The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-14

a Savannah Young Nan Refuses TO
be a Bridegroom.

The Parents Of the Girl Claimed That
lie Had injured Her Character and
Inveigled Him to st. Augustine,
Fla.-The Priest Refused to Perform
the Marriage without Eis or His
Mothers Consent, Neither Of Which
Could Be Obtained.
Sam b. ThebauJ who lives at No. 81
Oak street, had quite an experience a few
DAYS ago in "a small town near st. Aug S.
tine, Fla, that he win NOT care TO repeat
again soon lie was asked 10 marry a
young girl there al the point of gun. but
stoutly refused and by "a slight chance
escaped and returned TO his home in Saw
anuah.
The girl was May Sims, who is yet a
child in years, "a daughter Of II. W..
J. A. Sims of Moultrie, Fla, with whom
st seems young Thebaut, who is only l6
years of age, became acquainted while
visiting St, Augustine some months ago
He owns some property in the neighbor-
hood of St. Augustine left him by his
father, his mother having since married
Chas Robeen, and the family now re-
sides on Oak street in this city.
In the latter part of 1892 young The
baut went to st. Augustine where he
remained about six months, returning TO
savannah last March. His mother
noticed after his return that he was in
the habit of writing TO a girl in Florida,
but paid little attention to IL at the
time, suppOsing that it was some friend
he had made while living there.
CALLED BACK TO ST. AUGUSTINE.
One day about the middle of June he
received a letter from St. Augustine tell
ing him of some entertainment, or inter
esting events that were going to happen
and urging him to come down.
lie told his mother the letter was from
a friend and asked her to let him 80
TO ST. Augustine for a few days
Mrs. Robeen, his mother, says this was
a trap to get him there and make
him marry the girl, though she knew
nothing about the affair at the time. She
let him go, she says, and when he arrived
there he was placed under arrest or ia
ken in charge by the brothers of Miss
Sims and told that he must marry her.
Mrs. RObeen was startled and surprised
when she heard, by telegram, what had
happened, and she tried TO communicate
with her son, and to hear from him, but
she says his CaptOrs prevented CorrespOn-
In the meantime a letter was received
by Mrs Robeen from the father of the
girl, stating that his daughters character
had been ruined by young Thebant, and
appealing to her to give her consent to
the marriage at once, as otherwise the
priest refused to perform the ceremony.
AT THE POINT OF A GUN.
This letter was received about July and
IL met with d refusal from Mrs Robeen
Before the letter had been written, a
priest was sent for and a license obtained
but young Ihebaut stOutly refused to
consent to the marriage and the priest
would not perform the ceremony. He
denied having done what was charged
against him.
He was kept there by the girls broth
ers until three or four days ago and the
priest was sent for second time, even
after the mother had refused to give her
consent, but said he would not marry them
unless he or his mother would consent to
the union. Thebaut was ordered to give
his consent at the point of a shotgun, and
still he refused. He was detained for
some days and things began to grow
rather too serious and gloomy for him.
lie could not hear from his mother and
did not know what to do.
MADE HIS ESCAPE.
Finally he said he would give his con-
sent if they would let him 90 to the tele-
graph Office and send a message to his
mother to that effect, and if he could OBJ
tain her consent
He was allowed to 90 to. and
though closely watched all the
while, succeeded in making his escape
around a corner. and successfully eludcd
pursuit. From st. Augustine he struck
out for Palatka, walking the entire dis
tance of twenty-five or thirty miles, and
from there he telegraphed for money
with which to return to Savannah 1t
having been sent him, he left Palatka
Tuesday night and arrived in the city
Wednesday night.
ANXIOUS FOR THE MARRIAGE.
Mrs. Robeen thinks they were trying
TO force her son into this marriage on ac-
count of the property he owns and that has
been left to him in the neigh borhoOd OF
St Augustine. She did not believe him
guilty of the offense with which he was
charged, and which he had so positively
denied, and refused to give her consent to
the marriage.
The letter she received from Mr.. Sims,
however, speaks in no unmeaning terms,
and from its contents ii indicated that he
was bent on the marriage Of his daughter
to young Thebaut. 1t pleaded for
the consent from the mother Of the
boy, as the Catholic priest refused to
marry them without it, and Mr. Sims
said that he would see that the Youthful
married couple were taken care OF for
five years, and at the end of that time he
would give sam good start in business.
The appeals We're of no avail, however,
and in addition to the above statement
Mrs. Robeen said her SON was too young
TO be married, and that he was a Metho-
dist, while the girl was Catholic This
being the case, young Thebaut skipped
out, and the marriage did not come OF.
Mr.. Sims will, no doubt, be on the look
out for him, having in view the consum-
nation of the desired end. Whether or
not he finds him, however, is another
question, as it is said he is to leave lor
New York or some northern point this
morning.
TO PUT DOWN ebert.