A Cornish scandal

ELOPEMENT OF A LADY WITH HER FATHER’S COACHMAN

Painful excitement has been caused by the disappearance of a young lady, whose father is a Cornish country magistrate, having a town house and also one at Devonport. Last Thursday the young lady, who was spending Christmas at Devonport, met by appointment at Plymouth railway station her father’s coachman, and they went off together. Their disappearance was not known till next day, and by that time they were on their way to the Cape in the mail steamer Pretoria. What makes the matter worse is that the man leaves behind him a wife and family.

The Lancaster Gazette and General Advertiser, Wednesday 4 January 1882

She exhibited a pair of pistols

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE

This day fortnight an event took place in the shop of a respectable watchmaker in this town which had nearly been attended with a tragical result. The sister of a young lady who once made some stir in this town, respecting a certain hymeneal disappointment, had, it appears, for a long period received visits from the gentleman in question. She either had, or concluded she had reason for believing that the consummation would be matrimony. Suddenly, however, and, as the lady avers, without any reason assigned, the gentleman discontinued his visits. She repeatedly called at his shop and requested to see him, but either by accident or design her wishes in this respect were frustrated. If the shop-boy may be believed she more than once betrayed signs of violent agitation, and exhibited a pair of pistols.

Last Monday week she called at the shop, where she found the gentleman. She asked him if he intended to call at her house. He said no, he did not intend to call any more. At that moment she placed her hand in her pocket, and he heard the click of a pistol-lock. The sound was that of placing the weapon on full cock. She drew the pistol from her pocket, and he rushed towards her and seized it with the intention of disarming her. A struggle ensued, during which the pistol went off. The ball entered the young man’s leg just above the knee, and shattered the bone in a most dreadful manner. She immediately threw away another pistol and rushed from the shop.

The young man took up the pistol which she had thrown away, and, on examining it, found it to be loaded with ball. An application was made to the magistrates last week for a summons against the lady, and the case was heard on Friday. The young man is in a precarious state, and was so ill from the effects of his wound that it was found expedient to have the case heard in the office of the magistrates’ clerks. The above facts were stated, and the young woman was bound over to keep the peace for twelve months.—Liverpool Albion.

The Leicester Chronicle Saturday 30 September 1837

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance

STRANGE INCIDENT AT A PIC-NIC.

MARRIED IN FUN AND TIED TOGETHER IN EARNEST.

At a pic-nic near Keyport, New Jersey, yesterday a young couple, for the amusement of the party, went through a mock ceremony of marriage. The person who officiated was a stranger, and was selected for his clerical appearance. It was revealed after the ceremony that the stranger was an ordained minister, and that the marriage was entirely legal. The young couple were dismayed, and the proceedings were broken by lamentations of the bride, who was really engaged to be married to a gentleman who was not present at the pic-nic.

A divorce will be applied for.

The North-Eastern Daily Gazette, Thursday 18 September 1890