from the Aspen Daily News  By Don Mitchell/Associated Press Writer 

DENVER - Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson has married his longtime
assistant in a decidedly un-Gonzo-like ceremony in Aspen.

''He had a nice suit jacket and slacks on. He brought her flowers. That
never happens here. We were all impressed with that,'' Pitkin County Deputy
Clerk Sherry McIntire said Friday.

Thompson, 66, married Anita Beymuk, 30, in a 20-minute ceremony in the
clerk's office April 24.

''He was looking pretty darn good. He was real happy,'' said McIntire.

Thompson is the author of ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,'' ''Hells
Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga,'' and, most recently, ''Kingdom of
Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the
American Century.''

Although he often portrays himself as hard-drinking and unpredictable, the
Kentucky-born Thompson is gentlemanly in his home, guests have said.

Thompson had written about his engagement but the first hint of the marriage
came last week in the Aspen Daily News, which ran photos of Thompson and
Beymuk and a headline reading, ''Congratulations to Woody Creek's royal
couple. Hunter and Anita married Thursday at the Pitkin County Clerk's
Office.''

Woody Creek is the community near Aspen where Thompson lives.

In a column Thompson wrote for ESPN after the event, titled ''The Royal
Wedding,'' he wrote: ''It was done with fine style and secrecy in order to
avoid the craziness and drunken violence that local lawmen feared would
inevitably have followed the ceremony.''

He went on to say: ''Our honeymoon was even simpler. We drank heavily for a
few hours with Chris Goldstein and accepted fine gifts from strangers, then
we drove erratically back out to the Owl Farm and prepared for our own, very
private celebration by building a huge fire, icing down a magnum of Crystal
Champagne and turning on the Lakers-Timberwolves game until we passed out
and crawled to the bedroom.''

A longtime Thompson friend, Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis, and his wife
served as witnesses at the wedding. A dozen or more office staffers looked
on.

Thompson, who narrowly lost an election for sheriff 33 years ago, is
well-known in the area. He also has campaigned for and against local
political causes.

McIntire said Thompson commented about ''marrying someone half his age. It
was a hoot. The whole time he kept on going 'Woo-hoo.' That's his little
trademark noise.''

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DENVER (AP) - Journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who often portrays himself as
hard-drinking and unpredictable, was on his best behavior as he married his
longtime assistant in a ceremony in Aspen.

``He had a nice suit jacket and slacks on. He brought her flowers. That never
happens here. We were all impressed with that,'' Pitkin County Deputy Clerk
Sherry McIntire said Friday.

The 66-year-old Thompson, best-known as the author of ``Fear and Loathing in
Las Vegas,'' married Anita Beymuk, 30, in the clerk's office April 24.

The couple live in Woody Creek, near Aspen.

In a column Thompson wrote for ESPN after the event, titled ``The Royal
Wedding,'' he said the marriage was completed ``with fine style and secrecy.''

``Our honeymoon was even simpler,'' he wrote. ``We drank heavily for a few
hours ... and accepted fine gifts from strangers, then we drove erratically
back out to the Owl Farm.''

There, he added, the couple celebrated privately by ``building a huge fire,
icing down a magnum of Crystal Champagne and turning on the Lakers-Timberwolves
game until we passed out and crawled to the bedroom.''

Contrary to his reputation, guests have said Thompson is gentlemanly and polite
in his own home.