The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-01-10
A SAD CASE.
Driven Mad by Love for Brown
Eyed Girl.
HIS MIND UNBALANCED
She Had Promised TO be His Wife
but Married Rnother.Mhen
the Wedding Day
Came.

girl dethroned the reason of Benjamin
I. Lee Friday night, suffering from the
mania brought on by the paDgs in his
aching heart, he wandered into police
headquarters and asked to be locked up
to prevent the violent outbreak which
he said was fast coming upon him.
The girl who refused to reciprocate
the affection which Lee shoWered upon
her is Miss MolIie Melton, aged q,
and very pretty. She lived with her
married sister at 152 Walton street,
Atlanta. She left the city Friday af
ternoon for her former home in Macon.
Her sudden departure is what unbal
anced the mind Of young Lee. Half
an hour after she left the house he
called with marriage license in his
pocket and stated to her relatives that
she had promised to marry him at 8
o'clock.
"Mollie will not marry you, Ben,
said her sister to the young man when
he had stated the object of his visit.
"She has left the city.
But have the license, he replied,
''and everything is ready for the cere-
mony. Oh, this is too cruel. Why
did she treat me in this way?'
He refused to believe that she had
left the city and begged to be allowed
to see the girl he loved When finally
convinced that she was gone he went to
the home of his brother, J. 3. Lee, at
125 Crescent avenue, and told him his
deep trouble. He said that be had at
first arranged to have the ceremony
performed by Rev. Mr.. Oxford, but
that on second thought he had decided
to have his father, A. F. Lee, who is a
minister, tie the matrimonial bonds
which would unite him to the girl Of
his choice. He then told the brother
for the first time that the ceremony
was to take place at his house.
Nn,hing more was seen Of the young
an until he turned up in police head
quarters totally denoted and fearing
the consequences CT his unsettled men
til condition.
The courtship between Lee and Miss
Melton extends over space of FIVE
months and has a tinge Of romance
about it that is seldom eQualled in real
life.
Lee was soldier in the Twenty-ninth
regiment, which went to the Philip
pine islands after a months stay at
Fort Mcpherson. He was discharged
just before the regiment left because
Of physical disability.
1t was during his career as a soldier
that he met the brown-eyed girl for
love Of whom ne is now in close confne-
ment. He was walking out Walton
street one afternoon in the late autumn
dressed IN his soldiers Uniform. Miss
Melton was on the verands Of her home
and smiled at the blue eyed soldier boy
as he passed. Lee went to the home
of his brother and sent her note ask
ing if he might call on her.
Certainly not, was her reply in the
note she sent hack to him, "the smile
I gave you was patriotic smile be-
cause of the Uniform you wear.
He did not despair, however, aud a
few days later met friend who intro
duced him to the girl. After that he
vas frequent caller at the house.
"Ben came to the house often to see
Mol!ie," said the married sister, in
speaking Of the courtship. Though
she never did care for him he seemed
determined to marry her. One night
they wee on the verauda just outside
my window, and I overheard them
talking.
Il au never happy except when
looking into your eyes, Mollie, l heard
him say to her.
'She was only flirting with him all
that time. He had large blue eyes,
and she is death on blue eyes.
II know she knew nothing Of tn, mar
riage license, because she is engaged to
another man who don't live here. l
think Ben began to get desperate when
the other fellow came up to see Mollie
about two weeks ago. He was in
sanely jealous when he found that SIZE
was receiving rival, and heard that
he took dose Of strychnine one night
while the other man was visiting
Mollie. He has been acting queerly
ever since and Mollie has been trying
to oro,J ~, .1,n.o Ia,.n,I