The sun., 1902-11-29
BURNS GIRL WEDDING ROW.
MOTHER or 4 WITNESS CALLS
on MINISTER TO EXPLAIN.
He says That lie Didn't Know the Persons
Tic Was Marrying ana Regrets the
Mistake-Brldegroom Has an Evil
necOrd-In Prison for Forgery Once.

| He says That lie Didn't Know the Persons
Tic Was Marrying and Regrets the
Mistake-Bridegroom Has an Evil
Record-In Prison for Forgery Once.
Florence Burns. who was arrested after
the murder OF her lover. Walter Brooks,
in the Glen Island Hotel, was married on
"wednesday evening to Charles W. Wildrick.
in the study Of the Collegiate Reformed
Church in West Thirty-fourth street by
the Rev. John H. Elliott. wildrick has
selved term in prison for passing q
foIged check.
Mr.. Elliott says that he did not know
the Burns girl or the man whom she married
until yesterday morning, and that il he
had known he might have refused to per-
form the ceremony. As 1t was, he ex-
pressed great regret because Of two young
members OF his church. who at his request
acted as witnesses. They were James w
Cromie Of 21l West Twenty-third street
and Miss Edith Marriani, a stenographer,
who lives with her mother at 33l West
lWenty-iourth street. Mrs. Marriani went
to the minister yesterday and demanded
an explanation.
The minister's story IL that the Burns
girl and Wildrick, who is the son of the late
Lieut.. Col. A. c. Wildrick, L. $. A.. went
to his house on Wednesday evening and
learned that he was at the PRAYER meeting
linen they drove around TO the church
and were shown into the minister's study
until the service was over.
asked them If they had any witnesses. Z"
said Mr.. Elliott, -and they said no. Thew
seemed to be two respectable young people
desiring TO get married, 30 | went down
stairs and asked the first two young people
l saw If they would act as witnesses. They
agreed. All they did, of course, was TO
stand and look on and then sign their names
TO the certificate.
Il asked Wildrick how long he nad known
the girl. He said for some tine. Then I
asked II either had been married before,
and he said no. When such answers are
made / always consider it an impertinence
to ask any more on those lines. The young
man gave his age as 81, and the girl as %. |
think. They both signed their names in
the proper manner. and the only thing l
did notice was that they were very cool
and self-possessed
The girl signed her name Florence Wal
lace Burns After they left Miss Marr,ani
looked at the names and remarked that il
would be funny if the girl was Florence
Burns. | recalled the case, but as Miss
Marriani said she had never heard that
Florence Burns had middle name con-
cluded that 1t couldn't be she.
i ieel very badly about this affair, not
because l think l did anything wrong
but because ! know it will be distasteitl
all around. Another thing | feel sorry
for is the fact that the witnesses have had
to have their names linked to this case
But how was TO know. | certainly do no,
think did wrong in asking them"
When Mrs. Marrianl called for an ex-
planation MIR. Elliott explained 10 her that
he thought Wildrck and the Burns girl
were young couple whom he expected
to marry that evening by appointment
and about whom he knew
MIR. Elliott said that had he known who
g hese two persons were he would not have
thought OF asking us said Miss Marriani
later
This thing is terrible and don't know
what TO do Mother is all upset and can't
Elliott now that he has explained how il
happened. I'm sure he did not want to
get us in trouble
Neither Wildrick nor the young woman
gave any other address than New York.
and no one could be found Yesterday who
knew where they were. Her father, Fred
Burns, would not say whether the mar
rage was a surprise 10 him Apparently
it was. The girl and Wldricl have known
each other for some time, but did not ln-
come friends until after the AFFAIR which
lanH"d Wildrick in prison.
HIS arrest was for passing worthless
check on the Hotel Gerard for a board bill
of 1910 for himself and Mablc Strong. The
girl was the daughter of a well-to-do Cl,ve-
land man and had come TO this CITY with
Wlidrick. She died of consumption, but
not long before her death got up from her
sick bed and went To intercede for her
lover when she heard of his arrest. Wildrick
was committed to the penitcntiarv. His
army friends al Fort Wads worth raised
some money and he got out, He was said
TO have been a rival of Brooks for the Burns
CIR! : affections at one time.
Nildrick tells remarkable stories of his
own career and refers to himself as a
modern d Artagnan.' These are some Of
the things he saws he has done: Saved c. p.
Huntington from a serious fall: shot and
Killed two Mexicans who held up a train;
fought a duel with the brother of the woman n
proprietor Of hotel which he managed
and escaped uninjured (so did the other
man; planned a double elopement in Chi
cago. but failed to carry out his part of the
bargain: W. A. Cocklcy of York, Pa ., once
named him As correspondent in a sui, for
divorce from Mrs Cockley.