Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-03
CUPID CONQUERS.
The Rich and Racy Romance of a Re-
cent Louisville Wedding.

cent LOUISVILLE " SO0lnB.
At 80 o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr..
T. G. Hewlett, of Huntsville, Ala, and
Miss Sallie A. Ragsdale, Of Meridian,
Miss, says the Louisville COurjer-JOurndL
of Thursday, were quietly married at the
parsonage of the Methodist Church at 1853
Fifth street, by the Rev. Henry c. Settle.
The ceremony was strictly private, the
only witness being the mother of the
bride and Mr.. Clifford, a friend of the
family. When the nuptial knot had been
properly tied the party re-entered the
hack which had taken them there and re-
turned to the Broadway Hotel, where they
had been staying since last Sunday morn
ing. This ceremony terminated one of
the most singular romances ever encOun-
tered outside the pages of a novel. The
story, as CLEANED from Mr. Hewlett, his
bride, her mother and Mr.. Clifford of the
Broadway Hotel, who has known the
Ragsdale family for many years, is as fol-
lows:
The groom is young man Of excellent
social standing, and holds a position as
special agent of the New Orleans and
Texas Pacific Railway, which position re-
quires him to travel a great deal. Some
thing more than year ago he visited
Meridian and stopped at the principal hO-
tel of the place, which is owned and ope-
rated by Mr.. i. A. Ragsdale, who is also
a wealthy and leading citizen of that
place. Mr.. Hewlett became acquainted
with Mr.. Ragsdale's family, which con-
sisted of his wife, son and Il very pretty
daughter, who although but fifteen years
old was developed far beyond her age. A
friendship sprang up between the young
people, which soon ripened into love, but
Mr.. Ragsdale objected to the match on
the score of his daughters youth, and at-
ter frank discussion it was agreed that
they should at least wait until the young
lady had completed her education.
Mr.. Hewlett was called away from Me-
ridian on business, but returned before
the father had completed arrangements
to send his daughter to a boarding school
at StauntOn, Va. The young people
thought that long separation would be
MORE THAN THEY COULD SURVIVE,
so they made arrangements for a secret
meeting, to OccGr after she was sent to
StauntOn. Before Miss Ragsdale was
ready to start, Mr.. Hewlett was again
called to New Orleans on business, and
Mrs. RagsdaIe went to Hot Springs, Ark,
to be treated for rheumatism. Mr.. Hew-
lett wrote to his sweetheart after his ar
rival in New Orleans, and received a re-
ply stating that her father would take
her to the school in StauntOu in a few
days, and that when Hewlett came to
visit her he must pass himself off as her
uncle in order that he would be permitted
to see her. Mr.. Hewlett replied, but
waited in vain for an answer, and finally
becoming alarmed he wrote to friend in
Meridian inquiring what had become Of
Miss Ragsdae. Tle reply was that faith
er and daughter had left Meridian for
StauntOn, but that the girls brother had
intercepted one of Mr.. Hewletts letters
after their departure, in which the agree
ment to meet clandestinely at the school
was mentioned, that he had telegraphed
his discovery to his father, and that Mr..
Ragsdale had returned alone after a
weeks absence.
Acting on that information Mr.. Hewlett
wrote to Miss Ragsdale at StauntOu, but
failing to get reply ascertained by in
quiry from the faculty that she was not
there. He again wrote to his friend, and
after some delay the latter informed him
that he had seen letter from Oxford, o.,
addressed to Mr.. Ragsdale, and bearing
the business card of DR.. Moss, the super
intendent of a private insane asylum in
that place.
The distracted lover did not know what
course to pursue at first, and consumed
valuable time in ascertaining positively
. the whereabouts of his missing sweet
heart, and also in discovering where her
mother had gone. He finally verified his
suspicious by means of an intercepted
letter from the insane asylum, and about
the same time heard that Mrs. Ragsdale
was in Hot Springs. He at once tele-
graphed to the mother, who hurried to
Oxford and managed to
ABDUCT HER DAUGHTER FROM THE
ASYLUM
and got her to Cincinnati, where Mr..
Hewlett had arranged to meet them. 6ut
unfortunately, DR.. Moss ascertained the
whereabouts of the mother and daughter,
and getting possession of Miss Ragsdale,
carried her back to the asylum despite
her protests, even threatening to have Mrs.
Ragsdale iEcarcerated also.
As soon as Mr.. Hewlett arrived in Gin
cinnati able lawyers were employed, and
Miss Hewlett was released ON a writ of
habeasa corpus MIR. Ragsdale and several
acquaintances of the family were sum-
mOned as witnesses, and, before jury of
luRdticO de iRQuirendO, it was clearly
proved that the young lady's mind was
perfectly sane.
The affair created great local sensa-
tiOn at Oxford, and resulted in an order
being issued that the insane commission
ers should visit all private asylums four
times a year, for the purpose of investi-
cation, without warning the superinten-
dents of their intentions. Mr.. Ragsdale
admitted that he did not believe his daugh-
ter insane, but would give no reason for
incarcerating her in the asylum. The
same court of inquiry gave the custody
of Miss Ragsdale to her mother, declar-
ing that Mr.. Ragsdale was not a fit per-
son to have charge of her. The father
finally consented to the marriage of Mr..
Hewlett and his daughter, but declined
to be present at the ceremony, and after the
trial went to New York to attend to some
business, while the mother, daughter and
MIR. Hewlett came to this city, where they
determined to have the marriage occur.
1t is SAID that the joint property of Mr..
and Mrs. Ragsdale amounts to about
$3.50, 900. Mrs. Ragsdale told a reporter
last evening that she thought her husband
had behaved as he did in order 20 force
her to accede to a proposition of his con-
cerning the disposal of some of her pro-
perty. She said, moreover, that her
husband had been an excellent business
manager, but that he had a stroke of
paralysis about six years ago. and that at
times he had acted very strangely.
The bridal party will remain in this city
about two weeks, and will then 90 to the
home of the groom in Huntsville, Ala.
Curtin to Have a Walk -Over.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 2.-Messrs. An
drew @. Curtin and j. x. p. Hall, toe con-
testing Democratic Congressional candi-