The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-01
TWICE A PRISON Err.
One of Gen. Kitchener and Now of a
Blushing Bride.
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
Providence, r. l.. Aug. 25.--The mar
riage of Frank Leontine Hicks and
Miss Viola Porter, which took place
yesterday, completes a pretty romance.
The wedding was to have taken place
on the 18th, but the illness of Thomas
D. Winsor, the bridegroom's best man,
caused a postponement.
Frank Hicks is the young man who
in order to prove to his fatherin- law
that he was worthy of the hand of
Miss Porter went through the Spanish
war and then enlisted on the Boer side
and fought in South Africa.
He was captured by the British and
sent as a prisoner of war to st. Helena.
He wrote touching letters to Lorl
Kitchener giving a straightforward,
manly conduct of himself. Lord Kitch-
ener at once ordered his release.
Hicks made his way home as quickly
as possible to claim his bride. but
found instead a queer state of affairs.
Having had no communication direct
from her lover and hearing through
other parties that he had been killed
in battle, Miss Porter had given up her
lover and had promised to become the
wife of Thomas d. Winsor, the close
personal friend of Hicks. Hicks arriv~
&c home two days before the time set
for the wedding.
Winsor at once gave up all claim to
Miss Porter and volunteered to act as
best man, which he did Directly after
the ceremony Mrs. Hicks wrote a let
ter to Lord Kitchener that is both gra-
cious and clever. II is as follows:
Gen. Lord Kitchener, Commanding
His Majesty's Forces in South
Africa:
MY Lord-A very grateful American
woman writes to convey her heartfelt
thanks for the kind and considerable
action which made it possible for her
to be the happiest woman in the Unit
ed States to-day.
Your former captive is now mine
Two hours ago was united in mar
riage to Frank Leontine Hicks, whom
you generously released from captiv-
ity in st. Helena. May God bless you
for that act.
My sympathies have been with the
unfortunate people with whom you
are at war-not that I know much of
the causes that led to such bloodshed
but because he who is now my hus-
band was fighting with them.
1T was natural, you will say, that
should pray for the success of their
answered l prayed that they might be
delivered from you, whom l read of as
a stern and implacable foe, unrelent-
ing, unmerciful.
MY husband has shown me how
greatly misjudged you, and had he not
said word to me, your generosity TO
him would have convinced me that you
are not the hard-hearted man you are
so often represented to be.
Il sincerely regret doing Your Lord
ship that injustice. and / desire you to
believe that no girl among your own
fair countrywomen could have a bet
ter opinion Of your nobility and good
ness than myself.
The fortunes of war took my hus-
band a prisoner TO that distant island
where generations ago your govern
ment imprisoned the illustrious Corsi-
can. and it would have been within
your rights to keep him there until the
South African troubles are over. Had
you done so / should never have been
his wife. 1t would have been too late.
But your lordship had a kind
for the American girl and the
American boy who had been taken in
arms against you and you acted on
the impulse of your generous heart.
If you could but know the happiness
and the JOY you have given and how
we appreciate il.
"Unimportant people like us cannot
your lordship's kindness.
but there is one little thing l can do
for you. I can insure you against any
further aggression on the part of Frank
Leontine Hicks.
1T is a small matter, of course. to
be secure from the attack of a mill
tary atom, but every little counts. al
though Mr.. Hicks says he was quite
useful in the business of rendering your
soldiers unserviceable.
His parole will never be broken. He
Is under my orders for life. He de-
clares that already my discipline is
more than he ever saw with the Beers,
so His Majesty, the King of England,
need not apprehend any further trou-
BILE from him. Thanking you again for
your goodness, l am, my lord. very
gratefully. Viola Hicks
"P. S.-Sir: Mrs. Hicks gratitude is
equalled by my own. On my wedding
day / am too fiustered to write letters.
but later / will have the pleasure of
expressing my thanks to your lordship.
F. L. Hicks"