The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-23
HARRISoN'S MARRIAGE.
HIS CHILDREN OPPOSED TO HIS
UNION WITH MRS. DIAIMICK.

An Ugly Family QuarreI-It Began
Before the HarrisOns Went to the
White House and Has Continued
Ever since-sIrs. Mckee and Rus
sell Harrison Insist the Match is
DisrespectfuI to Their Mothers
Memory.
From the New York World.
indianapolis, Jan. 2O.-The marriage Of
Benjamin Harrison to Mrs. Dimmick is
not approved Of by Mr.. Harrisons family.
The statement that Mrs. Mckee will visit
indianapolis before the wedding is true
but she will not come to prepare home
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.
Friends here Of Mrs. Benjamin Mckee
and Mr.. Russell Harrison and of the late
Mrs. Harrison are surprised and annoyed
at the persistent reports from New York
that the children Of ex-President Harrison
are reconciled to his approaching mar
riage.
Nothing could be further from the truth
As matters stand now the marriage Of the
ex-President will make a distinct ana,
possibly, permanent breach in his fam
fly, and separate him definitely from his
children. Neither Mrs. Mckee nor Rus
seq Harrison are on speaking terms with
their step-mOther to be and both have in
| terposed an earnest, though dignihed, op-
position to the proposed marriage
This opposition arises, they insist, not
from any dislike of their father marry
ing second time. but solely from a feel
ing that circumstances connected with the
history of the acquaintance which leads
to 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 authority
/ is as undeniable as would be that of Ben
/ jamin Harrison himself, is given below.
| Much of detail that would be interesting
| is suppressed because its publication
1 would serve no good purpose but as
matter of justice to the children of the
| ex-president and to forestafl 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 plain, authoritative statement
/ of the facts should be made at once
In the first place, it should be stated
| that Mrs. Dimmfck's character as a wo-
| man is in no way involved in this matter.
| That she has exercised over the expires
| ident an influence which interfered with
/
| he permitted and encouraged that influ-
ence is the most serious charge involved.
The trouble really began before Har-
| rison's election. During the excitement
of the campaign in 1SSs, Mrs. Harrison,
| at the suggestion of her sister, Mrs.
Scott-Lord. invited her niece, Mrs. Dim
mick, to Indianapolis. Mrs. Dimmick, it
is said, was in very low spirits at that
| time, and the idea was that the life
and excitement there would divert her
mind and improve her health.
/ Mrs. Dlmmlck at once began to take a
| 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 way
| of getting Mrs. Dimmick out of the fam
When the family was settled in the
white house matters became constantly
| more difficult. Mrs. Dimmick gained
! steadily more influence over the President
in family matters. Mrs. Harrison suf-
| fered what she considered We're indigni-
ties. Mrs. Mckee and Russell Harrison
| sided with their mother. The President
! stubbornly insisted that they were fool
ishly and causelessly jealous.
Mrs. Dtmmicks mother died and the
restrictions of the mourning period de-
| prived here of outside companionship and
threw her more than ever into the COM
| pany of the President
| Finally Mrs. Dimmick was given to I'M
| derStand, through a relative, that her con-
tinued residence in the white house was
! pealed to the President and he refused
to consent TO her departure under such
| circumstances
| The quarrel between the President and
| Mrs. Harrison became critical That IL
! did not become public was due to her
| own good sense and the efforts of her son
| and daughter, who were Mortified at the
/ prospect of white house scandal
| Matters were adjusted somehow bur
| there continued 10 be unpleasant frfc-
| ton until Mrs. HarrisOn's final illness be-
| gan. Mrs. Dimmick was installed by the
/ President as nurse Between her and Mrs
| Mckee, who also lived at the white house.
| there was a state of armed neutrality
until the death of Mrs. Harrison ended
] the strain.
Mrs Harrison had endeavored. durine
/ his illness. to bring about a pleasanter
| state of affairs in the family, and for a
| time her work seemed to be successful
/ 1t is understood that one basis of the
| compromise was that no such event as
| that about to take place would be con-
| sidered.
| Mrs. Dimmick continued to live in the
] white house. After the Presidents term
1 ended, Mrs. Mckee returned to Indiana
| polls to prepare her fathers home for his
| permanent residence. Mrs Dimmiclx
/ quickly disappeared. As soon as she
/ could, without attracting comment Mrs
| Mckee left. and she and her husband
| have since made their home elsewhere
summer Mr. Harrison foolx q