Evening star., 1896-01-21
HARRISON's MARRIAGE.
His Children Are Opposed to His
Union With Mrs. Dimmick.

His Children Are Opposed to His
Union With Mrs. Dimmick.
Special to the New York World.
INDIANAPOLIS, January 2O-The mar
rage Of Benjamin Harrison to Mrs. Dim.
mick is not approved of by Mr.. Harrison's
family. The statement that Mrs Mckee
will visit Indianapolis before the wedding
is true, but she will not come to prepare a
hcme for her fathers bride. She will visit
friends here outside of her family, and will
remove from her former home the last of
her personal possessions
FrieLds here of Mrs. Benjamin Mckee
and Mr. Russell Harrison and of the late
Mrs Benjamin Harrison are surprised and
anr Dyed at the persistent reports from
New York that the children of ex-President
Harrison are reconciled to his approaching
marriage.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
AS matters stand now the marriage of the
ex-PreSident will make distinct and DOS
Silly, permanent breach in his family. and
separate him definitely from his children.
Neither Mrs. Mckee nor Russell Harrison
are on speaking terms with their step-
mother TO be. and both have interposed an
earnest, though ngnified, opposition to the
proposed marriage.
This opposite arises, they insist, not
from any dislike of their father marrying
second time, but solely from a feeling
that circumstances connected with the his
tory OF the acQuaintan which leads 10
the approaching marriage make the event
an act of disrespect to the memory of their
mother.
The true story of the acquaintance and
courtship of Benjamin Harrison and Mary
Dimmick, as told by one whose authoritv
is as undeniable as would be that of Rem.
1am1n Harrison himself, is given below
Much of detail that would be Interesting is
suppressed because its publication would
serve no good purpose, but, as a matter of
children n
ard to fCrestall the flood of gossip and
scandal that would naturally follow the
open break in the family, the friends of
Mrs. Mckee and Mr.. Harrison feel that a
pain, authoritative statement of the facts
she uld be made at once
In the first place, 1t should be stated
that MRS. Dlmmick's character as a woman
is in no way involved in this matter. That
she has exercised over the President an
influence which interfered with the domes-
tic peace of the family and that he per-
mitted and encouraged that influence is
the most serious charge involved.
The trouble really began before Har,i-
sons election. During the Excitement of
the campaign in 1888. Mrs. Harrison, at
the suggestion of her sister, Mrs Scott
Lord, invited her niece, Mrs. Dimmick. to
Indianapolis. Mrs. Dimmick, 1t is said
was In very low spirits at that time. and
the idea was that the life and excitement
her health.
Mrs Dimmick at once began to take n
very active part in the Harrison family
affairs. Her influence over Gen. Harri-
son quickly became very strong. After
some months and before the family went
to Washington, Mrs. Harrison discussed
with an intimate friend here the best wav
of getting Mrs. Dimmick out of the fam
lily.
When the family was settled in the
White House matters became constantly
more difficult. Mrs. Dimmick gained stead
lily more influence over the President in
family matters. Mrs. Harrison suffered
what she considered were indignities Mrs.
Mckee and Russell Harrison sided with
their mother. The President stubbornly
insisted that they were foolishly and cause
lessly jealous.
Mrs. Dimmicks mother died and the re-
strictfons of the mourning period deprived
her of outside companionship and threw
her mere than ever into the company OF
the President.
Finally Mrs. Dimmick was given to un.
derstand, through q relative, that her
continued residence in the White House
was unwelcome to Mrs. Harrison. She
appealed tn the President and he refused
to consent to her departure under such
circumstances.
The quarrel between the President AMI
Mrs. Harrison became critical. That it did