West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-11-26
"a PICK or TROUBLE. +"

tnat tine way OF the lranSBrcsSor
is hard" and that Herbert Grim
Peck, was denied admission to
Harvard College. The Dominion
says:
Few people have forgotten Her
bert Peck, whose sensational and
extra ordinary denial OF his marriage
was published in these columns
some weeks ago. AT that time it
was generally believed he was a
student at Harvard University. In
letter written under the direction
of President Elliott, the following
statement is made: "Mr. Herbert
c. Peck, of Philippi. West Virginia,
applied for admission to Harvard
College at the opening of the current
academic year. and was admitted
Professionally 10 the junior Class,
subject to his receiving an honorable
dismissal from the West Virginia
University. AS he was unable to
produce evidence of dismissal, his
registration was cancelled, and we
have no later knowledge of his
movements.
A full account Of the trouble was
published in this paper at the time,
telling how young Peck, who is a
son of the we'll known attorney at
Philippi, Hon. Melville Peck, was a
student at the University at Morgan
town and secretly married Miss
Bessie Tapp a very handsome and
accomplished young lady of the
place, who was also a student in the
University. They were married in
Cumberland and kept the marriage
secret till just before the baby was
born when it had to be made known.
In the mean time Peck was over in
Pennsylvania holding down a good
Job that was procured for him by
an uncle of the young lady and when
notified of his wife's confinement,
left to come home to see her and
the baby, as he alleged, but instead
of stopping off in Morgantown,
passed right on through to Philippi
to see an old sweetheart there that
he had been counting all the time
and even used money sent him by
his wife to buy some things with.
He then refused to come near his
wife and baby and denied the
marriage in spite of the records and
reputable witnesses against HIM.
Mr.. and Mrs. Will Price, relatives
of the young lady, accompanied
them on their trip to Cumberland as
witnesses TO the marriage and there
is not the shadow of an excuse for
denying it, so that his conduct is
utterly incomprehensible. He then
left for Harvard to enter college,
but it is truly said that ga bird can
not fly so far but that it's tail will
follow it" and the officials there
learning of his baseness refused him
admittance and he is now a wander
er on the face of the earth, so far as
we know. The young wife is at
home with her mother in Morgan
town and taking care of her baby
boy which she has named after its
ancestors Melville Grim Peck. 1t is a
very fine, hearty handsome young
ster and the mother very sweet little
woman and thousand times too
| good for the scoundrel, who deserted
her and the baby. Her father died
about year ago with typhoid fever
and before his death Peck had asked
him for Bessie and during his illness
and death Peck remained there all
the time taking charge of everything
and making all funeral arrangements,
so that the family had become very
much attached to him and il was
| generally understood that he was to
become a member of the family, so
that his conduct since has been very
strange indeed.