Although the couple attempted to keep their marriage secret—Jones' sister Grace claimed the couple even paid reporters not to announce their marriage—the press soon announced the news of the marriage. Because of the Rhinelanders' fortune and social standing, New Rochelle reporters were eager to learn about Jones' background and began investigating. Reporters discovered that Jones was the daughter of English immigrants and her father, George, was a "colored man." The Rhinelanders got wind that reporters had discovered Jones' heritage and attempted to keep the information out of the papers. According to one article printed in the "New York Daily Mirror", the Rhinelanders sent an "agent" to warn the editor of the "New Rochelle Standard Star" that if the story was printed, there would be "dire punishment." The editor ignored the threat and on November 13, 1924, the "New Rochelle Standard Star" printed the story with the headline, "Rhinelander's Son Marries Daughter of Colored Man."