The Washington herald., 1908-01-21
TAKES BRIDE AT 13G
But the Bride, Aged % Years
Refused to Blush.
SCANDAL FAILS TO MAR UNION
story that His Affinity Possesses a
Husband and Two Sisters i'm south
Does Not Disconccrt Aged Minister,
Who l. Proud Of Having Held
WasbingtOn's Horse at Yorktown.

New York. Jan. 20.-City Clerk seully
got the biggest surprise he has had since
he went into the marriage-Iicense busi-
ness. when an aged negro dressed in
clerical garb walked up to the desk this
afternoon with young negro woman
clinging to his arm and said he wanted
TO get a license just as soon as possible.
because he was in hurry 10 b5 mar
ried
Clerk Scully took no interest when the
old parson gave lis name as William
Brooks Mason and said he vas a clergy
man. but when on being asked his age
he said, Tn 13S years old and can
show YOU my Bible at home 10 prove it,
the city clerk dropped his pen In aston
Ishment
"T9is is a serious thing. rhc clerk
said You know you're under oaih.
Brother Mason, and if you don't tell me
the truth about your age. may refuse
to give you a license"
Say, brother" replied the clergyman.
how do you-al suppose I could have
held George Washington's horse at York
town if ! amt as old as I say ann"
The crowd Of waiting applicants began
to grow so large at this stage that Clerk
scuHy filled out the license and let it go
at that The woman gave her name as
Ella Hines. Of S. West l23d street. and
said she was twenty-eight years old.
Then the couple hunted up Alderman
James J. Smith and were married in
short order.
4 ScandaIous Tale.
News Of the aged minister's wedding
got TO the house of her brother. Daniel
Hines. with whom the bride has been
stopping for a few weeks before the
bride and groom did, and Mrs. Hines.
who was running the Mount Calvary
Union Baptist Mission in the front part
or on the second floor didn't appear
greatly pleased
SO she said her name was Hines. did
she?' Mrs. Hines said "Weu. she's got
no right to use that name. She's already
married, she is, and she's got "a husband
and two sisters down in Orangeburg.
S. c. I've been afraid she was trying to
get that old gentleman, and I've been
trying 10 tell him all about her. but I
didn't get a chance to correct him. NV
husband was going to tell him. too but
he's kind of slow going and didn't think
it was coming so soon.
Lord bless you. 1 don't know whether
Elder Mason is I3S years old. but he saws
he Is We didn't know him until two
weeks ago"
When Brother Hines arrived home from |
work late in the afternoon, he expressed |
himself in no uncertain terms about the
You just wait until | see
Elder Mason said Brother Hines.
He's a religious man. and [ know how
10 talk TO him about marrying my sister
when she's already got husband and
family III just get right behind him. and /
I'll just burn him up with my words"
Elder MnSOn'S Record,
The old preacher who locks like /
man Of about eighty. said /
that his mother married an Indian in |
Cuba. and that when he was young 'e |
went to Virginia with his father, who
was sailor. He happened to be in York
town when Gen. Washington was there.
and that's how it came about that he
held Washington's horse while he talked
with CornwalIls.
Elder Mason said he was in the ten
years war in Cuba, and was a sailor on
he gunboat Lancaster during the civil
war. He had an eye shot out on the
Lancaster. but he can see with his other
I'VE without the aid of spectacles. He
said that his father was 142 years old
when he died. his grandmother I43. and
his mother 13S. He smokes, but he said
hat the reason he is so husky at I3S is
hat he never takes anything with sugar
n it. and lives according to the teach
ngs of the Bible
1t is also said that the aged clergyman
Ised to be a policeman in Washington.