The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-07
THEIR VOWS IN WRITING
DIR. HAMILTON, AGED A., UNITED TO
SARAH X. LIsK, AGED 75.
She Is Also Very Deaf-Mysterious
Wedding at White Ribbon House
Groom from Illinois.

The White Ribbon House, at the corner of
Ohio and Meridian streets, is a quiet es-
tablishment that enjoys a respectable pat
ronage. Among the guests of the house
as in all boarding places-is a considerable
number of women. While these cannot be
properly termed ''gosspy," they are all af-
fiicted with reasonable degree of curiosity,
which in the last twenty-four hours has
been sorely tried.
There was wedding at the White Ribbon
yesterday morning at 1920 o'clock. The
groom was handsome and well dressed and
gave his age as forty-two. The bride is
much older, and this is what set the fem
mime tongues to wagging On the hair of
the bride the frosts of seventy-five winters
have set their seal. The entire affair is sur
rounded with a mystery that has well-nigh
thrown the guests of the White Ribbon into
a fever. According to the marriage license,
the parties to the strange match are Hen
ry Hamilton and Sarah X. Lisk' The lat
ter has lived at the White Ribbon House
for the last two months. The guests of the
place have been unable to find out much
about her. She had been reticent concerning
her affairs and has kept her room much of
the time. Mrs. Clark, the landlady un-
derstood her elderly guest came from the
State of New York, and that she was
widow. She is reported to have property
worth about $4,000. Ever since Mrs. Lisk
came to the White Ribbon there has been
considerable curiosity about her among the
other inmates of the house. She is woman
of most striking appearance Her hair is
long and snow white, while on her upper lip
is a dark growth of hair that many a youth
would be proud to own as a mustache. The
woman is entirely deaf and has to be COM
municated with by means of a pencil and
paper. She is refined in manner and speech,
and has been highly esteemed by Mrs. Clark
and her family.
HE HAD TWO NAMES.
Hamilton came to the White Ribbon
House about two weeks ago. The people
there say he was known as Lamb until
yesterday. He was apparently acquainted
with Mrs. Lisk. He held several confabs
with her, and from his statement and one
or two assertions of Mrs. Lisk it was under
stood he was looking after her business af-
fairs. Lamb, or Hamilton, remained in
town two or three days. While here he
told Mrs. Clark he was protecting Mrs.
Lisk from her relatives in New York. He
said they were trying to get hold OF her
property. He also told Mrs. Clark he was
a practicing physician of Joliet, Ill. Two or
three days after the man left Indianapolis
postoffice order. She requested her land
lady to go with her to the postohnce, as IL
was necessary that she be identified before
cashing the order. On the way to the Of
flee Mrs Lisk made the startling announce
ment that she was to be married to the
Joliet physician. She said the happy event
would take place in a few days. Yesterday
morning the groom came to the city again
and called early at the hotel to see Mrs
Lisk Between and 10 O'Clock he went out
to procure the marriage license, accom-
panied by Edward Bamberger, who has an
Office in the Fitzgerald building. Bamberger
claims to be Hamiltons attorney. About
1890 o'clock the groom returned with Bam-
berger and a young man whom the people
at the White Ribbon understood was a Chi
cago lawyer. few minutes later Justice
of the Peace LOckman arrived.
In the meantime the women of the house
had learned there was to be a wedding in
the parlor, and that Mrs. Lisk was soon to
be bride. The women hocked to the apart
ment from all quarters of the house and
they found the parlor full of unbidden
guests. This was not to the liking OF the
groom, and he requested that the parior
sion of curious femininity that filed out of
the door a moment or two later
SHE WROTE THE RESPONSES.
AS the wedding was about to proceed,
Mrs. Clark started into the parlor. The
groom intimated that he had sufficient
number of witnesses, and did not require
the presence of the landlady. Mrs. Clark,
however, declared she proposed to see the
ceremony performed, and walked in. The
nuptials then proceeded. All questions
necessary to the ceremony were written on
paper and handed to Mrs. Lisk The brides
responses were made in the same way. 1t
was singular ceremony throughout. Ham
ilton left his bride shortly after she be-
came his own. He said it would be neces-
Sary for him to return to Joliet on the noon
train. 1t is understood his wife is to meet
him in Chicago on Wednesday of this week.
Before leaving the house Hamilton spoke
to Mrs. Clark concerning the name of
Lamb which ne had given the first time
he came to the city. He said his right
name was Hamilton. On the house register
Mrs. Lsks address is given as Valley Mills,
N. Y. The people Of the house have been
able to talk but little with her, partly be-
from the fact that she is deaf that one
cannot make themselves heard when speak
ing to her. Occasionally it has been neces-
sary to shy some article through the tram
som in order to attract her attention. An
employee of the house says the elderly bride
is totally oblivious to all noise or pounding
at the door, So greatly disturbed were the
women over the unusual event of yesterday
that it is said they delegated one of their
number to go to the county clerks office
and see If a license had really been issued
Mrs. Hamilton had nothing to say about
her matrimonial affair yesterday, but took
it all in a matter of fact way. She came
down to the dining at supper time,
spent a half hour in the parlor after sup
per and then retired to her room.