The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-12-13
DEATH REVEALS
QUEER ROMANCE
Tragic Death of Grays
Lake Woman Has Echo
In Kenosha.
KEMPER HALL TUTOR?
Rumor Says Mrs. Emma Ashe
Strong Was Once Teacher
Here and Wed COachman.

| An atmosphere of most unusual ro-
NANCE was thrown about wedding
that took place in Kenosha more than
| thirty years ago when search OF
records here today revealed that EMMA
]. Ashe and Thomas Strong were mar
ried in this city on July 4th, 1891. Inc
records. meager as they are, bear no
marks of an unusual romance; evil
IDENTIFY the wedding was quiet one'
solemnized at the Methodist parson-
age in Kenosha by the Reverend b. w.
Sanford before only two witnesses. 1t
appears to have attracted no interest
here, being considered as an ordinary
i elopement.
! Now there seems some. reason to be-
! lieve that the bride at that quiet we'd
ding was an English woman who had
| left a title to come to America to
marry the man of her choice, coach
man. who in America had become
farmer near Waukegan.
The story is one OF the most ro-
mantle which has been unearthed IN
this part of the country in many years
! and has developed as result OF a
! tragedy which occurred at GraysA Lake
in Lake. county, Illinois, several days
ago when Mrs. Strong was burned to
death in her home.
For years the two had been an OBJ
iect of interest in the little village
but no one had dared to pry into their
| affairs. Now that both are dead, viii
layers are trying to piece together
what information they have to learn
who these people were.
Woman Taught at Kemper Hall?
From this hearsay came the report
that the woman was most talented and
at one time had been teacher at
Kemper Hall in Kenosha. One of the
neighbors thought they were married
in Kenosha, too.
Investigation at Kemper Hall failed
to reveal any trace of the woman but
it was stated that she might have been
an instructor there for a short time
and dropped out of the records.
At the, office of the register of deeds
was found record of the marriage
but there was nothing about it to
make the wedding appear unusual.
Thomas Strong is named as an immi-
grant from Ireland, farmer by oc-
cupation. The bride gave her birth
place as England but left no state
ment as to her occupation here, or her
place of residence.
But whether she taught at Kemper
Hall or not it is a most interesting
story which has been found by Chi
cago newspaper reporter, and printed
as follows:
Suffocated in TwO-Room House.
tfsFor twenty years she and her hus-
band lived in little fly speck of
village in Lake county. Now that they
both are dead, the inhabitants of that
village realize these two were stran-
gers.
1.-TWO years ago Thomas Strong,
considered the village "jehu," died of
paralysis. Two weeks ago his wife
was suffocated when fire destroyed the
two-room home she occupied for years.
'fWho were these two? No one
seems to know, least of all the people
of Grays Lake, Ill.
"After her tragic death, it was hint
ed that Mrs. Strong was the daughter
of titled Englishman; that her hus-
band had been coachman and that
in marrying him she had brought So
cial ostracism on herself.
"That may be true. There is moth
ing in the records of their twenty
years Of life in the village either to
affirm or dispute the story.
"There is one thing that stands out
in the memory of the people who
knew the Strongs best And that was
the ever present veil Of sorrow that
masked the face of the woman.
"Her eyes were twin mirrors that's
seemed to reflect dimly tragedies of
the past.
"To some she was queer Did she
not, after her husband died, keep a
lighted lamp in the window so that
should his spirit return it could find
the way? i
SIS it not true that when he died
she had his body cremated and that
she kept his ashes near her even to
the time of her death?
"Some doubt the story of the lamp.
They maintain that she wanted light
at night because she was alone and
afraid.
Past a Mystery.
''But of her past there is none who
can speak.
"Her maiden name was Emma ].
Ashe and she was born on the Isle of
Man in England. When or why she
came to this country could not be
Learned.
''She was married in Kenosha, where |
she taught at Kemper Hall, one of
the most fashionable girls schools in
this section.
"She was exceptionally well educat-