The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-07-30

WEDDING WAS
| b|G HOAX

Chicago, Ill. July 3o.-Under the caption
'The Greatest Newspaper Fake OF the
Century" a Western paper publishes
story OF unusual interest where IAN OBJ
scure government clerk In St Louis has
fooled the press Of the United States and
Europe wit hthe hoax of the 'centenarian
wedding and reunion OF people more than
80 years of age" John B. Bundren. Jr..
is the person in question. and the scheme
which gave him such widespread publicity
concerned the wedding OF one John H.
Bundren. aged l0l years. to Miss Rose
Mcclure. aged 100. which was TO take
place at Tate Springs, Tenn, on Aug 20
Of this year.
| According TO the first story sent out, this
| old couple were lovers 80 years ago In
Tennessee, but as Miss McGuire's parents,
who had come from England. did not ap-
prove of the match they moved back ana
took her with them. Before she left, how
| ever, she plighted her troth TO John un-
der a tree at Tate Springs, and he vowed
that some day he would bring her back
| and wed her on that selfsame spot Then
he went TO California with the forty-
miners, became a millionaire ana, return
| ing TO Tennessee, invested In rich lands
grown into a city of over 200 Inhabitants
and not more than 10 miles from a rail-
| road"
Eighty years passed and year ago
Bundren decided to celebrate his 1Olst
birthday with a grand reunion OF all per-
sons more than 80 years OF age around
the scored spot where he had kissed Rose
MCGUIRE good so long ago. His plans,
including the important detail that he
would pay all expenses, were announcer
in the newspapers and one OF them ieii
into the hands OF Rose In England. she
wrote to John, reminding him OF his vow
OF so years ago, and John replied that,
as the celebration was in her honor any
way. IT would be only proper for her to
come on and be the star" OF the occasion
by marrying him.
Meantime announcements OF the propos-
ed reunion had been printed all over the
world. in which Bundren, however, had
taken the precaution TO say that his aged
relative had gone TO England to get his
prospective bride. This saved him from
being annoyed by inquisitiye reporters.
few days later further announcement was
made that John b. Bundren, Jr., OF S4So
Eads avenue, St. Louis, clerk In the
United States Army Medical Supply De-
partment, and a grandnephew OF old Mr..
Bundren. had been appointed best man for
the wedding and intrusted with all It's de-
tails After a little while acceptances
| from persons more than 30 years old be-
gan TO come I'm and the acknowledgements
OF these contained the suggestion that, as
Mr.. Bundren meant to commemorate tho
event In a souvenir book, photographs and
| answers TO a long list of questions en-
closed in the acknowledgements should
| be sent along.
| There was a saving clause. however 20
| the effect that no arrangements for the
| trip should be made before July Is. las no
ell rl,nt faQ
pie 10 old on such a long and hazardous
Journey" meaning the return from Eng
land of the ancient Bundren and his coy
| sweetheart. In another portion of the
letter II was also set forth that none
of our immediate family died of disease,
all having been killed through accident.
etc." which. says the newspaper. indi-
Gated that young Brunden had everything
arranged for a long distance killing off OF
his yenerated relative a. few days before
| tho We dding.
| Next came the information from Bun
dren, Jr., that his grand-uncle had au-
| thorized him to select the most beauti-
ful lady in America" as bridesmaid, ana
a "bsauty contest" was promptly begun.
Young women all over the country hur-
| Rod their photographs and data concern
| ing themselves to young Mr.. Bundren
He afterward informed the newspapers
| that he had received 1000 OF these, and he
trsctlve OF the photographs. with accom-
panyins information, published. Then he
announced that more than 300 aged per-
sons would attend the reunion; that old
Mr.. Bundren and his lady love were about
| to sail on the MinnetonlSa, accompanied
| b. Mark Twain, who had promised to
| give the bride away-not In regard to her
age-and that President Roosevelt had
been invited to attend and had irtimated
| that he would.
Incidentally he also produced letter
pI-porting to have come from the aged
man in which it was said that King Ed
ward had asked to have the wedding take
place i'm his palace. In view OF the fact
that nobody could be found who had ever
seen the ancient Bundren this was a little
too much. and a reporter sent out on an
investigation found Bundren, Jr.. who in
sisted that everything would come off as
scheduled, and, OF course, easily discov-
cred that Mr.. Bundren was asromancer.
Then came the question of motive. This.
too, was easy. Bundren's object was 10
publish a book on longevity. to contain all
the photographs he had received and the
answers to the questions he had pro-
pounded. The scheme proved SO success
full that he launchel the beauty contest
with the idea of getting out another book
on The Beautiful Girls OF the United
States" OF course. there was no ancient
Bundren and no Miss MCGUIRE. and IL was
his purpose to keep these mythical old
folks I'm England until the latter part OF
July. when he would set news OF terri
BILE accident I'm which the old man had
been killed Rose subsequently, to die OF
broken heart.
In point of fact, when the Minnetonka
arrived and the old lovers were not
aboard Bundren answered a newspaper
query with the statement that they had
been detained by an accident. and next
day came letter containing the dire
news"
The story will enlighten many victims
of young Mr. Bundren's imagination, be-
cause there isn't any bridegroom there
isn't any bride, and there isn't going To
be any Grand Wedding OF Centenarians
and Reunion OF old People over Ninety at