BIGAMY AND THE BUREAU.
Where the Professional Bigamists Find Wives.
The matrimonial agencies that have been investigated and suppressed by Detective Wooldridge and the postoffice authorities have disclosed an almost incredible phase of woman's nature.
There are today in the United States no less than 50,000 women who have been married, robbed and deserted by "professional bigamists." This fact represent the most serious phase of the matrimonial agency swindle, for it is the history of nearly all noted bigamists that they secured their victims through the matrimonial agencies. Of the thousands who become subscribers to these agencies, however, comparatively few ever proceed far enough to encounter the tragic features of the swindle. It might be inferred from this that women are much easier to entice into matrimony than men. Probably, however, this is an untenable conclusion. When a woman does start on marrying bent, mere men fall before her like grain before the sickle. Miss Marion Rapp, arrested at Philadelphia, is known to have secured eight husbands in three years, and is suspected of having captured six or eight more. Miss Rapp is still young, and if her career had not been untimely cut off she might have made a record that would have done credit (or discredit) to her sex.
PUTS A SNAFFLE BIT ON THE OLD MAN
The sad experiences of people who have been victimized by gay deceivers, male or female, perhaps contain a lesson to persons who carelessly contemplate matrimony. When a stranger proposes marriage at first sight it may possibly be well to take a look into his or her antecedents. This is not the most romantic way to proceed, but it is a way that may have a great practical advantage. It probably would be endorsed by every one of the 50,000 women in this country who are now looking for professional bigamists who married them and ran away with their cash.
That the matrimonial agency business is not confined to Chicago and dupes of the system are found elsewhere than in rural communities and among the poor and humble is demonstrated by recent revelations in Europe. During one raid I seized a large quantity of literature in the offices of a swindling concern doing business under the name of Mason, Brown & Co. The "firm" advertised itself as the largest of its kind in the world and the only one "indorsed by press and public and patronized by royalty," adding that its "clients and representatives were to be found in every land."
In extra large type the information was conveyed to the victim that he or she need not be ashamed to resort to the agency method in order to secure a life partner, as the royalty of Europe used this means exclusively in contracting marriages, especially in cases where American heiresses were sought as wives for titled but impecunious foreigners.
When it was casually remarked during an examination of a wagon load of Mason, Brown & Company's advertising matter the reference to the titles and heiresses was the only true statement it contained, there were smiles of incredulity. American millionaires were said to be too shrewd and level-headed to enter into deals with marriage brokers when the life happiness of their fair and independent daughters is concerned.
(Divorce Decrees; Spring)
It was but a short time after this conversation, however, that the following cablegram was published:
The Case of Count Larisch.
"Aug. 25th, 1905: The alleged attempt to blackmail Count Franz Joseph Maria Von Larisch Monnich out of 200,000 marks on a pre-nuptial note alleged to have been signed by the count, and the implication of army officers and members of the aristocracy in the marriage brokerage business, has caused more talk in high circles than anything which has happened since the elopement of Crown Princess Louise of Saxony."
It is said the Kaiser had to take a hand in the matter, and insists that this business shall be stopped finally and effectively on the ground it is bringing the army and nobility into disrepute and ridicule.
The harm done by these agencies is almost incalculable. Foolish women having money at their disposal fall easy victims to the many scheming scoundrels who make a practice of subscribing to the matrimonial agencies for the purpose of securing the addresses of prospective victims.
As instances of the harm done by these matrimonial agencies the case of Johann Hoch, who married fifty women, and after securing all their money, either poisoned or deserted them. He was captured in New York City, January 30, 1905, after he had married a woman in Chicago, Mary Schultz, alias Brees, alias Bauman, poisoned her, then made love to her sister, married her, secured what money she had and deserted her. Hoch was brought back to Chicago, tried for murder, convicted and hung February 23 1906. This is a glaring example.
IN CUPID'S WORKSHOP.
ROUTING HER THROUGH
"Ten dollars extra, cabby. If you catch the train with her. She's my mother-in-law."
The case of Fredrick Carlton, indicted on two charges of grand larceny in Brooklyn, New York, July, 1905, is another.
It is stated on what seems to be reliable authority this man made the acquaintance of women in various parts of the country through the medium of matrimonial advertisements, married them and decamped with their money at the first favorable opportunity. Still another:
Dr. George A. Witzhoff, champion bigamist, arrested in Bristol, England, October, 1905, for bigamy and given a long term in prison. He was wanted in many cities in the United States.
Witzhoff confessed to marrying and robbing thirty-two women. Most all of the women he married lived in the United States, and were secured through the matrimonial agencies.
Witzhoff's Confession—Bought Fifteen Wives From One Agent—Takes $4,000 From His First Wife.
"Then, one night, after indulging in plenty of wine, she confessed she had a child in Pittsburg. I left her there, telling her I was going to bring her child, which was nine years old. Instead, I went to New York with her money ($4,000), and paid my friend part of his money, and started a practice as a dentist in Fourteenth street as Dr. A. R. Houser. I went to see a matchmaker. He introduced me to a widow of means. We got married in two weeks at the City Hall, New York.
