The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-22
BLESSING AWAITS
CARUSO AND BRIDE
Miss Benjamin's Father Re-
fused Consent to Wedding,
but Will Forgive Them.
ELOPEMENT IS ADMITTED
Honeymoon to Be Passed at
Hotel Because Of Singers
Movie Work.

The marriage of Miss Dorothy Park
Banjamin and Enrico Caruso took place
without the knowledge of Miss Benja-
rims parents and after Caruso's request
for permission to marry the young lady
had been refused last Fri lay by Park
benjamin, Miss Benjamin's father. at
the Benjamin summer home at Spring
Lake. N. ].
Caruso had been spending the week
ends at the Benjamin cottage at Spring
Lake since the middle of July, and left
there within a short time after his pres
ent wife's father informed him he could
not marry the young woman. Miss Ben
jamln remained at Spring Lake over
Sunday. on Monday she Informed her
parents she was coming to New York.
Since then they have heard nothing
from her or Mr.. Caruso directly. but
were II ed Of the marriage over the
tel j.. one by some one" about IL o'clock
Tuesday night, several hours after
Caruso and Miss Benjamin, protesting
that the latters parents were aware OF
the ceremony. hurried to the Marble
Collegiate Church and were married by
the Rev Oliver Paul Barnhll.
The brides father fatty contradicted
the repeated statements of Caruso's sec
rotary that Miss Benjamin's family
when he was found by reporters at his
Spring Lake place last night.
why He Refused Consent.
"Caruso asked last Friday for per-
mission to marry my daughter. Mr..
BENJAMIN said, land / refused because
Of the great difference in their ages, the
difference in the nationalities but prin-
cipally because Caruso is great artist
and therefore temperamental.
Furthermore. to my knowledge. they
have known each other only since last
December. At any rate, Mr.. Caruso
has been calling only since that time.
My daughter goes about a great deal
and may have met him before, but !
think not. Mr.. Caruso and | parted
very amicably and l dismissed 1t from
my mind
ION Monday my daughter informed
me she was going to town. Last night
at II o'clock some one telephoned me
that my daughter and Mr.. Caruso had
been married 1t was a surprise to me.
and for that reason no member of my
family attended the ceremony. If we
had known about it most certainly some
one would have attended.
Mr.. Caruso and my daughter are not
children. It is their own affair and not
ours. But believe IL they had not been
in such n hurry things might have
worked out differently"
Plainly. Mr. Benjamin and the menu
bers of his family were shocked by the
unexpected announcement of the elope-
ment When the interview started Mr..
Benjamin exhibited a great deal of ner-
vousness lie was asked whether he
had heard directly either from his daugh-
ter or from her ger-husband and he
replied he had not
To an inquiry whether, If they were
to run down to Spring Lake before
starting on their honeymoon, they would
be welcome. he replied that he was not
the only member of the Benjamin fam
lily, AMI that he could not speal; for the
other relatives of the bride. Finally.
however. he said that of course they
Would be welcome. whenever tn. 'ap-
pened to arrive at the Benjamin home.
They Arc stu Mt Hotel.
In the meantime Mr. and Mrs. Caruso
still remained in the tenor's suite at the
Knickerbocker Hotel. TO which they hur-
red Immediately after the unahnounced
ceremony, which was performed late
Tuesday afternoon. Apparently Mr..
Caruso still was wrapped in the great
wave of emotion which ne said overcame
him Tuesday. evening. for he announced
again yesterday that he could not pos
sibly bear up under the ordeal Of an in
tervlew and sent his ever faithful secre-
tary TO see the reporters and other call
ers. The bride kept herself entirely out
of sight. and far as could be learned
has not left the hotel
The secretary announced that in any
event the Caruso honeymoon would be
spent at the knickcrbocker. The mar
rage came just after he had completed
his first appearance in n motion pic
ture film, and it has been announced
that he must enter upon the making of
his second film almost immediately.
For that reason, the secretary eX-
planned, il will be impossible for Mr.
Caruso and his bride to leave the city
and their honeymoon will necessarily
he spent at the hotel. with perhaps a
week end trip somewhere nearby.
Earlier in the day John s. Keith,
whose wife accompanied Miss Benjamin
on Tuesday to the church. also insisted
that his wife's statement of the day be-
fore that Mr. Benjamin must have
known of his daughters intention to
marry was correct. He repeated the
statement several times yesterday 1t
was even said that Mr.. benjamin had
talked to Mr. Keith over the telephone
and expressed regret that his illness"
had made il impossible for him to come
on from Spring Lake to attend the Cere-
mony.
Another reason advanced for the
secrecy that attended arrangements for
the wedding was the fact that Miss
Benjamin's brother, Romeyn Park Ben
jamn, was wounded in France recently
for the second time and still is in a
hospital there.