The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-02-21
Friends And Members Of The Family CenSure
The Parties Involved and Indignant over the Affair
sBiamed- Several Conflicting Stories Told About IT An
Awful Lesson Taught by the Affair."

issued Miss Dickerson and Mrs. Shields
we're seen by a News man and gave
the following explanation OF the at
fair; Mr.. Jennings and the two ladies
above mentioned were out sleigh rid
ing on the night of February 4th.
During the evening Mr.. jennings told
Miss Dickerson that he loved her, and
In response to the declaration Mrs.
Shields said when people were in love
they usually married. These remarks
lied to preliminary arrangements TO
solemnize the marriage on the follow
ing day. After the sleigh ride was
over Miss Dickerson gave Mr.. Jen-
nings a memorandum of all the infor-
nation necessary to secure the license
and the following day Mr.. Jennings
secured the license, and accompanied
by George Moore, drove toMrShields'
residence in the afternoon for the pur-
pose of being married. Miss Dicker-
son claimed that she was TESTING when
she consented to marry him and she
thought that his proposal Twas made in
the same light. When Mr. Jennings
appeared to claim her as his bride. she
tlatly refused to marry him and the
marriage was not soiemnized.
"Miss Dickerson also claimed that
she had known Jennings bnt5 two
weeks and that he was intoxicated
when he got the license, and came to
marry her, but on the other hand he
stated to friend that they had been
engaged for i've months and that they
we're only Fastening the time. y
The night before the marriage H.
cense was obtained Mr.. Jennings
stated to friend that they had
had the wedding planned for hve
orSix months. The wedding ring in
cident diScredits the story that they
had only known each other two weeks.
ordid he forcsec the fact that she
would promise to become his bride
and purchase the ring before they
went sleigh riding? It's hardly prob
able he gave it to her next day after
she refused To marry him, In this
connection it may be well to state
that nearly every afternoon for Il long
time after lie first came here about a
year ago from Fairmont, where he re-
sided several months he had telephon-
ic communication with some lady at
Fairmont. He either called her up Or
she called him up. We have not
learned definitely who this lady was,
but intend to find out.
His stay in FairmontSeveral months
i, would indicate that he knew Miss
Dickerson there, though emay have
not, and according to late statement
by her, did not. In this connection
the Parkersburg State Journal in
writing up the unfortunate young
mans funeral said:-
zone of the ParkerSburg people, who
attended the funeral, said that the
feeling in both Grafton and Fairmont
relative to the part the young lady,
jennings tiancee, played in the death
of the young man, was Just the same
all Of a condemnatory nature.n
"Young Jennings, he stated, "had
been going with Miss DickeTon for a
long time, and the tale about them
knowing each other only two weeks is
totally untrue
Shortly after the marriage license
was issued Mr.. Shields teephoned
Deputy Clerk Hess that the young
lady was not resident of the county
andthat she was only Is years Of age.
Mrs. Shields is reported as saying last
Tuesday that Miss Dickerson would
be 81 years old next April, although
she stated in the post office that her
sister was only lsyears old.
The young lady is scarcely so much
to blame as the older head who en-
courped him in the matter, il their
story be true, and then treated 1t as
Jest, when he went to claim Miss
Dickerson as his bride. Cruel jest
indeed, and awful in its consequences
A guilty conscience sometimes
drives one to self destruction, but
that was not his case, and there has
been an expression to commit that
dastardly deed on account of publicity
of the affair, especially should the
public attach any blame. "a guilty
conscience needs no accuser."
Mrs, Shields had known Mr.. Jen-
nings several months at least and was
on very friendly terms with him, 1t