The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-08-08
QUITE A ROMANCE.
In which = Fairmont Boy Figures Con.
spicuOusly.

In which Fairmont Boy Figures Con-
spicuously.
The following story telegraphed
from Washington appeared in the
Wheeling papers few days ago.
Chas. f. Reed is son of B. F. Reed,
the we'll known horse buyer.
Charles f. Reed, member of the
ell-known family of Fairmont, West
Virginia, employed here as census
clerk, has been in the divorce court
in highly sensational case. His
wife was divorced from him on Tues
day on the ground that he had forced
her to marry him. Her maiden name
was Mary Stewart Mckinney, and
they were married November 16,
1890. Reed is about twenty five
years old and Miss Mckinney year
younger. They were clerks in the
Census office. Reed fell in love
with Miss Mckinney and believed
that she loved him, but did not know
it. He pressed his suit with pro-
testations and threats and, it is as
serted, declared she should marry
no one else; or, that if she did not
marry him he would kill her. He
would take no refusal, and came
home with her from the Office, met
her in the street, waylaid her behind
tree boxes and came out to surprize
her at intersections and reserva-
tions. This persecution, she says,
destroyed my health, both of mind
and body. was not able to eat or
sleep, or to do my work at the office.
l did not dare to go out Of my house
at night or even to walk along the
street in the day time"
One afternoon as they came from
the Pension Office he made her prom
Use to meet him. She did so, and
they went to the house of Rev. AS
bury s. Kelley Of the M. +. Church.
She says that on the way ! plead
with him not to force me TO marry
him, but he said that was his deter
mination; he would not be stop
ped then and that if showed signs
of distress or agitation through the
ceremony would suffer the conse-
quences."
They went together into the house
of the minister and were married
Neither the minister nor any one
else saw anything strange in the
marriage, but the husband and wife
parted with the understanding that
there was to be no contamination,
and the matter was to be kept secret;
but the license got into the papers
and the marriage became public.
In the Intelligencer's account of
the affair is stated that Reed had
seemed to realize the injustice he
had done the girl he loved, for two
days after the marriage he signed
the following statement, which he
gave to her. II will state that l
forced Mary S. Mckinney, by threat,
to marry me on the condition that it
should be kept secret. The marriage
license has been published in the
papers, therefore make tb is state
ment."
On the other side of this paper
the wife had written: 81 promise
not to use this paper in any way to
injure c. f. Reed signed Mary 5
Mckinney.
The story told by Reeds friends
throws an entirely different light on
the case. They admit that Reed
was and, in fact, still is very much
in love with the girl, but they claim
it is preposterous to assert that If she
was forced to marry him through
fear Of personal violence, she would
meet him deliberately and go with
him to the Justices, after being per-
mitted to leave him and go home
In short Reeds story is that Miss
Mckinney married him in hot haste
while suffering from fit of pique
over the supposed loss of another
mans affections, whom she really
did care for, and that as soon as the
rash marriage was concluded, she
began to repent Of her bargain, and
refused to live with her husband.