Marriages: Johnson-Harvey 1899 - Submitted for the USGenWeb Archives Billie Grunden 5/12/2008
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Johnson-Harvey Elopment - Madison Parish, Louisiana
From Vicksburg Dispatch September 27, 1899
From the Scrapbook of Kate Stone Microfilm Belonging to the Louisiana State Archives Baton Rouge, LA
CUPID IS AGAIN TRIUMPHANT. STATION AGENT FRED JOHNSON OF TALLULAH, LA., ROMANTICALLY WINS AND WEDS
MISS IDA V. HARVEY-Match was an elopement in which Miss Harvey used her bicycle - Ceremony performed
by Justice Powell - Couple departed today. Miss Ida V. Harvey, daughter of Mr. W.H. Harvey, circuit
clerk of Tallulah, was quietly married yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock, in Justice Powell's court, in
this city, to Mr. Fred Johnson, the well known and popular station agent at Tallulah. The marriage was
only witnessed by one? of the intimate friends, owing to the fact that it was a romantic elopement and
Mr. Johnson was holding his breath all the while for fear of an interruption by the parents of his
beautiful young bride of scarcely sixteen years. THE GROOM Early in Vicksburg yesterday morning on the
early freight train from Tallulah, and was welcomed by his many friends in the city, who little
dreamed of the real object of Mr. Johnson's visit. He appeared quite nervous through the morning, at
the Hotel Piazza where he was stopping, and after ______? He hurried off to the office of Dr. Parnell
who was best known to him in this city. During the yellow fever epidemic of ____?, Mr. Johnson was the
____? Operator there, and in that way, he and Dr. Parnell became fast friends and Dr. Parnell says he
is a young man of the most sterling quality. On arriving at the ____? Doctor's office yesterday
morning, Mr. Johnson told the gentleman of his quest, that he was on a most serious trip, was going to
be married (if his bride-to-be was not captured by her parents before leaving Tallulah) and asked the
doctor to go with him to the clerk's office and introduce him so that he would have no trouble
procuring  his license. The doctor went with the nervous young man and introduced him to Clerk
Brennan, who methodically went to work to "fix the young man up" with the proper permits to wed. The
race was but half won. Fred Johnson knew that his intended would have to run the gauntlet, but he had
implicit confidence in his friend, Mr. J.S. Alnutt, who said to him before he left Tallulah: "Fred,
you go to Vicksburg and get the license ready; leave the rest to me, and I will bring her to you."
Those words continued to rush through Johnson's brain, and he was finally rewarded by the young lady's
appearance on the afternoon train which arrived here at 4:45. Fred could not wait for the train to
come up to the city depot. He took a carriage and went to the inclias landing, and there boarded the
train. When he had gotten aboard, he was seen by Captain J. W. Stubbs who inquired what he was doing
in Vicksburg, and he replied that he was following that runaway couple, pointing to Mr. Alnutt and
Miss Harvey, who were smiling pleasantly as they took in the situation. Today the joke is on Capt.
Stubbs, as he thought the young lady was to wed Mr. Alnutt. On arrival of the train at the depot, the
party of three, who were all as nervous as could be, drove rapidly to the cozy little court of Justice
Powell where that venerable man performed a ceremony which in the sight of God and man, bound the two
young loving hearts together as one. From the wedding the party repaired to the Hotel Piazza where
Fred Johnson stumbled all over the register for the first time in the following manner with an
unsteady pen: "Mr. and Mrs. F. Johnson, Tallulah, La."  He stopped and looked at it for awhile. Clerk
Sam Nelson smiled and the dispatch reporter was wondering how he was going to ___? out the important
as well as romantic wedding. Whether he did or not can be seen by the following Personal which
appeared in the Herald this morning:

"Mr. and Mrs. Fred Johnson of  Tallulah, La….(next four lines unreadable) …did its work coyly and the
beautiful young lady was none the less ___? In playing her role. Mr. Johnson as has been stated in the
above, came over to Vicksburg on the morning freight. About half an hour before the time for the
passenger was due at Tallulah, Mr. Alnutt left there in a buggy for Lum's Station, just about a mile
this side of Tallulah. Miss Harvey followed on her wheel,looking as unconcerned as a wood chopper, her
glowing cheeks filled with the rosy glow of youth and happiness. She is accustomed to taking the wheel
ride daily, so no one suspected the romantic termination of the ride of yesterday, when she left the
quaint little home never to return again single. All went well, an old negro was given charge of the
wheel, and Mr. Alnutt accompanied by the young lady, caught the train and came to Vicksburg and the
rest has been told.  The objection to the match was on account of religion, Miss Harvey being a strict
Catholic. COUPLE DEPART This morning the bridal party, and the best man, Mr. Alnutt, all returned to
Tallulah by the early morning V.S. & P. train, leaving this city at 11 am. At the hotel Mr. Johnson
was seen by a reporter and said he would return to his duties at Tallulah and hoped that his parents-
in-law would forgive him and his bonny bride. It was a simple case of mutual love to which there is
always but one termination. Mr. Johnson said further: "Well, I don't care now; she's mine and if she
wishes me to go through a Catholic ceremony, I am perfectly willing to do so." The Dispatch joins in
hearty congratulations to the handsome young couple, admires their pluck, and wishes them long life
and happiness. Miss Ida Harvey is the daughter of Clerk W.H. Harvey of Tallulah, and a sister of Mrs.
Leo Shields who was Miss Agnes Harvey. Mr. Johnson is the brother of Mr. J.M. Johnson, a well known
and prospering merchant of Tallulah. HIS SISTER'S HASTY ACT - Her Extreme Youth a Great Objection to
the Match - Echoes of the Harvey-Johnson Elopement Ashley, La., Sept. 29, 1899 Editor Vicksburg
Dispatch, Vicksburg, Miss. Dear Sir: - Herewith I hand you a letter for publication and I will thank
you to let it come out in your paper. Thanking you in advance for the space that it may take, I am
very truly yours' J. NOLAND HARVEY. A CORRECTION Ashley, La., Sept. 29, 1899. Dear Sir: After reading
the account of the Johnson and Harvey wedding in the Thursday's issue of the Dispatch which took place
in your city on Sept. 27th, I beg to make the following statement: The child's religion had a great
bearing on the affair, as our dear mother and grandparents are devout Catholics, and we have tried so
hard to raise her in the same way and not until a few months ago when she left St. Xavier's academy
and Mr. Johnson, a man of mature age but of dissolute habits, began paying her attention, did she know
what love was except a child's love for her mother and father. But Mr. Johnson's winning ways soon
made her forget the child's love for her parents and turn her back on their prayers and pleadings and
worship him. He knowing full well it was useless to act a gentleman and come up and ask for the girl
because of her tender age, resorted to stealing her which shows up the man he is. The poor child
cannot realize what she had done, and is not capable of judging for herself as she is scarcely
sixteen, and the overwhelming power Mr. Johnson had over her caused her to plunge into a sad future,
and the day will come when her poor heart will ache as the promises and pledges he has made her are so
easily broken. I have heard him swear he would never touch a card or a drop of whiskey again, and his
pledges lasted scarcely a week. The mutual friend, Mr. J.S. Alnutt is about on a par with him and is
beneath notice. Thanking you for the space that this may take in your paper, I am Yours most truly, J.
NOLAND HARVEY

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