Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1890 — A High-Life Wedding Interrupted. [ARTICLE]

A High-Life Wedding Interrupted.

Last Sunday while “John Tom” Culp’s family, of Barkley tp» r were indulging in their usual Sunday pastime of attending church, their house was entered by a thief and a considerable quantity of portable property carried .away. Namely: A fine silk dres3 and a costly leather valise, belonging to Mr. Culp’s sister, a pair of rubber boots and a good set of table knives and forks, belonging to the family and a clerical cut pair of pants, the property of Rev. Mr. Scott. An ornary young fellow named Francis M. Canfield, hat! been seen in the vicinity, and was suspected of the robbery. He was known to have been hanging around Rensselaer considerably, of late, and on Monday Mr. Culp came to town and put Sheriff Blue and Constable Wood on his track. It was learned that a marriage license was issued Monday for Canfield to marry Melissa Stone, daughter of Dick Stone, who lives north of the railroad, near the Rensselaer elevator. The Sheriff shrewdly concluded that the Stone mansion would be a promising place to look for tttb stolen plunder, and he and Wood went there with a search warrant ahd found all the articles men tioned In the above list. All but the valise and the table cutlery were found locked up in the fair Melissa’s trunk. The valise was sitting on the floor and the knives and forks were in use bydhe family. Canfield, it was learned, had gone down the river, fishing, and was found near the cemetery peaces ully angling, and musing meanwhile on the charms of the fair maid whom he expected that evening to lead to the hymeneal (o r lowmeneal) altar. Later in the evening he was taken before Squire Morgan, but he waived examination and was bound over to the circuit court, in the sum of SSOO. He is 22 years old, but is said to have already done time in a penal institution for former depredations. His chances for a term in the penitentiary are almost certain. The marriage will keep till he gets out—if the girl does.