New-York tribune., 1919-12-28
Collapses at Hospital After
Physician Refuses to See
Her and Explain Why He
Broke His Wedding Date

Dr. William Grey Vermilye. who, it
is said, failed to report on Christmas
day at Monson, Mass, for his wedding
to Miss Ruth NJ Keeney, of that town,
spent last night in Cumberland Street
hospital, Brooklyn, where hospital
officials say he has been undergoing "a
slight operation"
He lay in ward on the fourth floor
N another ward on the floor below was
his putativc flance6, who came to the
hospital from Monson yesterday to see
him and collapsed when he refused to
allow her at his bedside
To pleas from ncwspapermen DR.
Nermilyc was almost as unresponsivc
as he was to the appeal of Miss Keeney
Early yesterday he sent down the fol
lowing note to reporters:
"Gentlemen, | have no statement to
make. Upon my return to the United
my own wedding. | am not hiding from
anyone. / have nothing to say"
Throughout the rest of the day the
physician continued to have nothing
to say. Shortly after he gave out the
foregoing note, taxicab drew up at
the door of the hospital and Miss
kecney, George l.. Keeney. her father,
retired druggist, and another woman,
who refused to say who she was,
alighted
Appears TO Be About Thirty
Miss Nccney is slight and dark. She
wore tortoise shell spectacles and ap-
pcared to be about thirty years of age.
The trio went into the reception
room OF the institution and sent a
message up to Dr. Nermilye's ward that
his tiancee wished to see him. When
word was brought to her that the ply
scian refused to talk to her she
tainted.
When she was revived she was so
hysterical that she was taken upstairs
and put to bed. Hospital authorities
doubted if she would be able to leave
the institution last night.
Mr.. keeney explained to newspaper
men that he had received word from
the New York Police Department Bu-
reau Of Missing Persons that DR.. Yer
milye was in the hospital. Immediately ly
thereafter, he said, a Boston newspaper
offered to pay the expenses of himself
and his daughter TO New York, and they
started at once.
When shown the note that the doctor
mad wrlttcl to newspaper men, he said
the handwriting resembled that of his
daughters husbandt Description
of Dr.. Ncrmilye furnished by the hos
pital also tailed, he said, with the ap-
pearance of the DR.. Nermlye he knew.
Father Seems Dazed
The father seemed almost dazed by
the strange predicament into which
he and his daughter have been thrown.
When it was suggested that the physi-
clans note might imply thai Miss
keeney had attempted to force DR..
Vermilye to marry her, he replied that
this was ridiculous and that the doctor
was "a man of very strong will and
great ability and it would be impos-
sible for any woman to force herself
upon him."
Mr. Keeney also said that he could
think of no explanation for the failure
of the physician to appear at his we'd
ding except aphasia. He said that the
doctor had never given his daughter
an engagement ring, but had presented
her with many other gifts.
Miss Keeney, he continued, was in
New York a week ago yesterday and
met DR.. Nermilye here, did some shop
ping and was accompanied to the Grand
Central Station by him, where she took
the train back to Monson.
Asked what he intended to do in the
matter, the father replied:
"All we can do is wait. We will not
take any action at all for the present"
When Dr. Vermlye was admitted to
the hospital or for what reason he
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