Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-09

The Search for the Evidence of Blaine's
Marriage in Pittsburg in 1851.

The Search for the Evidence of Blaines
Marriage in Pittsburg in 1851.
A representative of the indianapolis
Sentinel, says a Pittsburg special to the
Philadelphia Press, was in Pittsburg for
a week or more looking up evidence in
regard to the Blaine scandal SUIT.
He visited a number of promi-
nent men here and worked IN
secret with such aid as he could obtain.
The points which he wished to locate
definitely were where the marriage TOOK
place, when it took place, who per.
formed it and what records existed OF
the fact that the marriage did not
take place in Kentucky, as is
generally supposed. 1t is stated that
the Sentinel representative discovered
that the marriage took place In the cum
berland Presbyterian Church, on sixth
avenue. The ceremony was performed
by Rev. DR.. Bryan, the pastor OF the
church, who died a number OF years ago.
The marriage is said to have taken place
at dusk, and there were two witnesses.
One of them was Hon. John LemOyne,
now a member of Congress from Hi
nOis. The name of the other witness has
not been told. Mr.. LemOyne was col
lege mate of Mr.. Blaine for two or three
years, and knew him intimately. 1t is
said that he will swear that Mr.. Blaine
asked him to witness the ceremony.
After it was performed Mr.. LemOyne
was sworn to secrecy for six, months and
at the end of that time was enjoined to
longer period of secrecy. The records OF
the marriage here are said to have dlsap-
peaTed. There is no public record OF 1t.
1t took place in 1851, in the early part OF
the year, and the Sentinel will claim the
marriage preceded the birth of the child,
whose tombstone was detaced few
months ago. 1t will also claim that the
tombstone itself and the date of the child's
birth is the record of the fact. The S6ntl-
mel, it is claimed, has traced the affair
from the closing of the school at Mlllers-
burg. KY, to the birth of the child.
The widow of the Rev. DR.. Bryan, who
is SAID to have married James u. Blame
in 1851, resides on Cedar avenue, Allie
ghany City. When asked II she recol-
lected the marriage she said: II think
the Mr.. Blaine he married was cousin
of James G. Blaine and resided in Wash
ingtOn county. My husband knew the
Blaines we'll" Mr.. Bryan kept two
records of the marriages performed by
him. One contained the list in full. This
was DESTROYED. SIN 1867 said Mrs. Bry-
an. ''we left Pittsburg and went to Men,
phIs. where we remained some time. We
went down on the steamboat Metropolis.
When she was near Coal Port, just below
Wheeling, the boilers exploded. My son
and several officers were killed, and Mr..
Bryan's books were destroyed. Among
them was the large book"
The little book containing only a par
tial list, had been left in Pittsburg, and
was saved. 1t was carefully examined
by the reporter. The records begin in
1S47 and end in 1858. There are no men,
oranda of any marriages in 1851. "a man
(supposed to be a representative of the
SentineD came to see me two weeks ago."
said Mrs. Bryan, Ito get some infOrma-
ton about a marriage in 1851. He did
not mention Mr.. Blaine's name, and only
spoke the name of the lady who
was married. He said that the
marriage was witnessed by two gen.
tlemen. and took place In the front
room in our house at the corner of Second
and Liberty streets. That was where we
lived at that time. | now remember that
a marriage did take place in our front
room up stairs once. We were all sitting
out on the front steps when the party
came. There were several persons to-
gether, but L do not know how many.
Mr.. Bryan took them up stairs into our
bedroom. which was the second story
front room, and the ceremony was per-
formed there. When the people went
away l asked Mr.. Bryan what he took
Cnem up bUdlTS lOF. ne Sdlu IL was ce-
cause the parties wanted the marriage to
be kept secret. l said he might have
married them in the back parlOr, but he
said they were afraid that somebody
would come in and see them, and they
were so urgent about it he took them up
to the front room. 1t was the only mar
riage that ever took place in that room,
and that is why it has come back to my
recollection. DR.. Bryan died in 1861, and
l do not remember ever hearing him say
that he married Mr.. Blaine"
1t is probable that the Blaine who was
married by Mr.. Bryan is the cousin re-
ferred to by Mrs. Bryan, and that is how
the story originated. If the ceremony
took place in March, as it is claimed it
did, it is not probable that Mr.. Bryan and
his family were sitting out on the front
steps, which would make it likely that
the ceremony which took place in the
front room was not that Of Mr.. Blaine.