CHISHOLM, CONANT "The Kansas City Daily Times" (Missouri) Saturday, May 14, 1881 A RUNAWAY COUPLE. Yesterday afternoon a young couple entered Justice ALLEN's office and blushingly informed the man of equity that they wanted to get married. Suspecting that all was not well with the elders of this loving pair, his justiceship began to question them closely, knowing the heavy penalty ($500) which could be enforced when an angry parent found that a daughter under age had been clandestinely married. The girl was compelled to admit that she was under 18 years of age and that they had run away from their home in Saline county, Kansas, for the purpose of getting married. They begged the justice to marry them as quickly as possible, for they feared that the angry father was then on their track; but with visions of a $500 fine before his eyes, the obdurate man of law steadily refused. The determined couple then sought the seductive recesses of Justice BACON's office, who quickly pronounced the fateful words which made them one for life. The couple melted into each other's arms at ninety in the shade. They gave their names as Edith CHISHOLM and William H. CONANT. Their parents are, respectively, bankers and land-holders in Saline county, Kas. It was learned that the father of the girl arrived last night and will proceed to forgive them, or charge around in search of somebody this morning. ====================================================== (I have no connection with this person but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) ======================================================

John O'Brien <JohnOBrien@kc.rr.com> wrote: | Suspecting that all was not well with the elders of this loving pair, | his justiceship began to question them closely, knowing the heavy | penalty ($500) which could be enforced when an angry parent found | that a daughter under age had been clandestinely married. Wait... a civilian could actually cause a government "servant" to have a fine levied against him/her? Cool! I wonder if this would have been the case in Missouri, as well. Anyone? This could go a ways toward explaining why the couple I believe to be my wife's g-grandparents told the J.P. at Washington Co. that he was over 21 and she was over 18, when a couple years later, on their son's birth certificate, they gave their ages as 19. | Kas. It was learned that the father of the girl arrived last night | and will proceed to forgive them, or charge around in search of | somebody this morning. I just love 19th century reporting. =) -- Mike | "Vocatus atque non vocatus deus aderit." -Carl Jung