St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-01
HE STOLE HIS BRIDE AWAY.
EIopen1eut extraordinary from {
virginia Homestead.

A special from Luray, Va, says: About
twenty miles from this town, in Page
county. lives a farmer named Charles
Adams, whose daughter, Miss BERTHE, aged
II years, has for the past year been quite
belle in the neighborhood. Miss BERTHE is
graduate of Catholic college in Maryland
and fine musician. In addition to these
accomplishments, she was pretty. intelli-
gent and rich. Her mother made no secret
of her determination that BERTHE should only
marry a rich man.
Alexander Watson, young man living
in the same vicinity, was only poor farmer
with about one hundred acres of land, but
this did not prevent his falling desperately
i'll love with Miss BERTHE. Watson is hand
some fellow of 25, industrious and popular
among his acquaintance. Miss BERTHE gave
him encouragement, and about two weeks
ago caused a scene by hiding her head on
her fathers shoulder and cOnfeSSing that
she loved the young man and wanted to
marry him.
MI. Adams seems to have given a condi-
tiOnal promise to consider the question.
Mrs. Adams, however, proved hard-hearted,
and when young Watson next called 10 take
BERTHE out driving Mrs. Adams turned him
out of doors. She supposed that she had
etfectually parted them, but on Wednesday
discovered her daughter and her lover in
conversation about two hundred yards from
the Adams mansion. Mrs. Adams there
upon locked Miss BERTHE in second-story
bedroom and announced that the girl
should stay there until she had promised
never to speak to Watson again. Late in
the evening Mrs. Adams discovered Watson
assisting Miss BERTHE out of the window by
# lodi inf
ment was interrupted and Miss BERTHE re-
captured. Watson was threatened with
arrest and his sweetheart was put to bed.
Mrs. Adams removed all her child's cloth
ing from the room. except the night dress.
and locked her in the bedroom after mailing
down the window sash. On Thursday
evening Watson visited the house while the
family slept and interviewed his sweetheart
through the closed window. The girl was
compelled to rise from the bed, wrapped in
the bed-clothing, and place her ear TO a
crack in the window in order to listen to the
| loving words of her untiresome adnlirer.
/ She explained to him her predicament
! in the matter of clothing, and then they
arranged for an elopement last night. Wat
| sons brother-in-law is an engineer on the
Shenandoah Valley railway, and runs an
engine north from little water station neal
! the Adams manson 10 Luray.
At O'clock this morning he had his Ell
CINE in waiting at the water station, with
fires burning brightly and full head OF
steam On. About o'clock young Watson
drove to the Adams mansion, carrying il
his light wagon a full suit of ladies' under
clothing. with black silk dress. hat. veil.
gloves etc, which his sister had prepared
for him. The program was for him to pass
the clothing to his sweetheart through the
window. and, after she had dressed. she
was to fly with him to the waiting engine,
! by which they were to reach Luray. When
! Watson arrived at the Adams residence,
about a. ~. he found TO his diSmay that
during the long drive over the rough cOm-
try road the bundle of clothing had bounced
out and been lost. In despair, he seized q
! carriage robe which he had brought along
and mounted the ladder to Miss Adams
/ window.
The girl was waiting in fear and trem
| bling, sitting on chair near the window
with the bed-clothing wrapped around her
| Watson explained the mishap and desper
ately proposed that the girl should com,
with him anyhow. 1t took a half hour o
pleading to induce her to accede to the pro
posal The lover finally gained his point
and, forcing the window. entered the room
| lJUutE MISS 1tlllC > uliCCAlOH llt MldBlit'
her trembling form up in blanket. The
he enveloped her in the caTriage-robe ant
carried her down the ladder. When nea
the ground the latter snapped in two an
Miss BERTHE screamed as they fell about fou
feet. They were minjured, but as the
regained their feet Mr.. Adams head shO
out OF the window and he cried to then
to stop. Watson sprang at the girl, VIII
seemed half inclined to obey, and throwin
her across his shoulder ran TO the waitin
wagon.
Ten minutes drive brought them to tn
railroad. 1t was now broad daylight. an
as the lovers climbed into a cab they caugi
sight of Mr.. Adams riding madly toward
them. He fired "A shotgun and rOared {
them to stop. The engine was at ono
, started and was soon living towards Lma
at the rate of thirty-fiye miles ala hou
They stopped just outside the village an
the two men took turns in carrying the ha
unconscious girl to the house of a frien,
Here she was supplied with proper clothin
and about o'clock a. IN. went into Lura
Caverns with her lover, where they WEI
t married Mr.. and Mrs. Watson then droN
leisurely home.