of those toward whom all persons
she came i'll contact with were irresiStibly
attracted. Bright and witty i'll conversa-
ton. graceful and pleasing. she formed
acquaintance only to make friends.
Louisa or Lulu. as she was more gen
orally called-was a romantic girl. and
her French exercises and tasks in botany
were often neglected that she might pc
ruse the novels that about that time fell
so abundantly from the pens of Mrs. +.
ID. f. n. Southworth, Marion Harlan
and Caroline Lee llentz. Mary Cox. her
roommate. was also of Il romantic tuln.
and lady i'll this city. now married and
the maternal head of Il large family. but
who was schoolmate and coniidantc OF
the two Southern girls. relates that it was
Miss Mollie. who proposed the match be-
tween her brother and her roommate.
The course of true love ran smoothly
till one lay-the Goth of May. 1860
young Cox. walking with Captain Nonis.
one of his instructors. said: Il want t.
entrust you with q secret. and want YOU
to give me your word of honor as a gen
tleman that you will never divulge it,
Well said the captain. smiling at
the earneStness Of his favorite pupil. ''a>
take it for granted that you haven't
murdered or robbed anybody. nor com
mitted arson. suppose | will have to
promise silence.
''On your word as gentleman. prom
Use" insisted Cox. and laughingly the
captain promised. and Cox went on: Il
am going to marry Lulu Watkins to-day.
NONSENSE. you are not going to dc
anything of the kind. Why. | shan't
permit you to take such foolish step
at your age. prtposter"uS.
We'll. to stop me you will have to tel
somebody and you are gentleman and
cannot break your word. replied Cox
doggedly. and all eXpostulation was use
less to shake Kim from his resolve.
IF You do try to stop me. why vii
take her on the train to Philadelphia
Nobody can hinder me from doing that.
and so the hot-bloodcd. impulSive young
fellow went on.
FRIEND INDEED.
His friend. seeing there was no use O
attempting to disslatle him from his plr
pose. wisely concluded that if the thin.
must go on, he would see the girl prop
erly and legally married before the con
pie left the city.
Ii may he mentioned here us show ing
perhaps. that Cox had no difficulty il
inducing Miss Lulu t" go with him. thai
she had had experience i'll elopcmentS. 81
at least in arranging them. Twice be
fore her path crossed that of the young
man she presently married. had her atfec
tons centered upon another young MAJ
in her native town. Twice had it beel
arranged that She and her lover wout
fly to some place where distance wouf
render parental opposition Intellectual
but before that point of safety had beer
reached. the young woman had beer
drawn under the domestic wing at home
and snusly detained there.
The instructor and his pupil walked III
the street that day in May. 1860. talking
over the important matter that Cox haC
engaged in the hot-headed lover turning
a deaf ear to all circumstances of til,
older and wiser man. 1t does appear
however, that the eX-army officer wa,
not lacking a spice of romance that il
this case was a fellow feeling and mad,
him wondrous kind to his pupil. How
shall | get the license" uueried Cox
Il guess you can get it there. said the
captain, directing the youth to the proper
Office. and presently. the legal paper be
ing had, the couple stro!!ed on up street
4 little further on they met the young
lady, who is now Philadelphia matron
She, too was a party to the scheme.
:'loH will be expelled for this S;tiC
the captain.
II can't help it if am. am going
to see this wedding through.
THE KNOT TIED.
Presently the two met Miss Watkin.
and Miss Cox. and the guintette thu,
formed proceeded to the house of an ole
and well-known Methodist circuit-ridel
of that day, the Rev, William Barnes
irreverently called BILLY" Barnes by
the academy boys. whom he used to ex
hort wherever and whenever he rouC
find them. Mr.. Blrnes examined the
license pnrkcted his fee. tied he knot il
due form. and So the pair were married
Mr.. and Mrs. Cox went ut once to tho
depot where the husband wrote not.
to the Misses Grimshaw. of the select
school for young ladies. which ran il
about these words:
LAnrHs:-l was married tl,is afternoon
to Miss Louisa Watkins. one of YOU
pupils. My wife and leave on the trlir
for the South on our wedding trip
Very respectfully. EDWARD Cox.
This note fell like hombshell in the
select school for Young ladies. and dis,
patch to the train conductor brought
back the answer that Mr. and Mrs. Con
had left the train at llarrr nc Grace
The Chief of Police of Wilmington who
went after them. has been dead many
years. but before he was laid away in
final rest he often loii the ste;y OF his
meeting Cox 1T the hotel in Iiavrc d,
Grace. The young couple had arrived
about three hours ahead of the officer
and had occupied rooms at the ho>tclry
nearest the depot.
Cox responded to Policeman Moody 5
call. and. with smile on his face said
You arc ~" laie: lesid what bust
ness have yuu IT. interfere with me in
Maryland: You had better &" home
Moody takes up the story: Il rouldn t
say nothing. looked ut him and he
gave me a hard sort of laugh. so says
to myself. says |: all right, and I says
to him. says !: ! amt agoing to inter
fere. And didn't. and CONS llume.
In day or two Cox returned to Viii
mington with his wife. and stopped at
Almonds Hotel until he got money from
home lie then left for the South. and
has never visited the North except once
and that was when. as Il captain i'll the