With spring in the air, romance is certainly not far behind. No doubt reflections of love stories will come to mind. Even tales of two individuals being led by passion to run away forever will make the heart swoon.

Sorry, but the “runaway lover” trope has been cliche long before a lonely teenage girl stood on a balcony, at night and asked “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” (And how did that little slice of courtship work out for everyone?)

A Lock Haven runaway romance made it to the newspapers in 1897 (just not in Clinton or Lycoming counties). Two people under the age of 23 ran away to the romantic city of… well… Wilkes-Barre.

Did it work out? To borrow another cliche, it went over like a lead balloon.

Here’s what happened:

First, let’s meet a well-known son of Lock Haven, Samuel Love (fitting name, right?).

He was, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader March 11, 1897, “a prominent lumberman.” He was 29 years old and carved out a positive reputation for himself, hence “prominent.” He had married a young woman who was 22 years old at the time of this story. However, since no first name was given for her, she will be referred to as Mrs. Love.

According to the Times Leader, Love’s family owned the lumber company and they employed a man named Frank Fuller, 23 years old, who “was… a coachman for Mr. Love.”

To paint a clearer picture, in an article from a newspaper called the Wilkes-Barre Times (also on March 11, 1897), Fuller “was employed… as hostler.” He cared for the horses and mules, which would be needed to transport the lumber.

As Fuller worked with the horses, he met Mrs. Love, who “had been married (to Samuel Love) but a short time,” said the Times. Somehow, the two became acquainted; somehow the two became friendly; and somehow the two became romantic.

“(Fuller) at long length told her of his love and as she did not discourage him in his rashness, he urged her to elope with him,” the Times said. “He finally prevailed upon her to do so and on last Thursday (March 4, 1897) they quietly left Lock Haven and came to Wilkes-Barre.”

From their point of view, it made sense for the two of them to head there, because Mrs. Love “(had) relatives” in Wilkes-Barre.

Let’s jump to one fact from the Times article.

“(Mrs. Love) had brought about $150 with her and… bought a gold watch of considerable value for Fuller” after they had arrived in Wilkes-Barre. According to the US Inflation Calculator, the $150 in 1897 would equal roughly $5,900 in today’s money.

While not mentioned in the articles, the following facts can be surmised: that $150 was not Mrs. Love’s or Fuller’s; when Fuller and Mrs. Love eloped, proper divorce procedures had not taken place; any marital paperwork between Mrs. Love and Fuller would be fraudulent; a prominent, and now humiliated, lumberman was not going to let this go.

It should surprise no one, that, according to the Times, “Mr. Love… swore out a warrant for the arrest… before Alderman Dow, of Lock Haven, who placed it in the hands of Constable King.”

This meant 1897 law enforcement was involved and the police were on the hunt.

“(King) came directly to Wilkes-Barre and went to the home of Mrs. Love’s relatives on Lincoln Street, but the couple was not there,” said the Times. But not to worry, he reached out to the other members of the “thin blue line” and met “Detective Paul Bauer… to aid him in his quest.”

The hunt went on.

It ended in what was called “the Boston store” (a department store of the time) where Mrs. Love was “making some purchases,” one of which was the aforementioned gold watch. She was arrested and taken into custody with Fuller.

“The money ($150) was given up to the constable who took the runaway couple home yesterday afternoon (March 10, 1897) on the Pennsylvania train,” the Times said.

With an almost “What’s next ought to be good” tone, the article concluded, “The affair had created considerable excitement in Lock Haven, where Mrs. Love is well and favorably known.”

In an almost postscript to this love triangle, little can be found in the online newspapers as to what happened. In fact, the only mentions of this story were in Wilkes-Barre newspapers and not in Lock Haven ones. Apparently, a wealthy influence cannot only get the police working quickly, but it can keep the scandal out of the local press.

At least until now.