"She had all her money loaned away, so I was compelled to seek another one, as Sig. Badillo was hard after his balance of $1,000."
"I went, to Philadelphia and got a Jewish matchmaker again on Fifteenth street and Fairmount avenue, and he introduced me to a Miss Jocker as Dr. A. Houser."
"I got $800 from her. I paid Badillo $500 and left for Springfield, Mass., where a woman answered one of my ads. I inserted an 'ad.' as follows:"
"'A professional gentleman of nice appearance, aged thirty-two, desires the acquaintance of a sincere, affectionate lady, with some means; object, matrimony; triflers ignored. Give particulars in first letter. Address Busy Bee, the Journal.'
"I had about twelve answers to this advertisement, and I picked out a boarding house mistress, and ten days after she was Mrs. Westfield, and as she was a vulgar woman, I left her two days after. She had given me $500 before marriage.
"I returned to New York to wife No. 2, and a week after I went to St. Louis and inserted an 'ad.' as previously, and got fifteen answers. There I selected a farmer's daughter and married her as Dr. Doesser. I married and left her all within a week.
"I came to Detroit, and with her money, $350, I started a dental practice as A. Houser. In answer to my advertisements in a German paper, Mrs. Piser came.
"We went to Toledo, O., five days after our first interview, and we got married. I left her six days after.
"I came now to Pittsburg, as Dr. Wolfe, got a furnished room in Allegheny. In answer to an 'ad.' in a German paper a sexton's daughter answered, the ugliest I ever had. Three days after we went to the justice of the peace and got married."
Deserts Wife After the First Day.
"There I slept the first night, and the next morning I was on my way to Cleveland, and started a nice practice with the $150 I had left. I paid the balance to my friend, Badillo, and inserted an 'ad.' in the Plain-Dealer.
"I had two answers to my 'ad.,' and selected a Mrs. Moore, a nurse, and a Mrs. Kreidman. I got from the nurse $100, and was making love to Mrs. Kreidman and Mrs. Moore, when I got a letter from wife No. 3, with whom I corresponded all the time, telling her I traveled for a firm.
"So I left, and forgot that I left in Cleveland a paper under the tablecloth which had my address in Brooklyn. One morning (ten days after I left Cleveland) two detectives came to the house in Brooklyn and arrested me. As there was no bail for my offense (obtaining money under false pretenses), I returned to Cleveland a week later, and there I married a bad woman in jail, Mrs. Kreidman.
"She gave $200 bond, but I left her four days after, as she was a bad woman. I slept one night at her house, and three days after I went to Chicago and went to see a matrimonial agent at 55 Washington street.
Identified in Chicago; Wedding Stopped.
"He introduced me to a nice Jewess, and her father gave me $400. I started an office on Fourteenth street, when a man from Philadelphia recognized me, and told her father, a rag dealer, that I was a married man, named Hausen, just in time to prevent the marriage.
"I left Chicago as Dr. Weston and went to St. Louis, where I started an office in Olive street as Dr. A. Dresser, and there I advertised and selected from a number of letters that of a farmer's daughter that had $1,000, and married her (Katie). Six days after I left her and left America and went to Roumania, and married a girl, a Jewess, in Pitest, and lived in Roumania as Dr. F. A. Shotz.
"Happy six months; I got 3,000 francs, and we left for Germany. There we had a quarrel, and she returned to her parents."
Dr. Witzhoff further states that the number of all the girls and women he merely promised to marry and secured money from would reach over one hundred.
One of the women Witzhoff married lived in Chicago, Ill.
May 13, 1903, John J. Marietta (alias Homer C. Reid, Harold C. Mills, A. S. Anderson, C. H. Huston, C. B. McCoy, H. C. Jones, Harold C. Reed) was arrested through exposure by Laura E. Strickler, a beautiful young girl from Cincinnati, Ohio, who boarded at the Young Women's Association, Chicago. She had been lured to the Newport Hotel, 73 Monroe street, where he proposed marriage and attempted liberties. Miss Strickler became frightened, jumped from the second story window and was badly injured.
Marietta married no less than six women, three of whom, Sophia Headley, Marie Butler and Flora Beals, appeared in court to prosecute him September 28. He was convicted. Judge Brentano's court of bigamy, and given five years in the Joliet penitentiary.
TITLES ARE CONSIDERED GREAT ORNAMENTS
"For as it was in the beginning, the American girl came over and energetically pursued the Lords."
Marietta said he secured most of his wives through the marriage agency. Mills said to Miss Headley, after meeting her the second time: "How anxious are you to marry me? Make me an offer in cash of the sum you are willing to settle on me." "Three thousand dollars," she answered. "All right," he replied, "but you know I am from Missouri, you will have to show me." She gave him the $3,000 and they were married.
At the time of his conviction Marietta had in the bank $25,000, said to have been secured in the above manner.
