Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 249, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1914 — Thump of an Officer’s Wooden Leg Dispels Dream [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Thump of an Officer’s Wooden Leg Dispels Dream

DETROIT, MICH. —It was the thump, thump, thump of the wooden leg of a railroad detective that furnished the thrills of romance which pretty Eva Pope, only fourteen years old, ran away from home in boy’s clothes to find.

Eva wu as romantic a little girl as ever lay. in her "bed nights reading Laura Jean Llbbey long after her parents thought her deep in slumber. She was always hoping something e»citing would happen to her, but somehow no fairy prince came her way until Just a little while ago. Then came Leo Holland, eighteen years old. Leo wasn’t much of a fairy prince, but he had led a wild, wicked life and, Othello-like, won her heart by tales of his exploits.

So they eloped. They made it as exciting as possible. Eva dressed herself in boy's clothes and, with Leo, boarded a freight train to Toledo. They got there ip the evening and decided to make the box car their home for the night. Eva was sleeping—dreaming roßy dreams of romance come true when there entered into her dreams a thump, thump, thumping. She awoke Leo, k who peered from tlje box car and saw a railroad detective with a wooden leg * corning along the ties, peering into each car. Her heart in her mouth, Eva followed Leo out of the door of the car on the side away from the detective. But she stumbled, gave a little scream, and sank breathless on the tracks. Leo etayed by her —to his credit, be it said. And then the wooden-legged detective came up to her and poked a long black revolver in her face. He asked the pair many questions, but finally let them go with a warning to stay out of the railroad yards. • The next day, on queries fyom the Detroit police, the two were arrested, admitted their identity and were brought back.