Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-11-17
SIZE IS A bearded BRIDE.
A Beautifully Bewhisker6d Romance
Emanating From st. Louis.
One of Barnum's Famous AttraC
tiOns Gets a Divorce and Re s
ries-A Love that Grew ~
the White Canvas ~ N
Sweethearts from - ld-A
Minister SOrely Pc. 9 -.

St Louis, Mo, November 16.-Behind
the simple announcement OF amarriage
license granted yesterday to w. A. Don
ovan and Anna Jones lies a romance
such as one does not getsa chance to
read about every day-the romance of
a bearded lady. In fact. it is the ro-
nance Of the only bearded lady who
has ever achieved any prominence, for
Anna Jones is the world renowned
"Barnum's Bearded Lady" who has
been placing before the public OF this
and foreign countries a beautiful sam
pie of a female beard ever since 1871.
She was divorced from her former hus-
band, a man named Elliott, on We'd
nesday. and hermarriage 10 Mr.. Dono-
van yesterday winds up The romance.
The newly married pair have been
sweethearts all their lives. Both were
born under the white tents, and both
were bred iaIhe circus business under
the watchful eye of the Prince of Show
men. u. T.-Barnum. Mr.. Donovan S
mother isnow. and has been ever since
the show began TO attain any prOmln-
ence. the mistress of the wardrobe or
the entire attraction. and her son is one
or Mr.. Bailey's trusted aids and conn
dauts. He has grown up with the
BaruUm attraction, and expects 10 dle
with-it The parents Of the bearded
lady were also show people and she
has gained renown along the lines her
Whiskers map out for her with the Bar
sum circus.
From the time the bearded lady and
the man she married yesterday were
old enough to toddle they were play
mates and companions. The abnormal
growth of hair ON the face Of the girl
made her available as q freak M an
early age. and she was the bearded lady
LONG before most girls are out or the
primary schools. The friendship be-
tween her and Donovan continued aIter
she became a side show attraction, ana
they finally entered into q secret en-
eaeement as soon as tn girl was old
enough. But fate interviewed, IN the
person Of Mrs. Donovan, the wardrobe
mistress.
Society lines in the circus business
are drawn just as closely as they are
in the prosaic lives Of those who pay
their money TO smell the slwdust ana
the menagerie. and drink red lemonade.
Mrs. Donovan. while she did not object
to the friendship that existed between
her son and the fair Anna, baked most
decidedly when she learned 1t was the
object of the young people to get mar
ried. She made it very plain TO her
son that she would make IT so good and
warm for him that ne could not con-
tinue in the show business if he married
the freak.
He insisted that he would in spite Of
anything his mother or anybody else
might have 20 say about it, and for q
whole season there was the stormiest
sort of a time i'm the BaTnum show.
Nearly all the performers and the at
tacheS We're in sympathy with the low
ers. but Mrs. Donovan won. When the
season closed. Miss Jones declared that
If she wasn't good enough to marry into
the Donovan family there were others.
IL wasn't very long before she married
q ticket seller and worker on the out
side of the tent. named Elliott. and he
took her on a three years tour OF Eu-
ron. This was I'm 1883, and young Mr..
Donovan felt so bad about it that ne
changed his name to White, by which
cognOmen he is we'll known in the cir
Gus world to-day.
Anna eventually drifted back to the
Barnum show, and found that her Old
playmate and lover was Billy White,
one of the rising young men in the bus
mess About This time her husband,
Elliott. realizing that the woman could
make more money than he was capable
of accumulating. decided to le- her sup
port him. and began to spend what she
made 10 satisfy a stout liquor appetite
of which he was the happy pOssessOr.
Sne supported him until couple Of
years ago Then the friends OF the
bearded lady convinced her that she
was foolish to continue. She notified
him that he would hanceforth have to
hustle for himself, which he has been
doing TO the best of her knowledge.
The bearded lady and her old play
mate were thrown together consider
ably. and it took but a short time for
the old love 10 revive. When the show
reached St Louis last June, he succeed
ed tu convincing her that Elliott was a
burden that should be gotten rid OF.
He wanted her 10 get q divorce and
agree to- marry him. but she refused to
consider the proposal unless his mother
would withdraw her objections. Mrs.
Donovan willingly agreed to this, be
.cause she had learned TO like and ad-
miro the girl. One day, just after the
afternoon performance, the bearded lady
engaged the firm Of Braden & Wood 10
eocrre her divorce. Mr.. Wood filed the
oDolicariOn and took dozens of depOsi-
lions from people connected with the
show to support the papers IL was
ogread at that time that she was 10
o0-,o m ST. Louis at the close Of the
eooson and secure the divorce, after
--bfob she was TO 90 to New York, mar
nv tho man who had waited so long tOn
bs. and then sail away with him for
Frrone TO fiji an engagement In France
and Belgium extending over a year.
Tba show closed at Meridian. Miss,
NCovorber Q. and its people scattered TO
oU the corners of the United states.
Orf+e n marty Of them came to 81. Louis
IN sDecfal train. among them the
bearded lady and her sweetheart ne
case came mp for hearing Wednesday
and the decree was granted without
question. Mr.. Donovan and Miss Jones
+oga+ber with several others of the
trouDs. made arrangements TO start for
New York on the o'clock fast mail
train for the East this morning.
Yesterday morning. Mr.. Donovan
showed up early at the Office Of the st.
lanes Hotel. where his intended was