Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1909 — ELOPERS COME TO GRIEF. [ARTICLE]

ELOPERS COME TO GRIEF.

Irate Father of Girl, Who Fled with Laborer, Causes Arrests. Logansport, Ind., Nov. 22. —Following a telephone message from this city, Miss Willa May Diamond, aged sixteen, of Jasper county, and Mark Mansfield, age thirty, of Michigan, elopers, were arrested in South Bend Sunday afternoon, and are being held to await the arrival of the girl’s irate father. The couple eloped from the girl’s home in Jasper county Saturday afternoon and rode to Winamac in an automobile. The midnight east-bound Pennsylvania passenger train was flagged for them and they boarded it and came to this city. They remained here during the night and left Sunday morning for South Bend.

Mansfield is a stranger in Jasper county, having come there a few weeks ago from Michigan. He was employed as a laborer on the Diamond farms and because of his attentions to the girl Mansfield lost his employment. He obtained another job in the neighborhood, however, and at an opportune time Mansfield and the girl fled. The girl’s absence was discovered soon afterward and the father started in pursuit. He traced them to Logansport, arivlng here Sunday morning. The police to whom he applied for help, found the hotel where they had registered under fictitious names, and then learned that they had left for South Bend. The South Bend authorities were communicated with by wife and when the two elopers stepped off the train in that city they were promptly placed under arrest.

The father of the girl mentioned above is Thomas Diamon of Gillam township, and he came to Rensselaer Monday morning and swore out a warrant before Squire Irwin and started post-haste after the couple. At the time of going To press no returns had been made to Squire Irwin. It is probable that the matter has been compromised by the irate parent giving 'his consent to a marriage.