Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-17
AN IOWA ROMANCE.


One of the most remarkable charac-
tiers in the whole southwest recently
applied to the Linn county clerk at Ce-
record shows: william Tate of Hen
rietta, Tex, IA; Eliza c. Ellis, of Chi
cago, As"
The groom formerly resided In Della
ware county, Iowa, as did the bride, but
they did not care to be married in that
community becauses of the remarks
that were liable to be passed concern
ing the disparity In their ages. So they
went to Marion told no one except the
official authorized to tie the knot, and
then started south to Texas, where they
will make their home.
William Tate is a Scotchman, tall,
hale, hearty and active. His step is rs
firm and his eye as clear as when he
was so. He located in Texas q number
of years ago, when each man was law
unto himself and the pistol the peace
officer. Mr.. Tate located on a large
quire q fortune In the comparatively
easy manner that fortunes We're made
in those days. All was not smooth sail
ing, however, for the cattle men whose
plans he had interfered with by cut
ting into the range became ugly and
menaced him repeatedly.
One day the climax was reached. In
trying to defend their property against
the attack of a band of murderous out
laws and cowboys Tate and his son, a
young man inheriting his fathers stat
ure and courage, We're engaged IN a
pitched battle. When the smoke cleared
away Tate was in undisputed posses
sion of the ground, but close by lay the
body of his son, pierced with the bullet
of an assassin.
The father knew who had fired the
shot He made a vow before heaven
that he would revenge his sons death if
1t took a lifetime. The simple funeral
obsequies over, the grief tracked parent
took the trial. Day after day passed.
At times there seemed to be no hope
that he would overtake the murderer.
Ten. twenty, thirty days rolled away,
but they found the old man still On the
trail, his eyes strained in the direction
that he knew the outlaw had taken.
On the thirty-second day there was a
meeting. All had been planned during
those long hours on the hot,
dutsy. trail, and the attack
was made and conducted ex-
,aetly as the ranchman had hoped. BY
a quick manipulation of the lasso the
moose was sent whirling over the muir
derer's head AS the we'll trained horse
settled back en- his launches, the moose
lessened in size, and when it settled
Il, 4
ed man 1t required but a slight touch to
bring it tight. Bound hand and foot,
the murderer was placed on his own
horse and started for the Tate ranch.
What transpired and what was said on
that long trip no one but old man Tate
win ever know 1t is known however.
that at the end OF the journey, almost
on the spot where the killing of Tate
had taken place, there was another
death. and old man Tate erected the
gallows and acted as executioner. He
had no one to assist him and none dared
offer any interference He was melting
out the penalty of the law. Not even q
stick marks the spot where the body
lies buried
The years have sped by. The our
ageous old frontierslnan has prosperea
but he was lonely. On horse-selling
trip to Iowa he met the woman who
now bears his name, and few months