The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-17
Sultan of Swat MarrieS
Former FOIIieS Star at
5:45 A. M.
0UTWlTS CURIOUS FANS
Honeymoon viii Be at Ball
Park Today Ruth
Tells Crowd.
BY SANDOR KLEIN
nited Press stan Correspondent


NEW YORK, April 17.-Babe
Ruth and Mrs Claire Hodgson we're
married at 5:45 a. m. today in st.
Gregory's Roman Catholic church.
1t was the start OF a busy day in
the busy life of baseballs best-paid
employe, for at the Yankee stadium
tins afternoon he expected to
shoulder his bat and begin earning
the yearly salary of $4,000 with
which he hopes to furnish an apart
ment and buy groceries for his
bride.
The ceremony was performed by
the Rev. William F. Hughes.
Ruth had announced that he
would be married at $50 a. m, and
after the ceremony he grinned at
newspaper reporters who arrived
just in time to see the conclusion
Of the service.
Stay for Early Mass
After the wedding, Ruth and his
bride took seats in the second row
and stayed for early mass.
The bride wore a purple georgette
dress, a purple toque, and black
stockings and pumps. She barely
came to the Babes shoulder as they
stood at the altar, with Ruth at
tired in a double breasted blue serge
suit runpled by rain.
The Babe fdgeted throughout the
ln1rf ,rrT1 xsv9tl
q loud, brave Il do" at the crucial
moment.
Good luck, and don't worry any
more" said Father Hughes at the
conclusion of the ceremony.
Il hardly know myself" Babe said
in answer to a question as to why
the marriage was held so early.
mo parties! All parties Off" he
replied to another question.
Honeymoon at Ball Park
A hundred persons gathered out
side the church during mass when
the word got around the neighbour
hood that Ruth was being married.
At the door of the church, after
mass, the Babes broad face broke
into an eXultant grin as he wedged
his way through the crowd.
when and where are you going
on your honeymoon" a reporter
shouted at him.
This afternoon-to the ball
park" yelled Ruth, dashing for
Packard car parked at the curb and
dragging Mrs. Ruth along with him.
The crowd surged against the au-
tomobile as the chauffeur blew q
blast of his siren in an attempt to
clear path. Some one tossed a
hat into the car. Ruth grabbed it,
thinking it was his own, and stuck
it on his head. The throng howled,
for the hat was three sizes too small
and barely covered the top of the
Babes head.
The automobile finally got under
way and the couple drove to Mrs.
Ruth's apartment.
Second Marriage for Both
1t was the second marriage for
the baseball player and also the
second for the former actress, who,
as Claire Merritt, once was a show
girl in the ziegfeld Follies. Mrs.
Ruth's first husband died in 1924
and the Babes wife was burned to
death recently.
Mrs, Ruth, % years old, has a
daughter by her first marriage.
Before going on the stage she was
an artists model and during the
World war her face appeared on
billboards all over the nation when
she posed for Liberty loan posters.
The Babes name has been linked
with that Of his bride for some
time. She has been a baseball fan
for years. and recently she and
Ruth have appeared at the theater
together several times.
Ruth would reveal nothing con-
corning his plans, beyond the fact
that they expected to take an apart
npnt on Riverside drive