The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-14 00:00:00

A MAN WITH SIX WIVES:

The Assize Court of the Seine has had to deal with

a remarkable bigamist, if such a name can be given
to a man who had so many as six wives. The culprit
is a Polish Jew, small, ill-made, and ugly—in short,
a sort of foreign Quilp. His name was Feinstein.
Wherever he went he got married, because, he said,
he could not do without feminine society, and, find-
ing virtuous women fools, profited by their folly aud
credulity. Feinstein's first matrimonial venture or
adventure was in Russia in 1870. He abandoned
there his wife and four children, and came to seek
his fortune in Paris, where he got implicated in a
robbery, and:was condemned to 13 months' imprison-
ment. In gaol he fell in with another Polish Jew
named Mayer, who died there, leaving a widow in
fairly good circumstances. After his release Feinstein
called cn her, described to lav,r the convereation he
had had with her deceased husband about her and
her virtues, and so got round her that in three
weeks they were engaged. She would have married
him then, had she not resolved to devote a certain
number of months for the late M. Mayer. The
period she named was too long for him, and under
the name of Herzfeld be wooed and won a very
decent Jewess named Racbael Garlinski. To satisfy
the requirements of the French Code on the score of
birth, and other certificates, he got, through the te,-
timony of seven witnesses, tvcertificate of notoriety
establishing that he was Herzfeld, and had for many
years lived in Paris. In a few days he absconded
with his second wife's jewels and money, and went to
Nancy, where he heard of a certain Anna Jarewska
who had 3000 francs, and proposed for her.: He was
accepted. Another certificate of notoriety was ob-
tained , and the bride and bridegroom were coming from
th &Mayoralty when Rachael came forward, escorted by
policemen, to forbid the banns at the synagogue. The
bride fainted, and the bridal party dispersed to escape
being called upon to pay for the wedding feast that
had been ordered. Inquiries being made, the antece-
dents of Feinstein were brought to light, and there
was quite a pile of letters on the Public Prosecutor's
table from Russian, Polish, German, and other
Jewesses whom he had imposed upon and swindled.
It came out that he had had six wives, and was re-
gularly engaged to fourteen single women and widows.
Ha was so impudent as to laugh heartily, and let off
many sarcasms at their misfortunes when he was in
the dock. Disgusted at his cynicism, the jury refused
to admit extenuating circumstance, and the Cow''
sentenced him to six years' penal servitude.

THE "ROYAL FAMILY" PICTURE
DISPUTE.
Judgment has been given by Mr. Anderson, the
official referee, in the case of " M‘Lachlan V. Agnew
and others," which was an action originally before
Justice Hawkins at the Manchester Assizes, and
referred by his lordship to the referee for examina-
tion and report. The points involved had reference
to the production and publication of copies of Mr.
M'Lachlan's picture Of the "Royal Family at
Windsor," and allegations of mismanagement were
made against Messrs. T. Agnew and Sons, Sir Joseph
Heron. Alderman King, and the executors of the
late Mr. George Falkner. The plaintiff ,claimed
£30,000 damages for breach of copyright, and in
the alternative .E20;000 as ,compensation for injury
to his professional reputation by the defendants
issuing worthless copies of the painting. The
case was heard before Mr. Anderson on 36 days, and
his decision is embodied in a lengthy document filed
in the Queen's Bench. On the question of,copyright,
his Honour finds that as Mr. M`Lachlan incorrectly
described himself as "sole author" the registration
of the picture was void, and he was not entitled to sue
for infringement of his alleged copyright. The
plaintiff had also failed to make out that the deed pi'
November, 1877, assigning the picture on trust to
Messrs. Heron, King, and Falkner, as security for
advances, must be reformed or rectified as not,con-
veying the true meaning of the parties. The alle-
gation -that the Autotype Company, in behalf of
the defendants, had produced 'bad and inartis-
tic" copies of the picture is also held not to be
sustained. Mr. Anderson inclined to the opinion
that no contract has been proved between the plaintiff
and Messrs. Agnew and Sons, and that, there was no
" wrongft.-1 detention" of the picture by them. He
thinks it lear that the intention of all parties was for
Agnew and Sons to guarantee the subscriptions, and
the account ought to be taken on the footing of their
guaranteeing the subscriptions to the extent of 85 per
cent. of thosaentered in the subscription-books. That
firm ought also to pay charges for telegrams and
journeys, but not the costs of the litigation with the
Autotype Company. Mr. Anderson directs an ac-
count of all moneys due and payable under the deed
of 1877, on the findings of his report.