The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-22
GLANDS THREAT TO ELoPE.
His Father-in-Law Recalls Peremp-
tory Letters Asking for "A Daugh-

ter.
From the Kansas City Star.
The quaintest figure connected with
the family of Richard p. Bland is Gen.
e. Y. Mitchell, the father of Mrs. Bland.
Gen. Mitchell is not more than eight
years the senior of his celebrated son-in-
law. A bluff, rough and ready style or
man, largely nodded and with an enor-
nous head covered with white hair which
rises from his bald crown in a fringe He
has a cropped white mustache and chin
beard. HIS somewhat bulky frame is COW
cred with suit OF gray, which hangs
loosely and comfortably. He looks like
the type of sporting planter of old days.
His military title he gets from having
been adjutant general on the staff of ex>
Gov Phelps.
"The first time 1 ever saw Bland" said
Gen. Mitchell the other day, was in a
big land suit, in which 1 came up to LeO-
anon to act as attorney. 1t was the case
of one Quinn, in which Judge Adams Of
the federal bench was a witness. l was
a stranger in the town, and didn't like
the testimony of Adams. So I assailed
him vigorously. Bland was the attorney
on the other side, and presently he rose
in his slow, cool way and cut my ar
raignment all to pieces. j was impressed
with the man, and before he got through
he made me sorry 1 had attacked Judge
Adams. My interest in Bland dates from
that law suit.
Some time after this I got letter from
my daughter Virginia, who was away at
school in Caledonia In it she asked this
question: I have met Richard z. Bland.
What do you think of him, pa? Fearing
that she might be dazzled by his position,
for he was now a congressman and she a
school teacher in Caledonia I sat down
and wrote her thus: know him and that
he was as cold as wagon tire. You see
and
had a beau and / didn't want her to get 10
thinking about him.
Il was living at Springfield then and
Bland had lust gone to congress. I had
considerable influence in Wright. Ozark,
and Douglas counties and holt on Texas,
the hilliest county on earth, and before
his election his friends asked me IL 1 would
use my influence in those counties to elect
him. l said, Not by a long shot! One of
my children was sick at the time, and
told them that If It got well l would go
down there and beat Bland. But my child
died. l had promised the counties to Ed
Seay, a brother of ex-GoY. Seay of Okla
homa. Bland, however, sneaked in there,
was nominated, and elected.
while / was away on the southern court
circuit trying cases, four letters came to
my office from Bland. The first one open
ed asked me for the hand of my daughter,
Virginia, in marriage ! thought to myself,
Great Scott, does this man want to marry
that child?'She was only IS years old and
he was thirty-six. | opened the second let
ter and it was more urgent than the first;
the third was peremptory, and the fourth
stated that he supposed l was opposed to
him and that IL ] would not consent to the
marriage he would run away with her and
marry her anyhow.
THAT letter paralyzed me. To think that
a man would write a letter to another man
demanding mis- daughter IN marriage, and
then, before he got reply, write another
letter saying he would run off with her
was too much for me. 1t made me mad
clear through, and ] sat down and wrote
a letter to him in which | said: I have re-
ceived. your letter asking permission to
marry my daughter, and stating that if
viii not give my consent you will run away
with her and marry her anyhow. I suppose
you want to make a little romance so run
away with her and be damned
"On the way to the postoffice the grav-
ity of the situation dawned upon me- Here
was a congressman double the age OF my
daughter proposing an elopement! Well /
tore that letter up and wrote another Civ
ing him permission to marry her II he could
get her consent, which | suppose ne did
for the next thing 1 knew they were mar
ried -