MAN WITH 100 WIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 2 April 1907, Page 4

MAN WITH 100 WIVES.

CI 1 AMPIOX " PLC KJJKAUD " ARRESTED IX AMERICA. Dr. George A. WitzholT, the archbigandol, «li" is said to have married at leu-t It)') women in variou- jmrts of the United Suites and in England and oil llie Con.incut of Europe, has been nrii>a\c>! at Buffalo. liis iirve-1 is the result of a time years search made Icy Mrs Wagrtr, one of WilzhoH's victims.

.Mrs Wagar married Witzhoif in l!Mi:l, and iost Ci'iDO thereby. .She enipltiyed a detective, who visited many cities in search of the bigamist. lie at last found a dentist in ISntfalo who answered WitzholT's description, and became friendly with him. Mrs Wagar came to Ruffalo, and the detective induced the dentist to pass a house where Mrs Wagar was watching at a window. Mrs Wagar positively identified the man as WitzholT. anil he was arrested immediately. He denies his identity, however. WitzholT's American victims are hiirryiiijr to lluffalo from all parts of the United States.

AX AMAZIXti CAREER. Dr George A. Witzhoff is probably the most amazing polygamis. of the age. The police- say he has "married" 100 women, and hi~ success as a syndicate husband is without jiarallel.

Witzhoff is a native of Switzerland, and is now about forty-five years of age. He is described a- a presentable, plausible man, powerfully built, and with strange hypnotic eyes, which seemed to have been an important factor in his love-making. He is said to be the son of a widow, who is still living near Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. Witzhoff went to America about twenty years ago. He was a skilled dentist, and earned a good salary as the 'employee of various dental firms. It, was while working in this capacity that Witzhoff met the majority of women whom ho afterwards married and deserted. Many of them were widows who possessed some property.

One of WitzholT's first known victims wah M)i-s Anna Parkhill, a pretty blonde-, who married him in 1903. Immediately aftepfhe wedding he borrowed £OOO from the bride's father to establish himself in dental practice;. As soon as he secured this money, lie disappeared, and soon afterwards married Elta" Randall, of Boston. Miss Randall gave him £4OO, and before the honeymoon was Dver Witzhoff had left her to seach for a wealthier bride. MARRIAGE A HABIT. Thereafter marriage! liecame a habit. He wooed and won brides in every State of the Union. A Miss Chapman, of Chicago, netted him £IOOO. Miss Marie Obernieyer, of Dnluth, Minnesota, gave him £IOOO, with which he disappeared an hour after the marriage ceremony. Miss Mary Thorpe, of Brooklyn, had a dowry of £2OOO, which Witzhoff secured.

Then the arch-bigamist turned his attention to widows. Blmc. Maniowitz, a Polish widow, was robbed of £OO. Mrs Dora Dorff, Miss Fanny Kezinskey. Mrs Bessie Roscufeld, and Mrs Alice Freedman were a few of the wealthy widows of Geraian extraction, all living in the Jewish quarter in the East Side of Xew York, who were married and deserted quickly.

Miss Jennie Thurston, a member of a prominent family in Kokomo, Indiana, was the next victim. A week after their marriage she gave Witzhoff, who masquerade, under the alias of "Dr Reidcr," £4OO with which to pcrfett an alleged motor car patent. - Ho went to New York for that purpose, but he marries! Miss Goldbaum instead.

In the majority of ease* (juoted. Witzhon" gave his name as either Muller, Sehotze, Deider. or Steintitz After his marriage with Miss Goldbaum, however, he seems to have tired of these names, and the police have evidenced his bigamous marriage with six Brooklyn widows, to whom he gave the name of Wagar, Horowitz, (Mucker, Schwartz, Cohen, and Sin respectively. The six netted Witzhon" sums ranging from £SOO to £3OOO each, which represented their marriage portions. Witzhoffs nerve was marvellous. Several times he narrowly escaped arrest. On four different occasions he was tracked down by deceived "wives/' One of them, "Mrs Cohen," actually arrived at his office in Xew York whilst he was talking with his latest fiancee. With extraordinary coolness WitzhufT showed the deceived "wife"' into an adjoining room, explained to the fiancee that she was merely a patient and then after inducing hiU fiancee, to end her visit, he not only satisfied "Mrs Cohen," but lwrrowed £2O as well. IX EXGLAXD. Witzhoffs matrimonial adventures in England commenced in April, 11104, when he arrived on the Lucauia with a companion and engaged rooms for a dental surgery in Dysart street under the name of 'i)r Goldstein." Two days later he advertised for a wife under the name of "Dr YVesten." Aa "Dr Westell" Witzhoff met Miss Alice Bell, of Peckham. He bought her a diamond ring, and some time later induced her to marry him. During his stay at Dysart street, Witzhol!' was joined by a German wouiau known as Pauiina Hauser, who left him in Xovember and went to Xew York.

Alter limner's departure Witzhoir left Dysart street and went fo Manchester, where he opened a dental establishmen in the Waterloo road under the name of "Ri-ider." He remained here until the summer of 100.) whan he is be'ieved to have returned to America. Alice 15-11, whom he deserted, returned to her parents at New Cross.

Witzhoir left Mauchcter owing many debts, and warrants were issued for Ids arrest on charges of fraud. A trunk which ho lcfi at * Waterloo road establishment contained the documents which showed that he- was Witzhoir and that he had travelled extensively in the Cnited States.

11l the autumn of IIJIIS Witzhoff was a S l, i" eontracting bigamous marriages in Xew Wk ami lloston, and at last flic police organised a general spare', for hill) which f,,1 Witzhoff to abandon bis love-making and go i„f„ hiding. Mrs. Wngar. tlie '-wife" win, i s ,ported to have caused his arrest, declared last year that she would spend every penny she possessed to bring Witzhoil" to justice, and several other victims, who still possessed a little nionev. jnined together, and employed detectives to run liiiii t u earth. itzhotl always wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and effectively changed his appearance by altering or removing his lieard. lie has appeared clean shaven, with merely a moustache, with elaborate side whiikcrs, with moustache and im- | penal, and with a full beard. I ========