Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, June ll, l896

This is getting to be a great locality for elopements, another exciting elopement taking place last Sunday afternoon.

MISS BESSIE OWNBY, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of MR. and MRS. J.H. OWNBY, of Decatur City, attended college at Afton the past year, and while there became acquainted with a young man, W.A. KELLEY, also a student. Their acquaintance ripened into a stronger attachment, but it seems that MRS. OWNBY had selected another husband for her daughter, a Decatur City young man and insisted on their being married.

Young KELLEY came to Leon last Sunday on the noon train and after dinner drove over to Decatur with a livery rig having MAT PULLEN for a driver. He met MISS OWNBY and they got in the buggy and started toward Leon. MRS. OWNBY learned of their departure and hastening to the livery stable secured a team and driver and started in hot pursuit. But the Decatur City team was not fast enough and the elopers left them behind. They drove to Leon and then started north. Near the fair ground another livery team driven by ED FOREMAN, to a carriage containing some friends was met, and as PULLEN had driven his team pretty hard, a quick change of horses was made and they continued their flight to Humeston where another team was secured to take them to Chariton, where they were married at two o'clock Monday morning by Rev. Collins.

The young couple went on to Afton the same night and after visiting a day with KELLEY's parents, went to Des Moines to spend their honeymoon, after which they will make their home at Afton.

The young man is 20 years old but had the written consent of his parents to his marriage. The young lady is of age, so no legal objection could be made to their marriage. We learn that MR. KELLEY is spoken of very highly as a model young man, his family being one of the most highly respected in Afton.

Copied by Cordelia Suzann
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
November l2, 2002