An Interesting Pelham Love Story: Youngsters Married in 1901, But Kept Marriage Secret For Nearly a Year

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Two youngsters who lived in Pelham Heights in 1901 fell in love. The parents of Chester S. Walz and Lulu Schwartz reportedly objected to marriage by the couple. On September 21, 1901, they quietly married anyway and kept their marriage secret for nearly one year. Once the marriage became known, the New-York Tribune published an article about the couple. The text of that article appears below.

"KEPT MARRIAGE SECRET A YEAR.

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YOUTHFUL PELHAM COUPLE WEDDED IN SPITE OF PARENTS' OBJECTIONS--BRIDEGROOM SON OF EX-SECRETARY OF ICE TRUST.

Friends of Chester S. Walz, of Pelham Heights, and Miss Lulu Schwartz, of North Pelham, were treated to a surprise when it became known that they had been quietly married on September 21 last, and had succeeded in keeping it a secret ever since. This was the culmination of a pretty little romance which commenced two years ago, when Ms. Schwartz and Mr. Walz first met at a dance.

The bride is nineteen, while the bridegroom is one year her senior. C. A. Walz, president of the Hotel Keepers' Protective Association, is the father of the bridegroom, who is also secretary and treasurer of the same association, with offices at No. 7 East Forty-second-st. The father was the first secretary of the ice trust, and is at present making a tour of the United States with his wife. The bride's father, Edward A. Schwartz, is a drummer.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Walz are members of the Pelham Heights Tennis Club and Pelham Golf Club, and considered experts at the games. For some time they have been noticed a great deal in each other's company on the tennis court and golf links, but the older members of the club thought it was a case of youthful love, and would never amount to much. None of them suspected that for nearly a year they had been man and wife. It is said that mr. and Mrs. Walz, sr., were opposed to the match, but, despite this, the young couple went to New-York on September 21 and had the knot tied. They decided to keep the match a secret until the bridegroom reached his majority, but the news finally leaked out, and Mr. Walz decided to publish the announcement of his marriage, which appeared in the local papers yesterday."

Source: Kept Marriage Secret a Year, New-York Tribune, Aug. 23, 1902, p. 5, col. 4.

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