Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-27
CROKER MARRIES
INDIAN PRINCESS
In Typewriter Statement Bride
Traces Lineage to Chief Sc
quoyah and Norman Baron.
73 YEARS UNITED TO %
"Chief of Men" Title Given to Husband
by Wife, Whose Ancestors Fought
at Hastings Battle.

New York, Nov 27-Richard We'll
sted Crocker, retired chief of Tam
many, and Miss Buelah Benton Ed
mondson, a young singer poet and lee
turer, who numbers among her ances-
tors a Cherokee Indian chief and
Norman baron, were married yester-
day at the home of Nathan Straus, an
old friend of the bridegroom. Mr.
Crocker is 73 years old and his bride
23
Mgr. Henry A Brann of ST.
Agnes Catholic church performed the
ceremony. A nuptial mass at church
had been planned, but owing to the
brides nervous condition the house
wedding was substituted.
Mr.. Straus had it explained that
Miss Edmondson had been unnerved
by numerous telephone calls, answer
ing all in the erroneous belief that i'll
news concerning her mother was to be
impaired.
Calls Croker Chief of Men,
After the ceremony the bride, dis
cussing her lineage, turned to Mr.. !
Croker, who long was known as the |
"Chief'' OF Tammany Hall, and re-
marked:
at is the dearest ambition of every |
Indian girl to win chief, and / have |
won the chief of men,
A typewriter statement given out |
by the bride after the ceremony made
clear a good deal-o her life history,
which has been reported in many diff
ferent ways since knowledge of her
engagement became known. Some re-
ports had expressed doubt whether
she really was descended from In
dians. pointing out that she was
blond and fair. Others said maybe
she was one-quarter Indian.
Shows She Is Princess.
Others proclaimed her an Indian
princess. Her statement says the last
report correct, for she is known as
Princess Sequoyah or Ketaw Kalun-
-uchy, among her tribe.
Her father, the statement continued,
was Michael Smith Edmondson, de-
;cendant of Roger de Montgomery,
who commanded the van of the Nor
nan army at the battle of Hastings;
Ter mother was Galela Welch, who de-
;cended from the famous Chief Sc
luoyah, inventor of the Cherokee al
,habet.
"She is proud of her Indian ancestry
md the Cherokees are proud of her as
college girl, lecturer, ranch owner
md business woman the statement |
aid
Inspired BY Pocahontas.
Mr.. Croker first saw his bride in
q LID |
continues the statement; later he be-
anne interested in her zeal to make
Ter people better understood. Indian
iris inspired her in this work.
81 have been inspired" the brides ,
tatement concludes, "by the example
f Pocahontas, who did so much to !
make the English people understand s
ur race. Then there was Saccawagea, !
he Bird Woman who piloted the
.ewis and Clark expedition 5000 miles ,
nd made it a success. On the way ,
ack in crossing the Missouri her hus- :
and, a renegade Frenchman, upset }
he canoe carrying the records of the :
xpedition. She dived again and again !
ntil she saved all the valuable papers :
nd trophies. ;
"I also find inspiration in Talabina,
ne Cherokee maiden who helped Sam +
Iouston to free Texas"
Will Live In Ireland. y
The bride and bridegroom are on
lie way to the Croker estate near
aim Beach. Fla, for the honeymoon.
l April the couple will go to the
home in Ireland, where
e has resided for years, since his re- \
from political life in New 6
ork. T
Only about twenty-five persons were I,
vited to the wedding. The bride was q
ven away by her uncle, w. w. Hast f,
gs, recently elected to congress in n
klahoma and for Is years counsel for "
Ie Cherokee Nation. n
Mr. Croker was attended by Thomas h
Smith, secretary of Tammany Hall; n
ndrew Freedman and Mr.. Straus. a
Following the ceremony a breakfast
as served by Mr.. and Mrs. Straus. G