The Washington herald., 1915-01-10
HE'S A BRIDEGROOM.
Even Though Smiling, Oscar Ham
merstein Is Married.
Guess who's the newest Broadwa
bride prOOD1t


Guess who's the newest Broadway
bridegroom!
| One guess only!
| A little short man who owns a theater
and a funny straight-brimmed hat, who
talks with somewhat foreign accent and
has blackishgray whiskers
quite right. None other than Oscar
| Hammerstein. impresario of everything
! from vaudeville up to grand opera. He
got married in a quiet little law office on
a dark Jersey City street on New Year :
Eve, just tbOut the time his beloved
FOrty-secOnd street and Broadway were
blazing and racketing with a welcome to
1915.
His bride was not a theatrical person.
In his siXty-twO years of life the pic
turesqUe producer has had all the trouble
with professionals that he wanted. She
was Mrs. Mary Emma Miller Swift.
thirty-two, wealthy in her own right and
formerly-until a divorce a couple of
years ago in White Plains-the wife of
Julian Walton Swift. a gay young rela-
tive OF the meat-packing Swifts OF Chi
cagO. Her first marriage was an elOpe-
ment, and so, virtually, was the affair OF
December 81.
1t was reported throughout the theatri-
Hammerstein was rather devoted to a
certain Mrs Swift. although at that time
it wasn't known just who she was. She
lived then in a hotel not a great way
from the Victoria Theater. and the owner
thereof spent a good bit of time about the
hotel, though he had not previously
cared much for such surroundings. 1t
was rumOred than that there was we'd
ding in prospect, but he vigorously denied
it.
He was not very candid yesterday
either The first heard of the marriage
was a report from Jersey City that on
December 90 he had obtained a marriage
license from City Clerk Michael ]. Fagin.
"Ach, you're always having me mar
ried You're always having me sued.
Whenever lawyers have nothing to do
they dig up somebody TO sue Oscar.
Whenever the reporters have no news
they find somebody to marry Oscar. Get
outr' he said to the first reporter who
went to the Victoria to ask him about
the wedding.
But the World learned later that on
New Years Eve he and Mrs. Swift slipped
over to Jersey City through the tube and
at the office of n friendly lawyer, Joseph
p. Farmer. Of No. Montgomery street,
were married by Police Judge John
Warren.
Even confronted with these facts Mr..
Hammerstein was not eager to own up.
IF 1 was married do you think 1
would be smiling?" he inquired with a
genial grin.
''Yes. at least while bridegroom Of
only a few days" was the retOrt.
He laughed.
well. you fellows have had me mar
ried so much that I'm afraid II 1 tell
you I'm married now I'll be arrested for
bigamy," he went on. You think you've
got Oscar caught this time. eh? Well,
say what you want. I don't care
The Hammerstein honeymoon Is be-
ing spent in the bridegroOm's big white
stone house at No. $50 st. Nicholas ave-
nue.. The couple went there immedi-
ately after the ceremony.
Arthur Hammerstein,- Oscars son. said
when asked about the wedding: Well!
And on New Years Ever' He seemed
genuinely surprised at the news.
Oscar Hammerstein's first wife died
five or six years ago. His son William,
who conducted the Victoria, died last
summer.
The present bride was the daughter OF
DR.. Henry Miller, of Syracuse. Her first
wedding was Swift affair in more ways
than one That was in 1903 Youns
Julian Swift. who had a reputation as
a Broadway spendeT, took her to Ho-
boken in an auto just twenty days after
he had met her. To persons who wit
messed that wedding he said: Tn broke.
I've run through a couple Of millions In
the last few years and I'm all through.
But my girl has half million OF her
own. so I guess we can get along.
Mr.. Hamrnerstein. II is believed. has a
comfortable fortune. though he has spent
much money in trying to give grand opera
here. in Philadelphia and in London
New York World.