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DICK-ASTOR WEDDING THURSDAY AFTERNOON GIVES UP MILLIONS TO WED AGAINQuiet Marriage Here of Mrs. Astor and William K. Dick—NotableSocial Event—Wedding of the Simplest KindBridal Party Fool the CuriousEluding in a most successful fashion the crowd of several hundred curious spectators, a battery of moving picture men and.cameras, large and small, awaiting the emerging of the bridal party from the church, Mr. and Mrs. William Karl Dick sneaked, for there is no other word that expresses it quite so fitly, outthe back door of St. Saviour’s church Thursday afternoon, and completely fooied the curious. It was the last chapter in a battle of wits which Mrs. Astor-Dick and her friends have waged to keep the details of her wedding a secret from the public, and this last skirmish mu6t be set down to her credit. So far the decision has gone to the alert newspaper men, both local and out of town New York and Boston city staff men, who have been down here and ferreted out practically every detail, even to what the bride would wear, her plans and the legal obstacles in the way of the marriage as at first planned for Monday.On the lawn of the church were waiting newspaper representatives, two or three moving picture cameras, photographers, and a host of curious spectators who wanted to see as much as possible of the ceremony whereby the youthful widow ofCol. Astor gave up $5,000,000. When the ceremony was over, one or two guests came conspicuously down the walk and entered waiting carriages. One newspaper woman buttonholed the guests, while another was drawn opposite the pathway with a waiting camera, two moving picture machines were in waiting to catch the guests and the bridal pair as they came down the pathway, and a w hole army of old and young was in wait to see Mr. and Mrs. Dick run the gauntlet.There was a rush to the pathway and then a disappointing wait, for nobody came. The vision of Edward Suminsby guarding the entrance was all that was to be seen. Meanwhile several cars had driven up Kennebec street to the rear of the church, and the wedding party had made a hurried and “pussy-footed” exit out the back way. A look of disappointment came over the faces of the crowd waiting at the front and the realization that they had all been fooled. There was a mad rush for the back of the !ychurch, but it was all over. A news-j paper photographer penetrated the emp- i ty precincts of the deserted church, and 1 throwing up his hands with a gesture of ; despair informed the crowd that it was 1 all over. Cameras were thrown into: waiting automobiles, and chase was given to the bridal party, but it was too late:* Mrs. Astor-Dick had secured one “beat” 1jon her own account.After several changes of mind, it wasfinally decided to hold the ceremony at St. Saviour’s, in spite of the attendant publicity. At 2 p. m. the bridal partywas taken to the church and there in the dimly lighted chancel of St. Saviour’s, with no music but the cooing of hundreds of doves who have made their home in the steeple for years, with the afternoon light, filtering in through the stained lass windows,Mrs. Madelein Talmadge orce Astor became Mrs. William Karl Dick. Mrs. Dick wore a simple suit of blue serge, gray spats, black shoes, a simple little black hat trimmed with ribbon, and a magnificent set of silver gray fox furs. The groom wore the conventional afternoon dress. The only attendant was his brother, Adolph Dick, who acted as best man, the bride being given away by her father, William H. Force.The ceremony was a brief one, the reading of the Episcopal service by the rector being the only feature. There have been few weddings so informal here, especially considering the position of t h ose con cerned. Rev .Mr. Larned, rector of St. Saviour’s, read the Episcopal service in a most impressive manner, and in a few minutes the widowed stfrvivor of the Titanic was a bride once more, a radiant, thoroughly happy bride.There was no»wedding breakfast in theformal sense.The most of the wedding party arrived at noon Thursday, and at 1 o’clock a luncheon was served at the De Gregoire by Mr. Dick to the members of his own family. The table was decorated with Killarney roses and white lilacs, and a background of white lilacs, great masses of them, fragrant and creamy, was also in evidence. Those present included Mr. and Mrs. J. Henry' Dick, his father and mother; his two sisters and the.r husbands, Mr. and Mrs. Kingston Macy and Mr. and Mrs. Horace Havemeyer; his brother, Adolph Dick: his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Moller.hauer; Seth Barton French, Lyman Hine and Scott Pyle. At the same time Mrs. Astor was holding a family gathering at dinner at Islescote, her guests including her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Force; her sister, Miss Katherine Force; Miss Dorothy Sturges, Judge Gildersleeve, %*id a few others.Both luncheons were simple, and immediately at their close cars were taken for St. Saviour’s. The wedding party numbered slightly over twenty.Mr. and Mrs. Dick will spenc theirhoneymoon at Santa Barbara, California, in an attractive rose-covered bungalow which has been placed at their disposal. In three weeks or so they expect to return to Bar Harbor and spend the rest ofthe summer here.It was only the overlooking of the 1913 revision of tne Maine statutes by a New York lawyer who left a few matters to chance, but it played havoc with the carefully planned preparations for the wedding of Mrs. Madeleine Talmage Astor and William K. Dick, which would have taken place Monday night, quite likely without the general put c getting knowledge of it till after the ceremony. Arrangements had been made to file an application for a marriage license. Monday, and nearly twenty guests had been bidden for the ceremony. Late Saturday evening, however, Mrs. Astor’s attention was called to the provision of the Maine laws, which provides that a five-days’ wait is necessary before the license can be granted in the case of nonresidents. A license application was hastily filled out in pencil Saturday night shortly before midnight, and rushed to the town clerk’s office; but even then, the earliest date that the wedding could occur was Thursday.Sunday afternoon Mrs. Astor was almost decided to return at once to New York and be married there. Mrs. Astor’s mother and sister, Mrs. William H. Force and Miss Katherine Force, came that afternoon on the New York express, getting off at Ellsworth, twenty miles away and motoring to Bar Harbor.In the application filed Saturday night, Mrs. Astor gave her name as Madeleine Talmage Astor, age 24, residence New York city. The groom’s name wtas given as William Karl Dick, age 28, occupation banker and sugar manufacture^, residence New York, single, first marriage.Mrs. Astor, with he- young son, John Jacob, arrived in Bar Harbor on Friday morning’s train, and were at once taken to Islescote, the Astor summer home here. Mr. Dick, her reported fiance, did not accompany them, and shortly after her arrival a terrific rainstorm kept her indoors.. Bar Harbor society was surprised, to put it mildly, at the report which came here the day after her arrival that her marriage was to take place Monday to the Brooklyn publisher.The Maine law, however, intervened and caused the wedding plans to be postponed. Up toa little less than two years ago, it was possible for residents of another state to come here, apply for a marriage license, andbe married the same day. By action of the last legislature, however, non-residents must wait a period of five days from the date of the application before a license will be granted, and, of course, applieants are under the jurisdiction of Maine.This is the second season that she has occupied Islescote, one of the cottages on
Newspaper Details
Bar Harbor Times
Bar Harbor, Maine, US
Sat, Jun 24, 1916
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
The H.
ME, DZ 11 Mar 2023
Other Publications Near Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor Mount Desert Herald
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