Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-17
BLoP1Na COUPLE CAUGHT.

Jamaica Man and Girl Attempted TO
Get Married In HinsdeIe---the Man
Was Arrested In Greenfield, and is
Now In Jail.
Manley Rawson, a Jamaica farmer about
30 years old, and Alice Stark, the 13-year'
old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Alonzo Stark
of Jamaica, eloped Wednesday morning
with the intention of entering into mat
rimonial alliance, but their plans we're
frustrated through the efforts of Deputy
Sheriff j. Q. Shumwa of Jamaica and
Deputy Sheriff r. w. Mcclure of Brattle-
bOro, who caused the arrest of Manley in
Greenfield, Mass, Wednesday night.
Rawson and the girl left Jamaica on the
morning train and came to Brattleboro.
From Brattleboro they went to Hinsdale,
n. H., where they asked minister to
make them man and wife. The minister
asked their ages, in conformity with the
law, and upon learning that the girl was
only Is years old he refused to marry
them, stating that the law which previous
ly allowed girls to consent to be married
at the age of 13 years now required them
to be 16 years old. The couple:then went
10 Massachusetts where they met with no
better success.
Deputy Sheriff Shumway Mr.. Shumway
came to Brattleboro in the hope of find
ing the clipping couple. He got Deputy
Sheriff Mcclure to assist him, and they
found that the couple had gone to Hins-
dale and that they had said in Hinsdale
that they were going to New York. Dep
uty Sheriff Mcclure telephoned the Off
GERS in Shelburne Falls, North Adams,
Greenfield and all the nearby Massachu-
sets towns, and during the evening he re-
ceived reply from Policeman Wilcox of
Greenfield saying that couple answering
the description of Rawson and the Stark
girl had registered at the Franklin house
as "a. G. Dawson and wife, Bondville,
VT"
There appeared TO be no doubt that the
couple were Rawson and the Stark girl, so
States Attorney Barber told Mr.. Wilcox
to secure warrant and arrest Rawson but
not to arrest the girl as she was a minor
and was not guilty OF crime. Mr.. Will
cox arrested Rawson in the name of the
commonwealth of Massachusetts about 0
o'clock as Rawson was about to retire for
the night. The girl was then taken to the
telephone where she conversed with the
officers in Brattleboro until they were pos
tive that the right persons were in Gus
tody.
Deputy Sheriff Shumway and the girls
father went to Greenfield on the early
train yesterday morning. Rawson was ar
raigned in the police court during the fore
noon. He pleaded not guilty and was
placed under bonds in the sum of $1,000,
in default of which he was committed to
Jail TO await the action of the July term of
court. The girl came to Brattleboro on
the ll0 train.
The Greenfield correspondent of the
Springfield Republican says: "In reply to
questions by Dana Malone, who appeared
for the government, Rawson said they left
home with the intention of getting married.
He claimed to have letters in his posses
sion from the girl begging him to marry
her. Mr.. Malone questioned him as to
the number of times he had done the same
trick, but Rawson would not admit that he
had ever been guilty of the same offence,
although Vermont officers claim that he
has been in the habit of running away with
young girls. He is married, but has not
lived with his wife lately"