The Fairmont West Virginian

SUES
FOR
BREACH OF
PROMISE
MISS COPEN, IN ACTION BROUGHT
IN WIRT COUNTY MAKES SEN
SATIONAL
ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST WEALTHY
OIL MAN.
BROUGHT GIRL HERE
ON PROMISE TO WED
Then Told Her He Had Changed His
Mind Confessed the Betrayal to
Parents and Suit is Result-Gibson
Leaves Elizabeth by Night After
Conveying Property to His Brother.
ELIZABETH. W. Va., Aug. 7.- Alleging
that Lute Gibson, a prominent
Wirt county oilman, was the cause
of her downfall, accomplished through
promises of marriage, Miss Edna Co-
pen, a beautiful eighteen year old girl,
and member of the prominent Wirt
county family, yesterday filed a suit
for $10,000 damages for alleged seduction
and breach of promise in the Circuit
Court of Wirt county.
The allegations are sensational in
the extreme. The girl says that Gibson
has been paying attention to her
for a long time and that he made frequent
avowals of his intention to marry
her. He told her that he would
make her his wife, and then betrayed
her, she alleges.
A few weeks ago she says she told
Gibson that he must marry her at
once and he consented. According to
the girl's story Gibson said that to
avoid notoriety they would come to
Parkersburg. The girl dressed in her
best dress and accompanied Gibson
here. He took her from here to Marietta,
where he attempted to get
away from her.
The girl remained
with him.
"I have changed my mind," he said,
on returning to this city, "I cannot
marry you."
The girl sobbed and pleaded, but to
no avail. She told Gibson that he had
ruined her life and that he must wed
her and thus make the only possible
reparation but he refused. They returned to Elizabeth without
marrying.
A few days ago the girl learned that
Gibson had made a conveyance of his
property to his brother, presumably
for the purpose of avoiding a claim
for damages.
The girl then confessed to her parents
that she had been betrayed and
her relatives placed the case in the
hands of the attorney. The suit was
filed and an attachment sworn out.
The property was tied up by the court
and the matter of setting the conveyance
to the brother aside will come
up before Judge Moss.
In the meantime Gibson is missing
from Elizabeth and it is alleged that
fearing the suit he has departed for
good. His present whereabouts
is
not known.
Gibson is 32 years of age.
He has
been a highly respected and well
known citizen, credited with being
very well to do. He has been in the
oil business for some time and has
profited. Miss Copen is said by many
to be the prettiest girl in Wirt county.
Miss Copen is well known in
Parkersburg
and
was employed here
for a period.
T. A. Brown
is attorney
for
the
plaintiff.