The age-herald., 1901-01-16
MARENO AND THE NEGRO BOY
 TELL DIFFERENT TALES

Charlotte Mareno, the pretty Italian girl, and Henry Johnson, the negro who de- camped with her from Bessemer on satur- day night last, were brought back from Nashville yesterday, and each tells a diff ferent tale of the sensational episode that threw the little town into great excite ment and cast cloud over the name of the girl and her family.
 The negro was placed in the county jail and the girl taken to Bessemer, where she was released on a bond of $3000 the charge against her being grand larceny.
 The prisoners, who were arrested in the Tennessee capital on Monday, arrived here at 3:45 o'clock on the Louisville and Nash vile train in charge of Officer Mims of the Bessemer police department, and quite crowd of curious persons gathered at the union passenger station to catch glimpse of the runaways
 Crowd Followed.
 The crowd, however which was composed principally of negroes and Italians, was somewhat disappointed, as the negro was taken out of thes station through a side gate seldom used and hurried down Morris avenue to Nineteenth street and up that street on dead run to the corner of First avenue where he was placed in the patrol wagon and taken to the jail.
 The officers were in hurry to get him out of the station, possibly fearing some violence. No sooner did the crowd catch sight of the negro and the officers running away than with one accord they started in pursuit. In the crowd were prominent citi- zens and citizens not prominent. Half of them ran to catch glimpse of the flying negro-the other half ran through con- tageous example and did not know what they were running for Great excitement was created as the crowd surged around the Morris Hotel corner, the cooks and scullions from the latter joining in the chase.
 The girl was met here by her brother and was taken to Bessemer on late dummy, arriving there about dark. She was taken to the city jail. where the charge of grand larceny was docketed against her, and later was released on a bond which was made by her father and friends.
 The Girls Story.
 She was taken to her home in Carolina avenue, where most affecting scene took place. There were mingled tears of joy and sorrow, and when measure of quiet had been restored she indignantly denied any intention of eloping with or marrying the negro, and in answer to questions put to her by an Age-Herad reporter told the fol- lowing story:
 Her parents, she says, had kept her so strictly at home that she tired of the place and wanted to get away. A young Italian employed at the furnaces fell in love with her and desired to marry her. She recip- rocated his affection, but her parents re- fused to let her marry him account of her youth, she being but 16 years of age. Henry Johnson the negro porter, became a go-between and carried messages from one to the other. It was finally arranged that the two should be married in Brming- ham and the girl states vehemently and with apparent sincerity that her under standing was that Johnson would take her to that city Saturday evening where she would meet her intended and be married
 When they reached Birmingham, she says, the man she expected to marry fail ed to meet them. Whether he did not in- tend to do so CT she was deceived by John- son, she says she does not know, but in her grief and disappointment she determin- ed not to return home
 Sought Convent.
 In her broken Italian she goes on to say that she had-ssard that there was a con-