Alleged robbery precedes lives cut short

Twenty-three-year-old Carlo Carrier was to be united in marriage on Feb. 19, 1912. The Johnston bellboy was about to pledge an eternal commitment to 24-year-old Cecelia Agnes Gath of Providence. He had purchased the ring and a pair of patent leather shoes to complete his wedding outfit and had managed to save up a total of $36 for a honeymoon trip to Nashua, New Hampshire. As fate would have it, the plan went totally awry. Carlo showed up at the police station on the night of Feb. 18 to report that he had just been held up on Daniel Avenue by three highwaymen who stole the ring, his shoes and all of his honeymoon money. Carlo valued the ring at eight dollars and the shoes at four dollars, bringing the total loss to $48.

Cecelia was absolutely devastated when she was informed of the strange occurrence of that evening as now it seemed apparent that the wedding was not going to take place after all. However, the next day, the ceremony was held and the vows were exchanged as planned, followed by a bountiful wedding breakfast. One of the attendees was kind enough to loan their own wedding ring to be used in the ceremony.

On the afternoon of the 20th, Carlo appeared at the police station again, this time as a married man, and requested that the investigation into the holdup as well as the attempt to capture the trio of robbers be canceled. Police obliged, though they had been prepared to question Carlo more closely in the days to come concerning the holdup he reported, as he had made it clear to them on the night he alleged it happened that some of his family members were harshly opposed to his intention of marrying Miss Gath.

The marriage, as it turned out, only lasted about a dozen years, through no fault of the bride or groom. While she was walking along Plainfield Pike at about 3 p.m. on the afternoon on Aug. 30, 1927, Cecelia was struck by a vehicle being driven by John Gelfuso. She was transported to Rhode Island Hospital where she died at 3:40 p.m. that day from the effects of shock and hemorrhage following a compound fracture of her legs. She was 39 years old.

Less than a year later, on July 14, 1928, Carlo also died at Rhode Island Hospital at the age of 39, due to suffering with multiple ulcers. A former trimmer at the Boyden’s Silk Hosiery Mill on Eddy Street in Providence, Carlo left a 14-year-old daughter; Louise May Carrier and a 13-year-old daughter; Rebecca Carrier without parents. He was buried in Saint Ann Cemetery in Cranston. The girls were sent to the House of the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Providence.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.