Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-04-06
CUPID 0UTWITTED FATHER.
E~fghfy-nve Mile Drive Ends In Romano
tie Neutrality-suspicious. Of Mr.. Heck
and Miss zepp, Of this city, Hap
PLY Rewarded I'm WIN


chester.
After having driven eighty-five
miles through three states in search
Of a place to carry out their matri-
monial plans, Mr.. Roland r. Heck.
son Of Councilman ]. M. Heck and
Miss Francis E. Zepp, daughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. w. Zepp, Of this
city, were married at the Presbyterian
parsonage in Winchester by Rev. j.
S. Sibley.
Parental objection IN the part of
the groom's parents on account of his
youth was the incentive which led to
the romantic wedding, but the con
pies devotion and determination were
happily rewarded in Winchester.
The Winchester Star gives the fol-
lowing account of the romance:
1.-THE story Of the couples elope-
ment, the failure of their plans, the
strategy and their final success,
reads like a page Of a and
recalls the wild rIdo of young Lochin-
var and his bride.
The first act OF the drama was laid
in Martinsburg. For a long time
past the couple have loved each other
but the groom's father objected to
thier marriage because of his sons
alleged youth. As a matter Of fact
the younger Mr.. Heck is a handsome
strapping fellow of at least twenty
four years and he gave his age as
twenty-six. Unable to gain parental
consent to the wedding the bride be-
ing willing the couple determined to
elope.
Early yesterday morning Mr.. Heck
called for his bride and taking her
sister. Miss Lottie Zepp, with them,
they started in a buggy for Hagers-
town, Md, where they intended to
have the knot tied. Papa Heck,
who, however. seems to be an astute
man, with a knowledge of the world
in general and of young lovers in par
ticular, got wind of the elopement
and promptly telegraphed to the
Clerk of the Hagerstown Court as fol
lows: Don't issue license to r.
r. Heck not of age. J. NJ. Heck
Hagerstown was reached by the
prospective bridal party in good shape
but when Mr.. Heck applied for a mar
riage license, Clerk Oswald confront
ed him with the telegram and inform
ed him that no marriage license could
be issued. Dismayed and defeated,
but with a firm purpose to thwart the
old gentleman Is intentions and at the
same time accomplish their own. the
bridal party set their horses head to
the South and j%ourneyed back to Mar
tlnsburg.
Here elaborate precautions We're
taken TO prevent discovery and by TAX
ing a circuitous route they eluded the
vigilence of the elder Mr.. Heck, and
continued on their way to Winches-
ter. 1t was five O'Clock Yesterday
afternoon when Winchester was reach
ed and the lovers were tired and
hungry, so a halt was called for re-
freshments which were taken at a res
taurant before the more weighty mat
tiers at hand were disposed of.
All the clrek's offices were closed
for the day but with determination,
the groom went ont and hunted up
Deputy Clerk E. G.. Hollis of the
County Court, who volunteered to as
sist them. The license was procured
and, accompanied by two Star re-
porters, the party went TO the
Presbyterian parsonage where the
ceremony was performed by Rev. j
S. Sibley. The only witnesses we're
the officiating minister's family and
the two newspaper men who signed
their names to the certificate as wit
nesses.
After congratulate ms had been ten
dered the young couple, lefts in
their buggy for Martinsburg, thus
completing an eighty-fve mile drive
in one day and being married be-
sides