Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-04
ELOPED WITH HIS PUPIL.

A Country SchoOlmaster's Struggle fol
! Bride-Ihe Chase of "A Milford
Farmer After His Runaway Daughter
and How the Old Gentleman was
| Baffied.
The people of Milford township, Cam
den county, N. j., are greatly excited
| over the elOpement OF Ralph II. Hargreve,
| schoOlmaster, and Fanny Louise Sick
| Ter, the l6-year-old daughter of Pember-
| ton Il. oIckler, one OF the Wealthiest farm
ers IN the county. Iargreye, who former
| ~ AVed IN Iansborough, a little town
| near Sickleryllle, has been teaching
school in the township since last Septem-
| Der. He is blonde, % years old,
| of medium height and build, and
| handsome. Fanny Sickler was one of
MS. pupils. She was one of
| the acknowledged beauties OF the
county. The girPs mother discovered
| string OF sentimental verses with Har-
greve's name signed to them in one OF her
daughters school-books. Miss Fanny
confessed that she was head over ears in
love with her teacher, and that he could
not live without her. She explained that
HargreVe had over $1,000 and wanted to
get married at once. Papa Siclkler's rage
was boundless, and he plumply told his
daughter that he would send her TO lu-
natic asylum if she persisted in her love
lowed TO attend school again.
Monday afternoon the girl managed to
slip away from her home, AMI met her
lover at the school house mile away.
Her escape was soon discovered, and
Farmer Sickler and two neighbors named
Dunlap and Brown started in hot chase.
The pursuers drove to the school house,
which they l-und locked, and the school
master WITHIN, reinforced by his brother
George Voorhees,, Jr., all OF TansbOrOugh,
who had agreed to help the couple escape.
To tne demand OF the angry father for his
laughter, the pedagogue cOOlly replied
that he couldn't have her, and slammed
the door in his face. Sickler and Dunlap
started f-r Camden to procure a warrant
fer Ha1E rs arrest on the charge of
abduction, while Farmer Brown remained
to stand guard, armed with a big navy
revolver. The schOOlmaster's brother and
young VOrhees started off, and in a short
time came back with a spring wagon
drawn by two horses. Then the school
master and Miss Sickler opened the door,
and old Isaiah Brown, after deliberately
cooking his revolver, said:
''If you try to take that gal away I'u
blow your brains out"
This sanguinarY declaration made the
schOolmaster pause, and Miss Sickler be-
gan to cry. Hargreve's friends came up
at this moment and seized Brown and
disarmed him. Brown became profane
and started home to get gun. The low
ers and their four young friends got into
the spring wagon and started for Camden,
seven miles away. On the outskirts Of
Camden the runaways and their friends
met Farmer Sickler, Mr.. Dunlap, and
squire Kerswell on their way to the
schoOlhOuse. The spring wagon dashed
by, and Justice Kersweu got up in the
buggy and shouted
'ERalph Hargreve, l arrest you.''
The escaping party laughed, and Squire
hersWell, greatly excited, pulled out his
revolver and fired in the air, hoping to
trighten the runaways into surrendering.
Young Hargreve, however, pulled out a
horse pistol and blaZed away at the puT-
suerS. Dunlap stopped his horse, and the
wagon that carried the runaways ratified
into Camden. When they arrived at the
foot Of Market street, in Philadelphia, they
took carriage and drove directly TO the
Girard House. Sickler and his compan-
ions were not far behind. When the
agry father entered the Girard House he
saw the runaway schoolmaster stand
ing at the marble counter. Mr..
olckler was greatly excited and
accused Chief Clerk Carmack of
being party to the plot to assist
IN the clandestine marriage of his daugh-
ter. Mr.. Carmack asked Farmer Sickler
what he was talking about. While the
excited agriculturist was trying to ex-
plain Hargreve hurried into the parlor,
and telling Miss Sickler and mis- friends
to follow they quickly entered the car
riage at the door, and the driver was
ordered to take the passengers to the
Broad street station. They had but 10
minutes in which to catch the Boston
express, which left at 6: 80 in the evening.
they got to the station in time, however.
The father Of the girl, when he discovered
that the birds had flown, rushed to Fourth
and Chestnut streets and telegraphed to
Chief of Police Murphy, of jersey City, to
arrest the fugitives. Up to midnight he
had not received an answer to his tele-
gram.