Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-08-03
LEFT BRIDE
FOR A MEAL
Hungry Lad Leaves Child Wife
PenniIeSS at Atlantic City
After Short Honeymoon
HE AGREES MARRIAGE
IS A BIG FAILURE

PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 3.-Johnny
Meyers. the l6-year-old La Sale Col
logo student who blew away TO VIII
mington last week and married IA
year-old Florence stephens, of 2s35
! Bambrcy street. only to desert his
bride later in Atlantic City when hun
ger was marrying both OF them. was
safe al home with his mother, at 1900
Glenwood avenue last night. digesting
what he says seemed like the FIRST
square meal he had had in 10000 years
aud averring the truth Of the persist
ent rumor that marriage Is a failure.
At the same time the police OF Allan
tic City were looking for the bride
whom Johnny left hungry and crying
her eyes out. when a couple OF his
chums met him on the boardwalk and
offered to lend him carfnre with which
TO get home. The last seen of the girl
yesterday was when she applied to the
manager of theatrical company play
ing a boardwalk theatre and asked
for an engagement. She wore short
skirts and the silk stockings and pat
ent leather pumps which were the
swellest articles in her trousseau when
she fed TO Wilmington last Friday.
The theatrical man told her to run
along and then he informed the police.
Johnny said last night that he hoped
some one had given Florence some
thing to eat. because she had really
been awfully hungry when he left her
crying and wringing her hands at the
railroad station. When II was sug-
I NaH 10 huN h4t tfIn fa
mained and tried to rustic up n Job
or something. he said solemnly that
hunger is a terrible thing--so terrible
that there Is a lot to be said about
Il that's never been said as yet.
Mrs. Albert willard, the mother OF
the missing girl. was prostrated at hel
home last night after having spent :
good part OF the day lowering abou
: police headquarters here with a hop'
: that news of her daughter would com
J through that source.
: Sorry for Deserted Bride.
D Johnny said at his home last nigh
that when he left his wife at the raj
road station she wrung her hands an
cried somethmg terrible, and sal
she'd never. never come back 20 Phi
ly-that she'd lie down and die
= starvation or 20 on the stage or
something else equally spectacular b
v fore she'd face the bitter sneers
the community.
He admitted that this was rather
S poor ending OF the brilliant plans thl
animated him when. with another ri
and one of his chums as bridesma
and best man. he went away with th
girl and got married. He said he
,. sort of sorry now, and as he sat nea
b his mother. i'm his nifty little turned
h down hat with bright band. and wit
a shifty gaze iiickering from his mothe
b to the direction of the front dooi
/ where he expected his papa to ente
e. any minute. primed to lam him withi
an inch Of his life, he looked abou
p the queerest and most dismal bit o
l wreckage ever cast upon the cluttere'
shores Of the matrimonial ocean.
why" he said. eve walked up ant
/ down frightfully hungry. and Their
was a place where we used to stanl
and watch the man bake fiapiacks n
one of the restaurants. IL was enougl
TO drive you mad Florence seemed q
get along under il better than ! did
and she kept telling me TO cheer al
: and that she'd stick 10 me till she died
Then we stopped looking at the mai
bake the fiapjacks. II was too mucl
B to endure"
81 The crOwning horror came whei
they discovered that there were M
e. pawnshops about in Jersey. and tina
3 therefore Florence couldn't raise IN
{ price Of a meal on her stickpins. Sh
e was willing TO stick TN she died. bu
- Johnny wasn't. and after a day with
S out food he jumped al the offer Of hi
Z . f-a.t.dr rrhg aafd fr ha una nm aUu ff1e
y il they'd lend him carfare The
q didn't mention Florence. Johnny sail
S and in the circumstances he felt
e would be rather indelicate Of him
do so.
p Talk Of Divorce for Pair.
s Therefore he kissed his bride gOOC
G bye as she stood wringing her hand
D at the railway station. and told her
n take a brace and all would yet b
we'll.
q Miss Gertrude Chapel, II years ole
v and William Hitner, 16 years old, {
i 1865 North Thirty-first street, attende
o young Meyers and the girl when the
went to Wilmington last week. Mis-
Chapel returned to this city in a hu
the same day, but after the ceremon
the other three went to Atlantic Cit
and had a good time-for a time-o
+ upward OF $50 that they had take
with them.
Hitner left Atlantic City and return
a ed TO his parents when his money wa
r. gone. The bride and bridegroom wer
II left behind penniless. Two of the lal
u ters friends met them on the board
r. walk and thus it came that Johnn
q Meyers didn't perish Of starvation o
h his honeymoon The police of Altar
q tic City expect to locate the girl tc
Z day, and In that case she will be re
q turned to her parents here.
S The parents Of the two are talkin
about getting them a divorce. Johnn
Meyers met Florence in Fairmour
:. Park one evening, he said, and afte
a short acquaintance they felt enOug
Il in love with each other to get mai
ried. But the hunger and all that sol
e. of thing considered, the bridegroom
y said last night that he was inclined I
+ believe that marriage is a risky ven
: ture that any one should dope over
s. long while before taking.