The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-27
NEGRO CYCLETUT0R
SECRET MARRIAGE OF A FELL-To-
DO WILLIIMSBU RG WIDoW.
Mrs. ,. c. Provost Tame 70 New York in NO
Venber and Was Married to ,. A. Guitar.
n Negro. Who Taught Her TO Cycle. BY the
Rev. MIR. Sill OF 81, Chrynoatou,a Chapel.

n Negro. who Taught Her 10 CJcie. By the
Rev. MIR. Sill OF 81. Chrysoston's Chapel.
The marriage Of q well-to.do woman OF Will
liamsburg, related by marriage to one of tho old
esC and bestknown families OF that part OF
Brooklyn. to james A. Guitar, a negro instructor
in the art OF riding n bicycle, was made known
yesterday. The emo was performed in the
clergy room OF st. Uhry sostom's Chapel Trim
fly parish), Seventh avenue and Thlrty.ninth
street, on Nov. 20. 1896. by the Vicar Of the par
ish. Father Thomas Henry Sill.
The only witness was Louisa Lewis, n colored
woman who happened to be Mt tho church on
another erranu when Mr.. Guitar and Mrs.
Provost came to bc. married. After tho core
mODy Guitar gave Mrs. Lewis 81. 30 she snys,
aud she has seen neither him nor his wife from
that day 10 this, nor indeed does she remember
that he was u negro. Tho marriage was Kept
'eSTst; ht,o ,or o,mo.. , ro,r Mr.. cu,,or ,,.
has been living first with her own family and
proyosts, of lac Hewes street, Williamsburg.
Her trst h~Taband was John $. Provost. the son
OF John L. Provost. WILLIAMSBURG big lumber
ntcechant. From, the time they, sailed FIR Eu,
rove on their wei1in trip until her husband
Summer of ls95. there was no misunderstanding.
~. between them. On young Provosts death
by John c. Provost. The alnoInt was said yes
terday to he nearly 500. 600. but Il sister OF John
:. Provost told n SUN reporter Yesterday that
the amount was not one-tentn as lorgc.
Mrs: Guitar. before her marriage to Provost,
was Minnie C. Demond. She is the daughter OF
the late George W. Dcmond, who lived ut $40
Bedford avenue in no mean style.
Less than a year after her bereavement. the
is said. that she bought her wheel Of AioSSnder
sehwaioach says she did not and that she
did not learn TO ride in his cycle school.
taught by Guitar. Who was known in Gwi.
the "specklcd beauty" Owing to q peculiarly
of his complexion. He is IA man OF smooth and
Carolina. lie taught Mrs. Provost to ride and
then accompanied her US n guard. 1t Is not un.
usual to see n White woman riding, unst,adiiy
through the street with a negro teacher running
OF riding behind. That Mrs. Provost had Guitar
.oilow her all the way to C,oney Island and for
| seem 10 her friends anything more than . we'll
to-do woman'B whim.
The only persons who knew of the marriage
il November were the two most interested,
Father GIN and tho witness, Louisa Lewis;
Father Gill was seriously iii yesterday, and
could not lie reached by a message. The Rev.
:. :. Mitchell. the wears Lrst assistant. knew
nothing OF this lnrticular marriage.
mon n' than most pcopIs Know. We are most
conservative in solelnnizing such marriages
and we are bound to have such applications"
Mr.. and Mrs. Cutlar did not announce their
marriage and have not announced IT since:
said that they are living on Long Island. lmme-
diatcly after the marriage the bride went back
to her parents home. The gossip over her
negro escort on all her bicycle trips increased
until the family became sensitive on The subject.
Last spring the Demonds went to Piattsburg.
y. y. Whether hey had an inkling OF the truth
about the caughters alliance with Guitar Is not
known. But Mrs. Guitar did BOT go With them.
April, Guitar was employed by the Schwal6ach
| haG been said that Mrs. Guitar bought her wheel.
Alexander sehwaleach. the proprietor Of the
tons about Guitar 10 q prepared statement
which be turns over to all inquirers; Here IL is:
weeks ]s'h In A. Ami TI'e Of t MS y ie our a sm t 3 days sEr t aft.p
cycle here for storssS, l learned Liter in April
ing during Guitars luncheon hour. 1 inyes,
tiSatGu The matter personally. and found 1t to
be true. 1t was a direct violation OF the
rules OF the company for anJ employee to have
j Immediately discharged Guitar. On the day
following l asked Mrs. Provost to step into our
% %isS han anH sh ! t reinor iSi Ssr Bicycle es, an rns eii ie Ts IRONY as
our establishment. She desired to know the rea-
sna, and i declined to inform her. simply stating
comply with il. She left the office. removed
her bicycle and 1 have not sc n her since. My
protection OF our establishment and our patrons,
the majority OF whom are women Of means and
social slanci Z In the community. Foe nearly
twenty years we have employed only colored
help in our instruction department in order to
tween our patrons and instructors. Nearly al!
OF our instructors are married men and some OF
them have been In our employ from four 10 six
years.
IF nally I wish to repeat most emphatically
that I never saw Guitar or the woman he Is said
to have married before the time of which /
speak. 1 haven't S en- them since and know
nothing whatever about them" ,
Within a FEW weekst the Provost family learned
OF the marriage. As a result OF the discovery
Mrs. Guitar left. the house. They did not feel.
ore OF them said yesterday, that the family
name had been disgrscet because one who bore
1t had married a negro; She was no blood rela-
tive OF theirs, and the had disowned her.
For the rest" said Mrs. Guitars sister-in-
law. the story as II is being told is true, except
mat tho woman is not worth anything like
SlOO.OOO. Nowhere near. She may be worth
$4,000. Her own father left her some money"
1t was learned that the Provosts want very
much to find out where Mr.. and Mrs. Guitar
hs ve gone. A little boy. a son OF nor former
husband, IL with them and tho Provosts feel
that his fathers people have u moral right to
insist TINT he shall he brought up in such an
environment as e would have pleased the
father to provide had he lived.