Fashionable society in the Eastern District is intensely interested in the recently announced marriage of Mrs. John S. Provost, nee Miss Minnie C. Demond, a wealthy widow, to James A. Cutlar, a negro, who until recently was an instructor in Alex Schwalbach's bicycle academy on Flatbush avenue. Although the wedding took place several months ago the marriage was kept a profound secret and it was not until last week that Mrs. Cutlar's friends began to discuss the affair. Mrs. Provost is the daughter of the late George W. Demond of 549 Bedford avenue. She has always moved with the best set of the Nineteenth Ward. Cutlar is a North Carolina negro, who came to this city four or five years ago and who is known to his friends on Gwinnett street as the "Speckled Beauty." Mr. and Mrs. Cutlar's whereabouts are at present not known, but it is thought that they are living quietly in one of the Long Island villages.

It is understood that detectives are trying to locate the couple, as the relatives of Mrs. Cutlar's first husband are anxious to get possession of a little boy who was born to Mr. and Mrs. Provost about nine years ago. Whether or not the Provost family has secured any trace of Mr. and Mrs. Cutlar is not known, but it can be definitely stated that they are making every possible effort to locate the pair. Others maintain that Mr. and Mrs. Cutlar are not living quietly as alleged, and that they are frequently seen driving on Bedford avenue.

The story of the career of Miss Minnie C. Demond, now Mrs. Cutlar, is a most interesting and remarkable one. As already indicated, she is the daughter of the late George W. Demond, who was once a well known business man and who lived in one of the finest houses on Bedford avenue. Born of wealthy parents, Miss Demond was brought up amid luxury and refinement. She was a regular attendant at one of the Nineteenth Ward churches and when old enough she made her debut in society. A handsome brunette, witty and vivacious, Miss Demond soon became a favorite with the fashionable folk and she invariably took a prominent part in all the social affairs. That was not so many years ago, for Mrs. Cutlar is still quite a young woman. Minnie Demond was considered a good catch for any man, and so when her engagement to John S. Provost was announced he was the recipient of many congratulations. John S. Provost was the son of the late John C. Provost, who settled in Brooklyn when the Nineteenth Ward was a wheat field and when the only ferry to New York was run by horse power. He left a snug fortune which was equally divided among his children. Mrs. Cutlar coming in for her first husband's share after he died.

The Provosts had a big wedding and everyone of any social standing in the Eastern District was present. Within the next year or two Mr. and Mrs. Provost went abroad, traveling through England and all over the continent. When they returned they made their home for a while in a Hewes street apartment house, subsequently moving to 39 Lee avenue.

John S. Provost was at that time associated in business with his father, John C. Provost. The Provosts lived there apparently happy until the summer of 1895, when young Provost shot himself. He died the following day in the Eastern District Hospital, and although the neighbors claimed it was a case of suicide, the Provosts always held that the shooting was accidental.

After her husband's death Mrs. Minnie Provost went to live with her father, George Demond, at 549 Bedford avenue. She remained there until the Demonds moved to Plattsburgh, N.Y., early last spring. Then she went to the Provost home at 146 Hewes street, remaining there until it was discovered that she was married to Cutler.

It was in April, 1896, that Mrs. Provost, then a widow of only a few months, decided to ride a wheel. Her friends say that she bought her wheel at Alex. Schwalbach's Flatbush avenue store, and was a pupil in his academy. In justice to Mr. Schwalbach it must be said that he denies the truth of this statement. However that may be, it is certain that Mrs. Provost first met Cutlar when she took lessons in one of the Brooklyn cycle academies and that he was her instructor. The couple were often seen together during the summer of 1896, but no one suspected at that time that Mrs. Provost had learned to love the colored man. But when Mrs. Provost became an adept at riding the wheel her friends couldn't understand why she still needed the companionship of Cutlar every time she took a spin down the cycle path or out on the island. The Provosts and others who saw the couple together of course thought and thought, but no one ever dreamed of the nature of the relation that existed between them. During the summer just past, when Mrs. Provost was not in the country, she lived at the Provost home, at 146 Hewes street. Finally, rumors reached the Provost family to the effect that there was good ground for believing that Mrs. Provost and the colored man were married. The Provosts made an inquiry and the next week Mrs. Provost was ordered out of the house.

The Provosts decline to state just what was determined in the investigation made by her brother-in-law. It is more than likely, however, that the Provosts discovered, as an Eagle reporter did today, that James A. Cutler and Mrs. Minnie C. Provost were married on November 20, 1896. The marriage certificate is on file in the office of the New York Health Department, and it is stated on the certificate that the ceremony was performed by the Rev. Thomas Henry Sill of 232 West Forty-fifth street, who was then pastor of St. Chrysostom's Church. In the certificate James A. Cutlar is described as a negro, 30 years old, single, born in North Carolina and at that time a resident of Brooklyn. Mrs. Minnie C. Provost asserted, according to the certificate on file, that she was a widow, 35 years old; that she was a daughter of George W. Demond, and that she was born in Boston, Mass.


The Provost family at 146 Hewes street are of course very much grieved over what they consider is a disgrace to the good name of Provost. They, however, console themselves with the fact that they are related only by marriage to Mrs. Cutlar. The Provosts are not disposed to discuss the affair and when an Eagle reporter called at the Hewes street address today they declined to make a statement. The reporter, however, learned that Mrs. Cutlar had, when she married Cutlar, considerably over $100,000 in her own name. She received all the estate left by her husband, John S. Provost, and when her father, George W. Demond, died last spring she received a good share of his fortune. Mrs. Cutlar's own mother died several years ago and her stepmother was John S. Provost's aunt. The Demonds, as already indicated, now live at Plattsburgh, N.Y., and it is said that they will not allow their daughter in their home.

Alexander Schwalbach of the Schwalbach Cycle Company, when asked today by an Eagle reporter to state what he knew about Cutlar and Mrs. Provost dictated the following statement: "James A. Cutlar was in our employ for three weeks in April of this year. A few days after he was in our employ a Mrs. Provost brought a cycle here for storage. I learned later in April that Cutlar and Mrs. Provost were seen on a balcony of a road house drinking during Cutlar's luncheon hour. I investigated the matter personally and found it to be true. It was a direct violation of the rules of the company for any employee to have any social relation with any of our patrons and I immediately discharged Cutlar. On the day following I asked Mrs. Provost to step in our office and I then informed her that it was my wish that she remove her bicycle and effects from our establishment. She desired to know the reason and I declined to inform her, simply stating that it was my wish and I hope she would comply with it. She left the office, removed her bicycle and I have not seen her since. My action in this matter was based solely for the protection of our establishment and our patrons the majority of whom are women of means and social standing in the community. For nearly twenty years we have employed only colored help in our instruction department in order to prevent any acquaintance or familiarity between our patrons and instructors. Nearly all of our instructors are married men and some of them have been in our employ from four to six years."