Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-28
j. M. CUMMINGS AND MISS RUTH
WILSON MARRIED AFTER SEN
sATioNAE ELoPEMENT
ESCAPE FROM OFFICERS
Young Couple Arrested at Iowa City
Climb Down Fire Escape From Third
Story Window Of HoteI-Walk Many
Miles to Evade capture-Wedded In
ottumwa Today at High Noon.

From Wednesdays Daily.
That love laughs not only at lock-
smiths, but at officials of the law,
fire escapes, long tramps between cit
les, hard drives, long distances. in fact
at every discomfort, legal difficulty
and personal hardship is proven by
the case of Miss Ruth Wilson Of
Marengo and j. M. Cummings, a
Chicago travelling man who were mar.
ried in Ottumwa today.
The traditional course Of true love
was never more completely carried
to it farthest extremity than in the
case of those two young people, whose
romance has now so happily been
consummated.
Many Difficulties.
From the time that the couple left
Marengo Monday until Justice W. j..
Berry tied the nuptial knot in the
parlors of the McElroy hotel this
noon not moment but that has been
full to the overflow Of difficulties and
not one inch Of this path has ever run
smooth.
Miss Wilson and Mr.. Cummings eloped
from Marengo Monday and went to
Iowa City, where they were arrested
at the st. James hotel OF their es-
cape from the clutches of the heart
less officers of the law, the Iowa City
dispatch in last evenings Courier told
in brief
Climb Down Fire Escape.
Cummings begged permission to
remain in the ST. James hotel all
night instead of going to Jail and the
officers consented. A policeman kept
watch and he and Cummings spent
the entire night playing cards. A little
before 5 o'clock yesterday morning
the young lady appeared on the head
|of the stairs leading to the hotel lobby
and asked for drink of ice water.
The officer gave the travelling man
permission to take the water to her.
The couple then went to the young
woman's room-but they never re.
turned
They climbed out the third story
window, made their way down the
fire escape to the ground. But their
troubles were only then begun. Afraid
to take an interurban car or train be-
cause of fear of capture, the young
couple walked to Carville. a distance
of three miles There they secured a
conveyance and drove to Oxford. From
Oxford they droye to old Amana, where
they spent the night-last night with
friends Of Miss Wilson's. This morn.
ing they boarded the Milwaukee train,
coming to Ottumwa Still in fear of
arrest they left the train at the Of
tumwa junction and came to town on
the street car.
Arriving here Mr.. Cummings secured
a license through the aid of friend,
and the young people were married
by Justice w. j. Berry at high noon in
the parlors Of the McElroy hotel.
Said Cummings Was Married.
The sheriff of Iowa county, who
made the arrest, said that Cummings
was already married man. Charles
F.. Romig. travelling agent for the
Fidelity and Casualty Co., with head.
quarters at Des Moines, stated this af.
ternoon to representative Of the Cour.
Ter that he had met Cummings in Chi
cago, that the groom was a personal
friend of friends of his and that as far
as he knew there was absolutely nc
foundation for the charge.
The bride is the daughter of j. c.
Wilson of Marengo and Is 20 years OF
age. The groom is the son of ]. W.
Cummings of New Haven, Conn, and is
% years old.