Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-12
CAPRICIOUS CUPID.
Love Cuts a Caper at Fortress
Monroe.
A FAIR oHIoAGoANs NOVEL wHIM.

The MEitaire Cut Out in short Order
and New Yorker Made Happy-The
Ceremony Performed by Colored
Clergyman at the Desire of the Bride
The Groom Stranger, But Said To
BE Immensely Rich.
CHICAGO, Feb. l2.-The Herald has tn e
following telegram from Fortress Monroe,
Va:
The fashionable Hygeia hotel has a sensa-
tion and, although there is still much mys-
terry, nothing else is talked of. The Hygeia
is at this season crowded with visitors from
Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and other points in the north, brought
hither by the balmy air The cause of all
the excitement is pretty Mrs Alice Smell
McCrea, daughter of the murdered million
aire, Amos j. Smell, of Chicago She re-
Gently procured divorce from her husband
and came here few weeks ago, accompa-
uied by young married woman, Mrs.
Brandt, of New York, her child, ana two
French maids
The Militaire Smitten.
Mrs McCrea was very pretty, amiabie,
and dressed exquisitely, and she was soon a
prime favorite with the officers of Fortress
Monroe, and many thought that the lady
would "join the regular army" as they ex'
pressed it here, by selecting some one of her
dangling young military admirers to supply
the place OF the erstwhile Mr.. McCrea. In
deed, some of the elderly officers were be-
ieved to be smitten. Certain it is that a
frequent subject OF discussion at mess was
the amount of the Smell estate, and the size
of Mrs. McCrea's bank account, for the mil
itary officers plume themselves upon being
practical men of the world, TO whom such
matters are important when matrimony is
under discussion.
The officers were eager to be presented
Mrs McCrea was of a lively disposition and
apparently fond Of gayety, for before the
week was out she knew most of the officers,
who were constantly dancing attention on
her. There were walks on the ramp
arts, drives to Newport News, excursions
after the lucious oysters which here abound,
little picnics along the Virginia shore, with
small and select parties, and Mrs. McCrea
was always the life of the group. Such was
the situation Sunday morning, Feb 2 There
had been a hop the night before, and Mrs.
McCrea was the belle of the ball.
sudden Surprise.
The Sunday morning boat brought Doug
las Green from New York Nothing further
was known of him here than that he was
Douglass Green" and his advent made no
distinct impression on the guests of the Hy-
geia until he entered the breakfsst-room,
and there was publicly greeted in the most
ELUSIVE manner by Mrs. McCrea. Certain
officers were waiting to show her beautiful
-<Nf
ment was apparently forgotten by the fair
charmer She passed Sunday and Monday
morning in the company of Mr.. Green, and
appeared to enjoy his society immensely.
There was CONSERVATION at the fort,
Officers In the Dumps.
But Monday afternoon the officers were all
wearing the mitten for good. Sunday Mr..
Green and Mr.. Aver, with Mrs McCrea and
Mrs. Brandt drove TO the Hampton Normal
school, where they attended service, after
ward visiting a colored Sunday school
Their next visit was to a colored clergyman
named Thornton. Monday morning they
procured license to marry and drove again
TO Mr.. Thornton's but he was i'll and they
next went TO the residence of Rev.
Mr. Gravatt, a white Episcopal minister He
was absent Marry me to-day or never, u
said Mrs. McCrea So they drove to the res
idence of Rev Robert Shorts, colored, and
there in a dingy little sitting room the kno;
was tied 1t is stated that Mrs. McCrea de
sired from the first that the ceremony be
performed by a negro clergyman.
Very Much Mixed Up.
After the ceremony Mrs. McCrea asked
b i'm anxiously:
"Are we really marriedf'
The minister said: Yes, You is done suah
'nough married Dat man is yo husband
Whereupon the couple flew into each
others arms and, as an eyewitness said:
"Such hugging and kissing never saw.
They were so mixed up that yon could not
tell one from the other" A liberal fee was
given Mr.. Short and the couple departed for
the hotel, packed up and took train for
Washington City. Nobody knows Mr.
Green, but he is said to be immensely rich
Denies the Soft Impeachment.
TIL NJ