The Washington times., 1909-05-11
Elude Brides Grandmother,
Break Auto, and Then
Stick in Mud.
COUNTRYMEN HAUL
THE MACHINE OUT
Milton D. Smith and Miss Eliza
beth T. Taylor Married After
Severe Trials.

when The ''honk honk' OF a taxicab
awakened Deputy Clerk of the Court
darby Bowman, of Rockville. at 2
O'Clock this morning be had something
of a surprise.
When he was given a box Of candy
an hour later for helping a young
Washington couple to get married he
received a jolt In the meantime Clerk
Bowman and the wedding party had
enough trouble to dull all sense of ir-
ritation and waken within their souls
deep and lasting feeling of Thanksgiving
that morning had come.
Miss Elizabeth r. Taylor, seventeen
years old. of 1890 Fourteenth street
northwest, and Milton d. Smith, also
of Washington. were the elopers. With
them were two friends of Miss Taylor
who refused TO divulge their names.
The two friends were visiting Miss
Taylor early yesterday evening at the
home Of the young woman's grandmoth-
or when the conversation turned TO mar
Iiage- Miss Taylor and young Smith
had been engaged and they decided il
would be great lark TO run away and
get married So Miss Taylor cooked up
a nice little story, telling her grand
mother she was going 10 90 home and
stay All night with one of the girls.
Machine Behaves Badly.
The little party went out and promptly
telephoned out to the Rev. Thomas J.
Packard. at Rockville, that they would
be out to the little Maryland town at S
o'clock to be married. The four jumped
into an automobile and started out To-
ward Georgetown. Smith driving the
car. Things went fine until they got
some distance out on the Rockville
pike, when something happened 10 the
machine. That trouble was quickly
remedied. and a second start was made.
The first thing anybody knew the mo-
tor wheels had piowed themselves down
into the finest deep mudhOle the pike
afforded. The engine refused positively
30 DO more thesn purr at the chauffeur,
and all the persuasions of Drawn from
both Of tire men failed to lift the big
machine from its resting place For
hours the machine stuck there. and IL
not only looked as IL the party would
not get 10 Rockville. but there was
every indication they could not get back
70 Washington.
The chauffeur started in then to blow
the horn The distress cry from the
motor sounded like a fog whistle as ii
echoed through the countryside. Fl
nally some farmers living along the
route were attracted BY the signal. and
came pfowing up the road as hard as
they could drive.
Couple Persevere.
What's the trouble?' they asked
stuck in the msd." said the chauf-
feur, "and I've got wedding party
here on the way 10 Rockville
wedding party, eh?" said one OF the
farmers, stroking his beard. Pears
20 me as II they won't be any"
won't be anyi" piped a voice from
the tonneau- Well. there viii be one. -
the voice concluded emphatically.
You bet there will" said a mascu-
line voice, and then followed a dicker
with the farmers for a team with
which to drag the automobile out Of
the mud.
The horses were brought out and
hitched up TO the motor car. --WhOas~
and "Giddap' livened uD the country
road for a mile or more. and after
much pulling and tugging the auto
mobile was finally dragged from the
mud-hole. The farmers were paid and
the motor shot on its last lap pulling
up at Deputy Clerk Bowman's hOule
at exactly o'clock. just seven hours
later than when the start was made
Clerk Bowman poked his head out OF
Ghe window 60 answer the blowing Of
the horn, which was accompanied by
much pounding on his front door. and
was told that somebody wanted to get
married.
Married at Last.
"All right" said the obHging deputy
clerk. and he hustled into his clothes.
over to the court house the little party
framped, In the small hours Of the
morning. and as they grouped them
selves on the big stone steps 11r. Bow
man fshed in his pockets for his KEYS
ills hando dug down first IN one pocket
aud then In another. With each dig
came the stronger conviction that the
deputy clerk had lost his keys. When
the last pocket was Invaded there was
no doubt OF II. So the wedding party
turned away from the court house. piled
into the automobile, and were driven to
the home Of the clerk Of the court while
Mr. Bowman borrowed his chiefs KEYS.
Back again they went to the court
house and this time they got in.
license was soon made out and the little
party went of TO the minister's home.
Just before the machine pulled "a va y
from Mr. BOwman's home Miss
Taylor handed the obliging clerk
q box OF candy for his pains. The clerk
looked at the candy and back at space.
for the motor was then spinning away
10 the parsons. When the knot had
been tied, which was at O'Clock this
r-frr 10