The Topeka state journal., 1911-08-23
ElOping Pair Captured as They
Enter Union Pacific Train.
Pretty Lena COyIe's Romance
Is Shattered.
"HOME GUARD" WINS
Mother" Boxes Daughters Ears
as Big Crowd Watches.
Village Blacksmith Triumphs
Over Soldier Boy.


Wamego, Kan, Aug. 23.-It was bad
enough TO have the vileage marshal
drag her from the loving embrace OF
her sweetheart but her mother, not
content. boxed Miss Lena Coyle's ears
in the presence of $50 people.
Meanwhile Frank Koppenhelmer, VINO
had planned to elope with Miss Coyle'
was thwarted by his rival. William
Alexander, the home town sweetheart
of the girl The scene which occur
red at the local Union Paclllc NepoS
was witnessed by 200 townspeopt,e anu ~
so passengers on the train the l loNeI9
were to take. Koppenhelmer IS d SOuiiS
soldier from Fort Riley
The story of the incidents when ,ea1
to the thWarted elopement sound LlAe
a Robert W. Chambers love tdie. -
few weeks ago, so tbs salu' AOpPS
heimer let his caro- ran from ens 49,
dow of a train on which he was riilis'
while passing through Wamego- HS M
hreezes carried the bit of card, Whlch
bore the soldiers name ana auuIeSs
and the words, Finder please WIlts'
far m the towns main street Inen
/ CS,1rid entered and induced fate to cast
the card in the path of pretty I'-year-
old Lena Coyle the daughter OF MI.
and Mrs. William Coyle.
| Visions of an exciting romance crept
\ into the heart of the young woI,leil .- e-
she sat down to write to her unknown
| soldier friend The letter brought a e
nIv and Sunday young koppSnheiihc'
| himself came to town, after he had ar
ranged to meet Miss Coyle-
But then arose a barrier, WITH trsIil'-ll Wiilcn
| Miss Covle had not reckoned- WIIhanl
| Alexander. young blacksmith, hdd
been a sweetheart of Miss Coyle,s anu
| tT1e visit of the new suitor proved no
balm to him. And when, unknown KNOWN 70
anyone except themselves, koppen-
| hair1er returned to Wamego sunday 10
taIxe +he Young woman away with hlnl,
| Alexander began to suspect foul play;
| All during the day he watched the
soldier boy and his sweetheart closeiy'
| And early that eVeing when the diSdp-
| heart and the boy in blue walking TO-
| ward the depot at a fast pace, with
| Koppenheimer carrying a SUIT case
| A1exander resolved to resort to drastic
measures. Forthwith he called MIS-
CoyIe, the girls mother, over the tele-
"Wbv that's where my suitcase
wont y replied the mother. 1--WE 1usl
: missed it and had begun TO suspect
something" q;
There we're but a few minutes unit
train time The young blacksnlltl
suitor became desperate he rusneo ~ -
the home of Mrs. COyle and the rWe
~71sted hack down town again II
Iesrco uSrrG1 of the town marshal. Together
the three rushed toward the aepol
reaching the station just as the trali
puled in. By that time It seemeu ina
nearly half the town had begun TO SuS
: meet and had gathered 200 strong OF
tbe denot nlatform and in a park near
! Marshal Decrow entered the train t
: begin a search for the couple Whll
! the mother and irate lover STOOD guaf'
4 on the platform. In another moIneLl
/ tho officer of the law emerged lead
ine the girl bv the arm. A soldier will
+rouhled face followed, carrying a SUIT
case. The girl was turned over to ne
mother. the suitcase became the prop
ertv of the young blacksmith and tn
2 marshal took charge of the soldler.
, eve were married in Kansas Cit.
1 last week, mamma. and you've got L
? let US CO." the girl eAplallleu a. 7ii0 "
ont of hearing distance, the soldie
was attempting to explain to the mar
shall that they had been married Il
= Fort Riley a few days before Thel
the mother, the marshdl, tne a; lIat
lover and the eloping pair put the1
? heads together and the conflict in tn
: two stories remained unexplained. Ano
i lIo if happened that the mother, nov
J thoroughly aroused, made thre
n opened-hand contacts with her daugh
. ter S right CHS6k, anu ACN 1AAC
> girl home, the irate lover followin
4 with the suitcase.
Meanwhile the soldier hal persuao
ed the town marshal that he ccul
lnroduce the marriage certificate if tn
o hand of the law was loosed Ion
f enough to allow him to go to F'ol
= Riley for it. The hand was loosed, th
q soldier left on the next train and I'll
4 curtain fell upon the last act of tt
. playIet, for the soldier has not yet n
: turned to claim his bride