The morning call., 1894-07-29
BARRED THE BANS
Sensational Episode in a
Church.
A WEDDING INTERRUPTED.
Excitement Caused by a Woman
in Black.
SHE ACCOMPLISHED HER END.
The Marriage of Miss Celina Circiat
and John e. Gassman Indefi-
niteIy Postponed.
SHE ACCOMPLISHED HER END.

A woman in black sat quietly in one of
the front pews OF the French church on
Bush street, between Dupont aud Stock
ton, last night, waiting 20 see wedding
ceremony performed.
The handsome auditorium of the church
was filled with people and the pastor was
awaiting in his study the arrival OF the
high contracting parties, who were late IN
making their appearance. The bride that
was to be, Miss Celina Cerciat was being
arrayed for the nuptial rites at her auntS
house at 1856 Broadway, whence her in
tended, John Eugene Gassman, was to
accompany her TO The presence OF the
priest
The woman in black sat patiently wait
ing. Her face was pale. but she was
calm and motioness. She stayed there
until 10 o'clock, when the pastor came out
aud announced that the wedding had been
indefinitely postponed. There was much
establishment among the 800 people
present and some excitement during the
evening but the friends of the bride and
groom filed out Of the church slowly and
wended their way hOmeward much dis
appointed at the failure of the interest
ing event TO come off. This is the eX-
PLANTATION.
The woman in black had been the i'm
mediate occasion of 1t all, GaSSman him.
self the primary cause. 1t was story of
a woman duDed and love forgotten by a
man that she told after the fiasco at the
church.
She is known as Mrs. Gassman and
claims TO be the wife of John Eugene
Gassman, who was about t. wed the
e handsome Miss Celina Cerciat. Mrs.
Gassman said: "Over three years
in
Hospital, when John Gassman came
there and we met. We became
friends and after 1 left the hospital Gass-
man visited me and we we're married by
contract. We separated and he would
never do anything for the support OF our
then took the little boy from me and
! have never been permitted to
see him since His father is proprietor of
a laundry at 400 Union street. and John
drives one of his wagons. Yesterday l
heard from one of the girls who works IN
the laundry that JOhn was about 10 be
married to Celina Circiat at the French
church, and l determined to go there and
see the ceremony. and also TO inform the
priest of the relations which existed be-
tween Mr. Gassman and myself.
II did inform him, and he said that the
names had been read in the church a week
ago, and that any person who knew of a
celebrated had had plenty of time to make
it known. | assured him that l had but
just heard of 1t during the day.
II left the priest and went out to the
front of the church. where | stood talking
10 a friend. In little while the elder
Gassmau came up with a policeman and
said, arrest that woman; don't permit
her 10 enter that church, He told the
officer that | was armed and that l had
come there TO shoot his son, who was
about to be married.
II informed thefofficerlthat | was not
armed; that | had come there to see the
wedding. The gentleman that l was talk
ing to added that bad a perfect right TO
enter the church. and protested against
any interference on the part of the police.
The officer told Gassman that he would
not arrest me and went away. l then went
back into the church and waited to see if
the wedding would take place. 1t did not
and ! went away.
John Gassman and his wife did not
come tC The church at all. Some of the
laundry employees told his father that
was there, and had come 10 make trouble.
The old man Immediately rushed off to
the old City Hall and repeated that story
to Sergeant Dwyer, al the same time ask
ing that an officer be sent to the church to
investigate. The Sergeant sent the officer,
with the result l have just stated"
Mrs. Gassman says mat young Gassman
was, or always claimed to be, prevented
from marrying her regularly by his rela-
tives, and that he had placed the child in
the hands of persons whom she did not
think fit to have control of it.
The controversy over the child took
place in October, 1892, and was then the
cause of considerable newspaper notOriety
for all the parties concerned.