The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-25
Startling Charges Made by
Eugene Read Today.
Claims Parent Attempted to
Hide Own Shame.
TOOK GIRL TO JUSTICE OF PEACE
With a Gun, Wedding Was Or
dered, 1t Is Said.
Story Like Unexpurgated Chap
ter of French Novel.

Rubbing and blinking eyes that had
remained open all night, following
wild, weird period in the Adams ana
Read households 16-year-old Eugene
Read spun a story of the county at
torney today sounding like an unex-
purgated chapter from an early
French novel
The boy charged that his own
father, Repps Read, and William Ao-
ans, father of 16-year-old Mary
Adams, captured him Tuesday night
in North Topeka and at the point OF
n gun. with cuffs and kicks thrown In
freely. marched him to the office Oh
J. p. williams, justice of the peace IN
Oakland. to force him into a marriage
with the girl.
The hoy declared he was being made
the victim of the sins of his father;
that Repps Read. not he, is responsible
for the condition which appears TO
make Mary Adamss immediate mar
riage necessary. 49,,
Hes guilty" said the boy to the
county attorney, ''and he's trying 10
Law if onto me. I've heard my step
mother, who is sister OF MARY -
ANS tell him half a dozen times thaI
he is guilty. .,,
According to the boys story there
was considerable excitement in MS
neighborhood Tuesday night. Ofticers
verified part of his story 1mneulale5
Iv-the statement that his 1atner iiau
a license with him, authorizing the
marriage of the boy and the girl. Such
a license was issued by Probate Juoee
Hugh NacFarland late Tuesday after
NOON to Repps Read and William Ad-
ans. fathers of the two chlldren'
The Boys Story.
Eugene Read was accompanied "
the courthouse by an aunt anu anu uttIlr' tta'.
who demanded that the county attor-
,,e,1 make an investigation and release
~ how from the web of circumstances
surrounding him. -.
"T was at my grandfather's last
night" said the boy, when soiIieonv ,ln',
father were standing behind a corner
IN the dark like couple OF thleVes'
and thev grabbed me. Adams got
gun and poked that in my ribs They
held onto me like they thought was
eroine to run l told them to lay OH
Of me and after they told me had to
marry that Adams girl, told them
they needn't hold me; that was going
with them and see what they were up
to. I jerked loose to show them
could get loose if wanted to ana they
slapped and struck me-
s'When we got to Judge WilliamsS
p1ace they told the judge they had a
license for me and the girl to get
married. I told them 1 wouldn't mar
~ her for $4,000. They tried to
make me stand up beside her and 1
wouldn't do it. 1 told them I wouldn't
get within ten feet of her and didn't
/ sat still on seat. Judge Williams
said then he wouldn't perform the
ceremony. My father declared he
would perform it himself. I told him
right then he was trying to saddle the
thing onto me in order to get him out
of his own scrape."
There Was No Wedding.
The boy and girl were not married
Tuesday night. The boy went to the
home of his aunt and uncle and they
took up the fight for him today.
''It is a shame" said the aunt sis
ter of the boys dead mother
"Repps Read cast that boy off as soon
as his wife was dead and has done
nothing for him since except to cuff
him around. He has made his home
with US a great deal. He's just a
child and it is ridiculous to try to
fasten such charge upon him.
Mary Adams. it is said, accuses Eu-
gene Read. Read admitted that
why shouldn't she?" he demand
cd. The whole outfit has been tell
irg her what to do and .4y. She
doesn't know any better. She said
over at Judge Williams's last night
after I refused to marry her. that she
would lay it onto Lee Gilmore if she
knew where he was What they are
trying to do is to find some one to Law
it onto and my own father is trying to
lay il onto me. You folks can send
me to the reformatory or the peniten-
itary or do anything you want to but
I wouldn't marry that girl for all the
money in Topeka"
His Mother Is Dead.
Eugene Reads mother died in the
state hospital. Eugene was just a boy
and, without home he got into trou-
BILE He was sent to the state reform
atory from which he was released last
January. His father married Hattie
Adams, a sister of the girl who is
making the accusation against Eu-
gene. while he was in the reformatory
The boy told where he had worked
and lived since he left the reforma-
tory. He spent two weeks at the
Adams home this summer and admits
it But he denies that he knew or had
had anything to do with Mary Adams
seven months ago as is charged.
The first time I was ever alone
with that girl, or ever paid any at
tention to her was less than two
months ago." he declared.
County officers sent out today for
Adams and Read, the two fathers, and
Mary Adams. They want to know
what she has to say about the matter
after being separated from the rest
of the family.
I issued the license said Probate
Judge MacFarland, because the two
fathers explained the situation to me
and it appeared necessary that the