New-York tribune., 1919-11-09
Wedding Day Near,
Message Tells of
Brideggroom's Deatl,
Reported Victim of Accident
at French Lick. but In
quiry Fails to Show That
Auto smash-Up Occurred

Miss Sophie Loderhouse. plans for
whose wedding next Tuesday we're COM
plete, is nervous wreck under the
care OF phys clan at her home. 1447
Dean Street BROOKLYN. To the shock
Of announcement that her fanc6 had
net dea h IN an automobile accident
has been added q mystery concerning
his identity and deep dis,rust on the
part Of some Of her friends of her
millionaire bridegroom.
They mot last winter. Miss Loder-
house Informed her friends that tho
in-roduc, cn was madc by the sister Of
her faYce whom she met a, partv in
Brootlvn. The young man was Of dis
Nnruishcd appearance, evident educa-
1'oN a09 "orH alwavs the uniform of
an officer Of the navy medical corps.
IL was known as DR. A William Hoff-
man ir., and called three times at Miss
I.oderhouse's home. once bringing man
who. he 81 d. was his father, DR.. A.
" liann Hoffman sr., former Brook
iyn physician whose home now is in
Pasadena. Calf. he said and who main
taned slso an estate at Millbrook. n. y.
The acquaintance OF the young man
and the young woman developed mostly
however through long-distance tele-
phone calls, letters and gifts. Some
times, according to Miss Loderhouse's
sister. Emily. SOPHIE would be at the
TELEPHONE FOR an hour at time talking
VIII Or. Holman She received candy
and jewelry from him by mail, some Of
the parcels bearing the postmark of
Pasadena.
Many Letters and Gifts
The engagement was announced last
March Since thei Mss Loderhouse
has been wearing q four-c carat solitaire
Elaborate plans We're made for the
wedding at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Street. Brooklyn. Miss Loderhous sc
argued with the pastor, the Rev. DR.
john c. Holthausen, to have four
nro iectins pews shortened so that the
passage up the aisle would be unob-
s.ructed.
Her Aanc6. she said, had authorized
her 70 arrange for q gift of q $50 600
ORGAN TO the church, and she thought
shat n view of that the Improvement
mieht he made in time for her we'd
ding Dr.. Holthausen said he would
sec what could be done.
TIE wedding gown was ready, the
memAers OF the bridal party had been
selected, invitations had been sent out
and presents had begun to arrive when
the telephone bell in the Loderhouse e
home rang October %. The bride-to-
be answered it. When she hung uu
the receiver she told her sister Emily
n duL tones. that the message was
from Dr.. Hoffman, ST. who was tele-
phoaing from French Lick Springs
Ind. His son and Dr. Cochrane Of
Baltimore, who was to be an usher at
he wedding, had just been killed in
an automobile accident at French Lick
SPRINGS. the message ran.
The brides dress was put aside Miss
Loterh use donned mourning. A death
notice was inserted in The Brooklyn
Sag e." Then kilograms Of coincidence
which now only add 20 the N ystery sur
rounding the situation. began to ar
rive There were more than two hun
Gred OF them, and many Of them were
SIGNED with names known far and
One bore the name Of Vincent
Asr. another that of William II.
MISS Loderhouse decided that me-
morlal service should be held, aad D.
Holthausen was approached on the sub
iect He SAID there could be no me-
m3rla service in his church until he
was certain for whom II was held and
that the man was dead.
edding Gown Made Ready
H. feared. he said, that Miss Loder-
house l q not found out all there was
go earn about her fance. DR.. Holt
na4sel ent nis vacation last summer
in tie ~ htte Mountains. Al the same
resort was 9 man from Millbrook, n. \.
The Clergyman said he had mentioned
the approaching marriage of one of his
congr g4tion TO man whose father
was & summer resident Of the place
and VS. shocked to learn that his &C
quaintauce never had heard of DR.
Hoifmsnn. senior or Junior, and was
positive that none lived in Millhrook.
Inquiries we're started at once
Queries We're sent by telegraph to
French Lick Springs and to Pasadena
In rosnonse 10 the CORNER 1t was
learned that there mad been no fatal
automobile accident at French Lick
Springs on October 20 or thereabout
and that the name of DR. Hoffman,
unlor or senior. was unknown there
Pasadena declared itself to be in equal
ignorance Of the Hofmanns. Mill
brook replied that they did not live
there.
/, was recollected that Miss Loder-
houses finance was believed to be the
son OF g former Brooklyn physician
wao ad claimed once TO have lived at
3-9 Clinton Avenue, in that borough
Inquiries there failed to show any
such family ever had lived IN tina;