Evening star., 1924-09-17
WIDOW, g, TO WE'D
MOVIE PLAYER, 29
Mrs. Sarah E. Fray and Jack
Griffith Get License at
Portsmouth, Va.

Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Fray, SO
years old. of 733 Quebec place. and
Jack Griffith, 90. former organist at
the York Theater here. were granted
a license to wed in Portsmouth, Va,
today. according to a dispatch re-
ceived from that city by The Star.
Mrs. Fray, who lived here at the
home of her daughter. Mrs. W. w.
Wayland, had been going with her
youthful suitor for several years over
the vigorous protests of her family,
and they left Washington together
for Norfolk, Va, last Monday, after
announcing their intention of marry
ing Immediately upon reaching the
Virginia city.
One Clerk Is Balky.
According to a dispatch from The
Stars correspondent at Norfolk to-
day, the clerk of the court there
fatty refused to grant them a mar
riage license and they motored to
Portsmouth, where the necessary
document was procured.
Will We'd Tomorrow.
Griffith said that he and Mrs. Fray
would be married at the Court Street
Baptist Church, Portsmouth, tomor-
row morning at Q o'clock. The affair
will be private and will be witnessed
by but one person. He refused to
say where Mrs. Fray was stopping
here.
Il understand Mrs Fray is worth
several thousand dollars" a reporter
asked Griffith.
Newspaper accounts say that she is
worth only $4,000" Griffith re-
sponded, but that is absurd, she is a
very wealthy woman. We are to make
our home in Norfolk"
Rev. J. E. Welsh, DID,, pastor of
Court Street Baptist Church, Ports
mouth, said that he had been asked to
marry the couple, and while there was
great difference in their ages, he
saw no reason why he should not
marry them. He said the ceremony
would be in the auditorium of the
church.
The romance of Jack Griffith and his
elderly sweetheart Is strange one.
Mrs Fray and her daughter came to
Washington from Raleigh, N. c. They
lived less than a block from the York
Theater. at Georgia avenue and Que
bee place northwest. and visited it
virtually every night.
Attracted by Music.
One night both were attracted by an
unusually beautiful organ recital.
and, upon inquiring, learned that a
new organist. "a young man from
Raleigh, N. c." had just been en-
gagged. With true southern hospital
ity, they sought an introduction to
the stranger from their home city
and met Griffith.
Almost from that moment Griffith,
who is declared by friends to be tall.
dark and handsome, and Mrs. Fray
became fast friends and soon it be-
came apparent to Mrs. Fray's reia-
tives that something deeper than
mere friendship had grown up be-
tween them. In vain Mrs. Trays
family protested and finally Griffith
resigned his position at the York
and accepted another as organfst at
a motion picture house in Norfolk.
He made frequent visits to Wash
ington, however, and kept up a regu-
lar correspondence with Mrs. Frey.
Finally, a little more than a month
ago, Mrs. Wayland and her husband
brought suit in Raleigh to prevent
Mrs. Fray from drawing any further
upon her tidy little fortune, of about
81 900. and asked that a guardian be
appointed, the petition alleging that
she had become deprived of her facul-
ties. and was in her dotage.
Sends Taxi for Her.
Broken in health over her mothers
action, Mrs. Wayland sought a set
Element out of court, however. and a
few days after the matter had been
dropped, Mrs. Fray announced that
she intended marrying Griffith short
ly. Accordingly, he came to Wash
in ~fon last Sunday. ..,
Monday he sent a hired automobile
for his fiance at the home of her
daughter, the latter being many years
his senior, and the couple left for
Norfolk.
The reason for the Norfolk court
declining to grant the couple permis-
sion to marry was not stated in the
dispatch from The Stars correspon-
dent, but Mrs. Fray was in extremely
delicate health, besides being nearly
three times her intended husbands s
age. She is the widow of John j.
Fray. who once was one of the best
known instructors of music in North
Caroline. and was also we'll known