The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-30
The Ceremony Is Witnessed by
Less Than 50 Persons.
ILLNESS OF THE BRIDEGROOM
Prevented the Elaborate Affair
That Had Been Planned.
The Young MilliOnaire's Step.
mother Was Not Present.

Staatsburg, N. Y, April 30.-Wil-
Ham Vincent Aston, aged %. son of
the late Col John Jacob Astor. and
Miss Helen Dinsmore Huntington,
aged 20, whom he has known since
childhood, were married here shortly
after noon today in the big old IL
brary of the Hopsland house. home of
the brides parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Robert P. Huntington. Less than fifty
persons witnessed the ceremony and
Of these. three were the superintend-
ents from the Astor, the Huntington
and the Dinsmore estates, respective
~. The other guests were relatives
and close friends of the families.
Plans had been made for an elab-
crate church wedding. but Mr.. AS
tors recent illness. which threatened
pneumonia, made necessary the aban-
donment of these plans. Eighteen
hundred wedding announcements were
sent out after the days ceremony, but
the small company that witnessed 1t
had been invited by informal notes.
penned by Mrs. Huntington's secre-
tary.
A fine rain was falling when the
few guests from New York City ar
rived at the 4OO-acre Huntington
cStdtC. udO Occu pOStcu dl TIC
entrances and only those whose Gre
dentials were unquestioned were adj
mitted. Mr.. Astor himself is a deputy
sheriff of Dutchess county and some
of his fellow deputies acted as senti-
nels at the gates.
AstOr's Recent Illness.
Until a week ago the young heir to
the vast Aston estate-valued at from
$75.00O.OOO to 100000, con-
HE
residence. While visiting his fiancee
a month ago he became seriously i'll
with an abscess on the lungs. and for
a time there was talk of pOstpOning
the wedding. Yet. although his ply
sicians permitted him to go outdoors
for the first time only four days ago.
young Aston insisted that there should
be no delay.
Green foliage and spring flowers
from the Huntington Conservatives
and from New York hung everywhere
throughout the rooms of HOpeland
house. Miss Huntington entered the
room on the arm of her father. At
her throat cleaned a necklace of
pearls. the gift of the bridegroom Her
gown was of white tulle, with a train
of white satin. Her lace veil had been
worn by her grandmother, Mrs. Ding
more. and by her mother before her.
The Attendants.
Hermann Oelrich of New York. an
old friend of Vincent Aston, was best
man. Miss Alice Huntington, sister OF
the bride, acted as maid of honor. and
the little Misses Muriel Aston and Mar
garet BOWS were flower girls. The
two children were prettily CARRIED In
corn colored chiffon and dotted net.
with blue sashes. Small flowers
wreathed their hats and each carried
an old fashioned bouquet.
Mrs. Robert Huntington, the brides
mother, wore blue taffeta and chiffon.
A screened orchestra Of twenty pieces
played the Lohengrin wedding march
and the Rev. Charles H. Duncan, rec
tor of St. Margarets church, Stats
burg, read the Episcopal marriage
service. When the pair had knelt be-
fore him and had risen man and wife,
the wedding party assembled in the
"lOng ROOM adjoining the library
where a wedding breakfast was served
Mrs. Ava Willing Aston. mother OF
the bridegroom, was among the guests
The young widow of Colonel Aston, al
though invited, was not present. She
is in the south. The Huntington fam