The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-20
REV. DR. MOnGAN,s TROUBLE.


The Rev. DR.. Morgan, rector of the
Church of the Heavenly Rest, of New
York city, is having trouble in connec-
ton with a highly sensational and dra-
matte scene to which he was a party, and
which occurred in his church last We'd
nesday. AS already stated in the Morn
ing News DR.. Morgan, on that day, re-
fused to marry Mrs. Clio Hinton Hun
ecker to William B. Bracken The bride
and groom and the invited guests were in
the church. DIR. Morgan came forward
and announced that the wedding would
not take place in the church, but at Del
monico's.
1t is claimed by Dr. Morgan that he
did not learn that Mrs. Hunecker was a
divorced woman until just few min
utes before the time fixed for performing
the ceremony. His rule is to permit no
divorced person to be married in his
church. He had written to the bride
groom and asked him if Mrs. Hunecker
was a widow and the bridegroom had
informed him that she was. 1t was on
this information that he consented 90 of
fciate. He learned a few minutes be-
fore the wedding was TO take place that
he had been deceived.
1t seems that once before he had been
deceived. Three years ago he married a
California couple The bridegroom had
informed him that he had been divorced,
but that he was the innocent party I'm
der the law of the Episcopal Church the
marriage of an innocent divorced person
is permissible. 1t turned out that
the bridegroom was the guilty party
Thereupon DIR. Morgan decided that he
would not permit even innocent divorced
persons to be married in his parish.
The friends of the woman who was
turned away from Dr. Morgan's church
last Wednesday are by no means pleased
with DR.. Morgan's part in the affair
They are very prominent people, and It
seems DR.. Morgan was acquainted with
the bride and was on very friendly
terms with the groom, who is a very
wealthy man. The uncle of the bride
published a statement in last Fridays
papers in which he said thai he had told
DR.. Morgan all about his niece's divorce
no longer ago than three weeks Dr.
Morgan also published a statement on
the same day. in whic.s he reiterated his
previous statement, that he did not know
that Mrs. Hunecker had been divorced
until the wedding party had assembled
in the church,
1t is somewhat annoying of coune to
DIR. Morgan to have his statement ques-
toned II seems TO be evident, however.
that If he had been informed that Mrs.
Hunecker was a divorce the fact had
escaped his memory. Otherwise he would
not have written to Mr.. Bracken about
the matter on the day the ceremony was
to be performed.
There appears 10 be increasing opposi-
ton on the part Of ministers, particular
ly Episcopal ministers, to marrying d.
vorced persons, and 1t is a good sign that
there Is Divorces are becoming alto
gether too common. and II noe unfre-
quently happens that the gully party 10
divorce suit marries very soon after
the divorce Is granted. There have been
several such instances among widely
known people within the last year or two.
AS long as divorced persons suffer no loss
of social position the divorce evil win
increase. Ministers can do great deal
toward checking the evil.