Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-21
SHOT WHILE ELOPING.
a Hot Chase by John Drake After Hi
Runaway Daughter,

/ BRIDGEPORT, Dec. 15.-John Drake, an
old farmer living in what is known as the
purchase district" a tract of rough
! broken country on the east bank of the
| HousatOnic river, 80 miles above its
| mouth, is at present searching for his
missing daughter, Mildred, 10 years of
/ age. Drake lives in lonely house half a
mile from his nearest neighbor, on road
which is seldom travelled. He makes a
scant living from few rocky, half cleared
acres, and ekes out his support by hunt
ing and fishing in the half wild woodlands
near his home. His family consisted of
his wife, paralytic, and the daughter,
Mildred. The latter is tall. slender girl,
light-haired. with gray eyes. She was
considered the beauty of the region, but
owing to her fathers suspicious DISPOSE
ton was little known to the country
SWANS. Last June young man giving
his name as Henry G. Bogart and his
residence as Philadelphia went into the
hill country for his health, and secured
lodging at the home of farmer living
nearly four miles from Drake. He de-
voted much of his time to fishing, and on
one of his trips came across John Drake,
with whom, after some difficulty. he
established a sort of intimacy. On few
occasions he visited Brakes house, and
there saw the daughter.
BY presents and fattery the stranger so
won Drake that the latter finally agreed
to take him as boarder. Once estab-
lished in the house, he had no difficulty in
gaining the affections of Mildred Drake.
In September he left the Purchase" but
returned last Monday to Brakes an
nOuncing his intention of starting a sing
ing school, if possible. On this preteXt
he tramped over a great part of the town,
and on Thursday night came home late.
Drake was forced to unlock the door and,
not liking the interruption to his slum-
bers, agreed to leave 1t open thereafter till
his erratic bOarder came home. On Fri
day BOgart returned early, but on Satur-
day Drake aw0ke to find the door open
and guest and daughter missing. When
he realized what had happened, Drake
sliced his gun and started on the fugi-
tives' track. He followed their footsteps
without difficulty to a road half mile
from the house. Then wheel tracks plain
ly showed their method of flight. Return
ing to his house Drake hastily harnessed
his horse to light sleigh and followed the
prints of the carriage wheels. Bogart
and Miss Drake had driven as nearly due
south as possible, but owing to losing
their way did not cross the HousatOnic
river at SOuthville till nearly noon, after
making an unnecessary circuit of many
miles. Their vehicle, buggy, was hard
pulling through the snow on the rough
roads, and as Drake, by his intimate
KNOWLEDGE of the country, managed to
guess their point for crossing the river, he
reached the bridge just in time to see a
confederate of BOgaTt draw up the river
road to the north just as the clippers, with
a fresh horse and a lighter buggy, dashed
across the bridge. Drake paid no atten-
ton to the confederate, but kept in pur-
suit of Bogart. The fresh horse gained
an advantage on the bill at the end of the
n 10 o1S
burden by running by itsside, and the pur-
sueTs and pursued reached the level not
more thar 100 yards apart. Drake called
to the young man to halt, and. receiving
no answer, raised his gun and, taking
aim, fired. The ball missed its mark, and
before Drake was ready for a second shot.
Bogart had turned into a road running to
the west. This was little Travelled, and
the father gained considerably. Several
times he had a chance to fire, but his
daughter threw herself upon her lovers |
neck, and so covered his body that her
father dared not risk shot. For over
mile the two teams kept about IS yards |
apart, and at turn in the road Drake |
fired, again missing. Before he had fairly |
loaded again the pursued turned into
well-beaten highway, where the snow
was melted, and began to gain. Here |
escape would have been easy had not the |
music teacher chosen a wrong road, and
u
Hawleyville station on the New York and
New England Road in hot pursuit. |
BOgart again missed his way. brakes |
horse gave out, and the old man, leaping |
to the ground, fired last shot. Bogart |
gave cry and instinctively pulled up his |
horse. Drake ran, on neglecting to load |
his gun, and as soon as he reached the |
side of the elOpeFs' carriage saw that his |
prospective sOn-in-laW had been shot |
through the right shoulder. He dubbed |
his gun to complete his work when his |
daughter raising the heavy loaded whip |
struck her father blow upon his fore
head, making him stagger, and before he |
recovered himself the girl had grasped |
the reins and, striking the horse, was out |
of the old mans reach. Drake continued
ran, but an Unlucky stumble caused him
to fall hOpelessly behind. Still the in
dOmitable old man kent on in pursuit..
although In five minutes the pair were
out Of sight. Drake made inquiry along
the road, but near the head of what is
known as Fountain Lake lost all strace of
them. Believing the fugitives were bound
for Brewster's, as the nearest point in
New York, he made the best of his way
to that place, arriving late at night
Learning nothing fhis daughters where
abouts, he started, without stopping for
food or rest, for 'FThe Purchase" To one
man he said that he should sell what
little he possessed, lodge his wife in the
poorhOuse, and devote himself to finding
Bogart and his daughter. In case he
succeeded, will and good 1T would be very
sad day for the music teacher. BOgart is
about feet 6 inches in height, with
light complexion, and slight defect III