MAN WITH 100 WIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 71

MAN WITH 100 WIVES.

—Champion " Bluebeard " Arrested in America. —

Dr George A. Witzhoff, the archbigamist, who is said to have married at least 100 women in various parts of the United States and in England and on the Continent of Europe, has been arrested at Buffalo. His arrest is the result of a three years' search made by Mrs Wagar, one of Witzhoffs victims. •Mrs Wagar married Witzhoff in 1903, and lost £2500 thereby. She employed a detective, who visited many cities in search of the bigamist. He at last found » dentist in Buffalo who answered Witzhoff's description, and became friendly vrith him. Mrs Wagar went to Buffalo, 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 Witzhoff, and he was arrested immediately. He denies his identity, however. Witzhoff's American victims are hurrying to Buffalo from all parts of the "United States. Dr George A. Witzhoff is probably the raost amazing polygamist of the age. The police say that he has "married" 100 women, and his success as a syndicate husband is without parallel. Witzhoff is a native of Switzerland, and is now about 45 years old. He is described 03 a presentable, plausible man, powerfully built, and with strange hypnotic eyes, which seem to have been an important factor in his love-making. He is said to be the son of a widow who is still ljving near Cliaux de Fonds, Switzerland. Witzhoff went to America about twenty years ago. He is a skilled dentist, and earned a good salary as the emp'oyee of various de.vtal firms. It was while working in this capacity that W'tzhoff met the majoiity of the women whom he afterwards married and deserted. Many of them wfre widows or divorced women who possessed some property. 0r.3 of Witzhoff's first known victims was MLss Anna Parkhill. a pretty blonde, who married him in 1903. Immediately after the wedding Witzhoff borrowed £600 from the bride's father to establish himself in a dental practice. As soon as he secured this money he disappeared, and soon afterwards married Miss Etta Randall at Boston. Miss Randall gave him £400. ar.d before the honeymoon was over Witzhoff had left her to search for a wealthier bride. Thereafter marriage became a habit. He wooed and won brides in nearly every State *in the Union. A Miss Chapman, of Chicago, netted him £1000. Miss Marie Obermever, of Dulutli, Minnesota, gave him £1000, with -which he disappeared an tour after the wedding cerenvoriv. Miss Mary Thorpe, of Brcoklvn. had 'a dowry of £2000, which Witzhoff secured. Then the arch-bigamist turned his attention to widows. Mme. Maniowitz, a Polish widow, was robbed of £60. Mrs Dora Doiff, Mrs Fannie Kezinsky. Mrs Bessie Rosenfeld, and Mrs Alice Freedman were a few of the wealthy widows of Geiman extraction, all living in the Jewish quarter in the East Side of New York, who were married and deserted aukkly. Miss Jennie Thurston, a member of a Momioent family at Kokomo, Indiana, ■vas the ne\t victim. A week after their r-ia triage she gave Witzhoff, who masqueiaded xinder the alias of "Dr Rieder," j5400 with which to perfect- an alleged motor car patent. He went to New York for thit purpose, but he married Miss « T £nnie Goldbaum instead. i In the majority of cases quoted Witzhoff cave his n un,c as either Muller, Schotze, Rieder. or Steinitz. After his marriage ■with Miss Goldbaum, however, he seems to have tired of these names, and the police have evidence of his> bigamous marriages with six Brooklyn widows, to whom he gave the name of Wagar, Horowitz, Glucher. Schwartz, Cohen, and Stein respectively. The six netted Witzhoff sums ranging from £500 to £3000 each, which represented their marriage portions. WitzhoiTs nerve was marvellous. Several times he wrjowly escaped arrest. On

four different occasions he was tracked down by deceived "wives." One of them, "Mrs Cohen," actually arrived at his office in New York while Witzhoff was talking with his latest fiancee. With extraordinary coolness Witzhoff showed the deceived "wife" into an adjoining room, explained to the fiancee that she was merely a patient, and then, after inducing his fiancee to end her visit, he not only pacified "Mrs Cohen," but borrowed £20 as well. WitzhofFs matrimonial adventures in England began in April, 1904, when he arrived on the Lucania with a companion and engaged rooms for a dental surgery in Dysart street , under the name of " Dr Gouldstein." Two days later he advertised for a wife under the name of "Dr Westen." As "Dr Westen," 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 Witzhoff was joined by a German woman known as Paulina Hauser, who left him in November and went to New York. After Hauser's departure Witzhoff left Dysart street" and went to Manchester, where he opened a dental establishment in the Waterloo road under the name of "Rieder." He remained there until the summer of 1905, when he is believed to have returned to America. Alice Bell, whom he deserted, returned to her parents at New Cross. Witzhoff left Manchester owing many debts, and warrants were issued for his arrest on charges of fraud. A trunk which be left at th-e Waterloo road establishment contained documents which showed that he was Witzhoff, and that he had travelled extensively in the United States. In the autumn of 1905 Witzhoff was again contracting bigamous marriages in New York and Boston, and at last the police organis£d a general search for him, which forced Witzhoff to abandon his lovemaking and go into hiding. Mrs Wagar, the "wife" who is reported to have caused his arrest, declared last year that she would spend every penny she possessed to bring Witzhoff to justice ; and several other victims who still possessed a little money joined togethet and employed private detectives to run him to earth. Witzhoff always wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and effectively changed his appearance by altering or removing his beard. He has appeared clean shaven, with merely a moustache, with elaborate side whiskers, with moustache and imperial, and with "a full beard.