Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-02
EPIDEMIC OF ELOPEMENTS.
TYLER COUNTY SWANS AND
swEETHEARTs MAKE AN EFF.
FORT TO GET MARRIED.
In None of the Cases Did They Sue
coed and Were Compelled to Re-
turn Home-One Couple Held Up
Here by the Polfce-Late News
From Sfstersville and Tyler
County.

Special to the Register.
SISTERSVILIIE, w. Va, September
During the past week or ten days
there seems to have been an epidemic
of Opponents dn Tyler county, but sad
to say, judging from the young peoples
point OF view, none of them were sue
cessful, in fact three couples who came
here last week from the interior of the
county for the purpose OF being clandes-
timely united in the bonds of matri-
mony, returned home, and it is believ-
ed that outside of the hotel men and
the newspaper men no one in the world
but themselves knew what they came
here for. OF the entire number, four,
only one was suspected of having in
tentions to become married. and their
little project was nipped in the bud by
Chief of Police John Ritz. who arrested
the girl on receiving a telephone mes
sage from her brother.
The first couple arrived here Tuesday
afternoon and went to one Of the hotels,
where they made inquiries from the
clerk in regard to getting married in
Ohio. When the urbane gentleman be-
hind the counter informed the clippers
that the laws In that State were even
more stringent than they are here, they
seemed crestfallen and were turning
away with the intention of starting for
home when another couple entered the
door of the hotel. From the confused
and embarrassed appearance of the four
when they met it was evident they were
acquainted and did not want each other
to know their business. 1t later de-
VelOped that the last couple which
came in were sister of the first young
man and brother of the girl he was
with. Of course there were explana-
lions, even if they were lame ones, and
all four repaired to the parlor.
Pretty soon the young man who ar
rived last excused himself, and going
down to the clerk made the same in
quiries in regard to the laws of Ohio
as the other fellow had, and received
the same answers. He went back and
Tic IcWS W Ills lHlShuSu
and the upshot Of the whole business
was that the two couples started for
home together, neither knQwing why
the other had come to this city. One
other couple came in from out in the
country, but after getting all the infor-
nation regarding marriage across the
river and finding they would either be
compelled to go to Marietta or Woods
field to get the license, started back
home again.
The fourth couple to arrive here was
girl about fifteen years old named
Elder, from Stringtown, and a man
about twelve years her senior named
Mccormick, from the same vicinity.
The couple started Thursday from
Stringtown, ostensibly for the county
fair at Middlebourne, and in fact did
stop there for a short time. They ar
rived here late in the afternoon, and
going to the Wells Hotel stopped there,
intending to go to some point in Ohio
the next day to get married. However,
the father of the girl suspecting some
thing, telephoned to Chief Ritz and
asked him to be on the lookout for the
couple and detain the girl here until
he could come for her The couple was
located and the girl detained until yes
terday morning, when the father took
her home The young man was allow
ed to go home the night before.