The San Francisco call., 1899-02-19
MAI WEBER THE
+: BRIDE OF PLUNGER
s.: CHARLES F. DWYER
Romance Begun in San Francisco
Ends in a Wedding at
g. Milwaukee.

ductor. eastbound overland limited No. 2:
Boy carrying MANDOLIN case will meet you
you to rendezvous. This precantioInl on, is
necessary. Lovingly. CHARLEY.
This message was sent in duplicate to
Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Yesterday morning at 7:45 o'clock a
Union Pacific train rolled into Well
street depot, and upon the platform
stood silent English servant, carry
ing a mandolin case. He was Doc.
Tod Sloan's valet. His instructions were
to look for a pretty, big-eyed girl"
and with the clew each of them held
they discovered one another immedi-
ately. The servant quietly followed
Miss Webber out from the station.
where a cab was waiting and escorted
her to the Victoria Hotel where she
registered as Miss May Lewis, Indian
apolis." Doc" retired by a circuitous
route to his masters apartments at the
Auditorium and Miss Lewis of In
dianapolis" was shown to a room.
At 10 o'clock Charles F. Dwyer ap-
peared before the desk of the hotel and
sent his card to Miss Lewis. He met
her in the ladies' parlor. and shortly
afterward the two left the hotel and
walked boldly to the elevator in the
Annex. A moment later both were
safe in Sloan's suite at breakfast, while
the jockey and his valet barred the
door to all save the hurryIng walters,
who fitted in attendance upon the
wondrously happy pair.
Then a problem arose. The record
in the marriage license clerks office
was diStrusted and Milwaukee was de-
cided upon as safer from interferences
at the last moment. Tickets We're pur-
chased and Tod Sloan was ready to
start to perform the duties of best man,
when it occurred to him that he was
entirely too well known and too notice
able a figure to pose as guide and men
tor of an eloping couple seeking quiet
and secret marriage. The plans were
changed. Sloan sacrificed his desire
and became a martyr for the afternoon
Sitting in a chair in the lobby of the
hotel, he sought to impress upon the
curious that he, Sloan, who by all the
claims of friendship and circumstances
should be at the groom's left hand, was
still in Chicago.
Lou NJ. Houseman, an intimate friend
of both men, was hurriedly summoned
and installed in the position of best
man. Dwyer appeared in the lobby of
the hotel as a flank movement, while
Houseman, with Miss Webber, took
cab in front of the hotel. The vehicle
Whirled around the corner to the Con-
gress-street entrance just as Dwyer
stepped out, and in an instant he was
inside and away for the Northwestern
QSpOI- ue % CIOCh II dIIt lIO1 IACo
them to Milwaukee.
Drawn UP alongside the depot at
Milwaukee by previous arrangement
were two carriages. There was to have
been a Catholic priest within one of
them ready to perform the ceremony
but it was found upon their arrival
that the rules of the church forbade
such proceeding and no priest could
be engaged. A civil marriage was at
once suggested and agreed upon and
the couple We're driven to the home of
JuGge Ries, while the best man and
another Chicagoan who had Sbeen
pressed into service on the way to the
station scurried about the shopping
district in pursuit of a wedding ring,
a marriage certificate blank, violets and
other accessories.
The abettors of the love match were
finally assembled about the couple, and
in formal earnest tones the magistrate
pronounced the words of the civil cere-
mony and declared Charles f.
Dwyer of Brooklyn and Lois Mai Web
Der of Oakland man and wife. The
certificate was filled out and the names
of Lou NJ. Houseman and Walter Def
fenbaugh attached as witnesses. The
ceremony was witnessed by Norton j.
Field of Milwaukee also.
From Judge Refs residence the newly
welded pair and the two witnesses
drove to the Empire restaurant, where
a wedding repast was served, while an
orchestra played the wedding march
from "Lohengrin." From there they
drove to the Northwestern station and
took the 7:15 train for Chicago. Arriv-
ing in this city the elopement was
ended. and the present address of Mr..
and Mrs Charles F. Dwyer is fiat f,
Auditorium Annex, although their
names do not appear on the register.
Such are the details of an elopement
which successfully brought a young
girl alone half way across the conti-
nent. steered her safely through de-
tectives and newspaper men. married
her to the man who had wooed and won
her within six weeks, and deposited her
unhindered and untroubled beside her
newly made hub