Volume 9 , Issue 42

1907 Elopement? No! No! Just Wed Then Tell Pa

You have got to hear this story of an elopement that happened October 19, 1907, when a Bartlesville, Indian Territory girl runs off with her Denver sweetheart to get married. As the story states below.

Denver, Oct. 19, 1907, The Daily Oklahoman, frontpage -- "Why, dear, what will mamma and papa say?" exclaimed pretty Miss Stella M. Combs, as she stepped from a train from Bartlesville, I. T., at the union station into the arms of Louis K. Bell."

"Never mind what mamma and papa will say." said the young man, as he led the way through the gates. "That is, I don't worry about that at this time. I have a friend at the court house that I want to introduce you to and then well... then we will telegraph mamma and papa."

From reading further down in the 1907 news article, it appeared that the friend at the courthouse was major Arthur Williams, deputy county recorder. The young man told the deputy county recorder to "suppress it." The Major did as he was told and carefully tore the leaf from the license book.

Afterwards, young Mr. Bell led his sweetheart to the basement of the building, where he said he had another friend. This friend happened to be Justice DeLappe.

"But what will mamma and papa say?" exclaimed pretty Miss Combs for the second time within an hour.

"Oh, don't -- yes, judge, I would like to have the ring ceremony, and -- now, don't worry, Estella, we will tele -- yes, here's the ring, judge, if I can ever get it off." A finger disappeared in the young man's mouth, and after much twisting and turning the ring was ready.

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Combs, Bartlesville, Indian Territory, and Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Bell, parents of the young bridegroom, living in Arkansas City, Kansas, will be surprised when they read this telegram: "Stella and I were married here today."

"We didn't want this to get out," murmured Mr. Bell, nervously, "not just yet for a time. Elopement! Oh, my, no."

"Why, you see, it was just this way. I telegraphed Miss Combs to come on to Denver and she hurried on. Maybe she didn't have time to tell her parents her destination or to say goodbye -- I don't just know about that. I have been in town a week or two, looking at the mountains and enjoying the sunshine you have here. I guess it was the altitude. The thought just came that this would be a pretty good city to get married in, so I sent the telegram to Miss Combs. I guess the folks will be a little surprised."

Mr. Bell was in the commission fruit business in Arkansas City. He liked Denver so well that he and his wife decided to make their home there.
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