Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-05
PRINCE AND HIS BRIDE
OFF FOR HOT SPRINGS
Parental Forgiveness Gained by
Elopers, Now on Their We'd
ding Journey.

Prince Ludovico Pignateili d'Aragon
and his runaway bride, who was Miss
Ruth Morgan Waters. society girl of this
city, New York and Palm Beach, are on
their wedding Journey to Hot Springs,
while Philadelphia fashionables, who
knew them we'll. are talking of the elope-
ment as they seldom have occasion to
talk.
In their words, 1t is one of the real
romances of real life" this marriage of
nobleman who claims relationship with
the King of SPAIN to a beautiful young
woman who flew in the face of her par
ents' wishes to become his wife and then
so smothered parental opposition with
smiles that father and mother say to in
terviewers today:
THE young people loved each other so
much that we just had to let them
marry"
These society folk are recalling, too,
that one of the Princess Pignatelli's sis
ters married a nobleman and that her
other sister made a runaway mating
two circumstances that Ruth Waters,
who Is Just % years old, combined yes
terday. Miss Dorothy Waters eloped
with Benjamin X. Gatlns, young New
IorN broker lving In Hampstead, l.. l.,
in 1912. The princess half-sister. Miss
Ellen Nixon VAIN, married Baron Jac-
ques de st. Marc. The father of the
baroness was the late Nicholas Vain,
from whom the present Mrs. Waters OBJ
tained a divorce,
1t was at the home of her sister. the
Baroness de st. Mare that Prince Pigna-
telli and Miss Ruth Waters met.
Then of the Prince himself there is much
to be said. Several years ago he stood
sponsor for an announcement that he was
to marry Miss Mary Duke, daughter of
11VfN In 10 n
manufacturer Miss Duke and her mother
at that time emphatically denied the re-
port, and last week announcement was
madc of the engagement of Miss Duke to
Anthony j. Drexel Biddle, Jr,, of this
city.
The Prince, who is 81 years old, was
born in Biarrtz. France. He claims re-
lationship with King Alphonso. The
Almanach de Gotha, under the family
heading of Pgnatelll, gives no record of
Prince Ludovlco Pignatelli d'Aragon. 1t
has been alleged that the Princes real
title Is Prince Pignatelli dAragona and
that the Aragona comes from the name
Of an unimportant town in Sicily. Ac-
curdingly, 1t Is said that whatever rank
the Prince has is not Spanish, and that
Prince Pignatelli has no relation with
the Spanish Aragon.
In 1912, the Prince came to this country
from Europe. He was detained at Ellis
lSlanu Tor snort time, on the grounu
that he had been accused of standing
behind a gambling house i'll Paris. He
has contributed to the maintenance of
Long Island hamets by paying fines for
automobile speeding.
He attracted considerable notice when
he was reported to have attempted sui
eide in his apartment in Paris. after. it
was said, he had been Tilted by Miss
Duke A revolver bullet was removed
from above his heart, and his life was
saved after several months In the hospi-
tai. At another time he was involved in
a quarrel in the lobby of a New York
hotel over a newspaper report that he
had gone horseback riding with one girl,
and after being thrown from his mount,
sought sympathy of another
Among his various distinctions. Prince
Pignatelli is credited with being the first
man in America to wear a feather in
his hat.
G. Jason Waters and his family lived
in the Flanders Hotel when their resi-
dence was in this city. After leaving
here they divided their time between New
York and Lakewood, taking a summer
home in Red Bank. n. j.