The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-10
JOHN JACOB
WEDS MADELINE
Asto AForce Wedding Has Been Per-
formed and the Honeymoon
Begins on Private
Yacht.
WAS BOUGHT
Preacher Found Who Was Willing to
Tie the Knot for tho Sake
Of tho Big

lGate City Leased Wire Serv1ce.]
NEWPORT, r. l.. Sept. 9.-Over-
coming every obstacle that beset
their endeavor to obtain ecclesiastical
benediction upon their union. Col
John Jacob Astor and his girl
bride, are tonight speeding down the
Atlantic seaboard on the Astor
yacht Mona They had not only
evaded an army OF newspaper men.
but they had succeeded in buying a
real clergyman's blessing and fled far
out of reach Of straight laced people"
as Col Astor termed those who criti-
cised his remarriage.
/ AS their guest at the beginning Of
the honeymoon cruise, the Astors had
the Rev. DR.. Joseph Lambert, Con-
gregational minister of Providence,
who braved the denunciation OF pull
pits from the Atlantic to the Pacific
and tied 1.-The knot that made the AZ
year old multi-millionaire and the
19-year-old Madeline Force man and
wife.
4 In Lambert's pocket there was
roll of Astor dollars variously esti-
mated between $1,000 and $4,000 and
in Providence there was an outraged
flock of parishioners and church Off
cers threatening ecclesiastical chas
tisement.
!, Well knowing that brigade OF re.
I. porters were laying for him with
| box full of why's" the clergyman
readily accepted Col. Astors invita-
, tion to accompany him on the yacht
and it was understood that during
5 the night Lambert would be quietly
I landed at a point where he could
i scurry back to Providence. unnoticed.
r After landing Lambert, the Noma
n will proceed to Parts Unknown,
q while on board Is probably Americas
r most celebrated honeymoon No dl-
. rect intimation of the yachts destina-
q ton was given, but it is understood
). she is bound for southern waters.
. The cruise will not be long one,
O however. despite the fact the Noma
Is coaled and provisioned sufficiently
4. for a trip around the world, for Col.
! Astor will have to return soon to
y defend a $4,000 lawsuit, unless the
10 happy bridegroom pays it off.
- The suit became known today when
"a right at the heighth of the wedding
80 excitement sheriff served the
i bridegroom with papers In the action
which is brought by Mrs. Bridget Gro
70 han to recover damages for the death
of her son, electrocuted last year
:, while at work at Astor's village.
-. Meanwhile, fashionable Bellevue
= Avenue is chuckling over Astor's lit
tie ruse in concealing the identity OF
- the officiating clergyman until after
the ceremony had been performed. II
- transpired that Edwin S. Straight
T. the Providence carpenter and former
~ clergyman who it was supposed
ls would act as joiner for the couple
" was really nothing but a decoy. sc
carefully had Astor concealed hls
~ plans. that not even Straight himsel
-. knew his intention and had no time
NV ito holler" before the wedding CAM
'' off. But he walled all right when HI
got home to Providence, Newpor
~, ns learned, and smiling scornfully oh
~ ~ served: Clever boy Jack Astor'
~ The Force family remained il
!, Newport until late thls Afternoon
w when they departed for New York.
-. was said
ia Hurt straiaht's Feelings.
PROVIDENCE. R. l.. Sept g.
e. Hurt and humiliated,' because h
he was told at the last minute his Sc
ia' vices would not be required, Edwin
ue' Straight, the aged but ambitious ca
penter-clergyman. who thought h
Ses was to have performed the Asto
90 Force marriage ceremony, returned
10, his home late today
uiu He did not attempt to conceal h
.he chagrin and declared the famous 81
ne 900 could not now compensate hi1
Cne for the injury to his feelings. He coul
10 not say why he was dispensed wit
ho' at the eleventh hour while waiting