A MUCH MARRIED MAN.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8803, 3 May 1907, Page 4

A MUCH MARRIED MAN.

If the legcudary Bluebeard wore alive to-day he would no doubt he consumed with envy of a certain gentleman, whom we will call “Dr. X—,” -who was run to earth iol long ago iu America after an amazing career of polygamy, the story of which leaves the inventions of fiction-writers impotently behind. A brief sketch of the matrimonial feats of this modern Blucberad can scarely fail'to interest our readers. Dr. X—was born in Switzerland -lo years ago, and ia described as a man of athletic build and attractive exterior, and with a strange hypnotic 1 lower, which ho has done ample justice to over susceptible females. Until a few yeras ago ho was known as an exceedingly clever dentist, and seems to have been content w T itli that useful, if painful role, until bo | discovered that there was a more | lucrative exercise for his talents iu i the hearts of his fair patients than ! in their months.

One of Ids earliest experiments in the domain of Cupid was on a pretty patieut who speedily fell a victim to Ids fascinations, and whom ho led to the altar iu 1805. But her tenure of married bliss was brief; fox’ after borrowing £OOO fi'om Ids fatlici-in-law, ostensibly to buy a dental practice, be disappeared, and a, few weeks later became the husband of another bride at Boston. Agaiu tho volatile husband vanished, tins time before the honeymoon was over and with £4OO lof ids wife’s money, in search of fesb conquests. Prom one State to another be wandered, under a series of assumed names and disguises, and iu each he found a new victim of Ids cruel arts.

Ho Polish widow aud robbed her of £OO. lu ludiauua lie found a willing bride in the daughter of a wealthy family, aud after "a brief honeymoon loft his young wife and wont to Now York with £4OO of her money, ostensibly to take out a patent. Then followed alliaucs with half-a-dozen widows in Brooklyn, all of whom lie deserted after relieving them of sums ranging from £SOO to £3OOO. To each *bo gave a different name aud appeared in a different guise. Now ho was cleanshaven, now ho boasted a sweepnug

moustache, as Mr R—he was “bearded like the pard,” as Mr B—he wore side whiskers only, and so on through the whole gamut of facial transformation.

And thus he continued his career of polygamy, finding a fresh wife

and a now source of revenue once a mouth on an average; until, it is estimated, lie had won and deserted a hundred wives. When ho had exhausted the States ho transferred his misguided talents to Loudon and Manchester, leaving behind him a wake of abandoned wives, of debt, and warrants for his arrest, until at last Nemesis, in the form of,

one, of his outraged victims, overtook him. He was recognised and arrested in New York, and we may

assume that for a time at any rate bis activities will find a less pleasant and more restricted field for their exorcise. As a champion polygamist Dr. X—lias established a record which we sincerely hope will never ho approached. So far, his most dangerous rival was one Emil G —, a native of Lyons, who, in the space of sis years wooocl and won 36 wives in various parts of the Continent, and was finally shot by one of his victims while honeymooning with the last of his brides.