El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-13
THE ELOPERS.
A Special Officer Arrived This Morning
for the Pair.

| Yesterdays ID GERALD haO a SnOrU an
nouncement of the elopement of Johr
: Maxwell and Miss Nora O'Nea', from
Snyder. Scurry county, Texas and theil
arrest in this city. This morning.
Texas & Pacific brought in specia
ranger from Scurry county who ha!
been hot on the trail of the eloper.
ever since Sunday. To a reporter o
, the HERALD the special ranger made
the following statement about the
couple.
"Iohn Maxwell was employed in the
bank at Snyder. He is married mar
and has three children. He was looked
upon as good business man and had
full charge Of the banks affairs. He
had many friends in Scurry county
Miss Nora O'Neal is about nineteen
years old and is the daughter of Bap-
tist preacher who resides at Snyder.
She has always been highly respected
and there was never a word against
her character until this elOpenent
came off. The Maxwell and the O'Neal
families lived on adjoining lots at
Snyder, and Maxwell. of course, has
known Miss O'Neal for sometime. Last
Saturday night the two eloped from
Snyder, but the fact was not found out
until Sunday morning. L Immediately
took the trail and followed them to
Colorado City. AT Colorado City [
found out through woman named
Mag Groves that the couple came to
her house before day light Sunday
morning and stopped at her house until
2 O'Clock Monday. Then she got a
buggy for them and they left
to meet them at station called Iatan
| on the Texas q Pacific railroad and
take the buggy ba~k to Colorado City.
The couple did not meet Mag Graves at
Istan but came on to We:tbr Ook,
where they boarded the train to Istan.
Mag Graves had 10 walk back to Col
orado City and was very mad when she
arrived there and it was in this condl-
tiOn that | found her and she then told
me all about the runaway couple.
telegraphed to Westbrook and found
out the couple had purchased tickets
there for Ell Paso. Then l telegraphed
to the sheriff of Ell Paso to arrest them
on arrival here. The telegram arrived
in Ell Paso at the same time the train
d d, but Manen Clemauts met the train
and followed the hack on his bicycle to
the Center Block hotel where
the couple registered as
brother and sister. Clements
called in Chief of Police Lockhart and
| arrested the two and held them under
guard until in the afternoon when they
| were taken to the county Jail and lodg-
ed in the jailOr's rooms.
|
feeling against Maxwell is very strong
and there is talk Of lynching him when
taken back there. Maxwell says the
girl has bro her who would shoot him
If he could. The officer will only carry
them back to Colorado City and there
place them in Jail until the excitement
| blows over.
The HERALD reporter also called on
| Mr.. Maxwell and Miss O Neal in the
county iailor's rooms and asked
to say. At first each refused
to speak, but eventually Max
we'll said he would talk If it would
do any good. So there was running
conversation between Maxwell, Miss
o Neal and the report for half an
nour. Maxwell denied any intimacy
with Miss O'Neal and said he was not
afraid of the charges that had been
brought against him. He states that
he fears bodily harm will be done him
if he returns to Snyder now while the
excitement is on, but that if given a
| trial he can clear himself Of any wrong
doing. 81 have lived at Snyder for
over a year and have known Miss
O'Neal for a year and half Miss
O'Neal and myself left Snyder Satur-
day night and drove to Colorado City.
There we stopped at Mag Graves
house, and Miss O'Neal slept in one
room aud l in another. We got there
before day light Sunday morning and
staid there until after y O'Clock Mon
day. When Mag Graves brought US
buggy to get to latan Mag Graves
| was to meet US at latan and take the
buggy back to Colorado City. We
missed Iatan station AID drove on to
| WestbrOok where we took the train
and sta: ted for Ell Paso. 1 grew suspi-
| cious and expected to be arrested at
Big Springs, but after | passed that
place felt that would reach Ell Paso
safely. When l arrived in Ell Paso l
was arrested. l have not been intimate
with Miss o Neal and can prove that
we have always slept in separate rooms
in our travels"
Chow about Mag Graves charge
that you slept in one room at her house
in Colorado City," asked the reporter.
'It is lie," both answered at once.
''If she made that statement she made
it because she was mad
.Whe nwe went to Mag Graves house
she said: "You can stop here, but you
cannot wrong this girl in my house"
Maxwell answered: "Au right. l
don't want to see any girl wrOnged. |
had never wronged Miss O'Neal and
did OF intend to-"
Mrs. Graves repeated the warning
sever al times and knows that we slept
In separate fooH 5.
"Where did you intend to 60 to from
Ell Psso?'' asked the reporter.
. "To Mexico,' answered Maxwell.
Miss ONeal said she did not have tC
, return with Maxwell, but would do sc
aud would prove that he had never
wrong her and she would stay with
him to the end.
: Miss O'Neal is rather pretty gir
, with large lustrcus black eyes and
i \ I%<
4 down over the predicament she foupt
herself in AS parting shot to th'
reporter she said she would stick t.
Maxwell to the last.
w. D. Clark was brought in thi
morning from Fort Hancock and lock
ed up in the county jail on g. charge Q
stealing bicycle. Yesterday CLAIR
called st McCutcheon Payne & Cos
bicycle store and rented a bicycle fo
e.