Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-01-25
Heavy Marrying Business Seven
Wives In Six Years. y
From the New York Sunday Dispatch.


arresting one John Seitz, formerly a
resident of New York, who is charged
with having committed bigamy and
other crimes, in Philadelphia, and who
was seen here few days ago. From
what is known about the career of this
man Seitz in New York, California,
Pennsylvania and other States, it is safe
to say that he is one of the most auda-
c.ous and reckless scoundrels in this
country, and nothing can be more sur
prising than that he should have sue
ceeded so long in keeping out of the
meshes of the law. AS a polygamist,
especially, his exploits far surpass those
of Contarini, he having married, within
the space of six years, no fewer than
seven wives, all of whom are now alive.
John Seitz is. native of Germany,
and was formerly Clerk of the Court at
Gruenburg, near Giessens, in the Grand
Duchy of Hesse- Darmstadt He was a
man of liberal attainments, and was
very popular among his fellow citizens.
He was married to a handsome lady,
who brought him dover of $4,000,
and who, in the course of the first five
years of their welded life, bore him
four children. In 1865, Seitz, who had
lived very extravagantly, became en-
barrassed, and resolved to emigrate to
the United States. He left his wife and
children at Gutenberg, and embarked
for New York. The first few weeks of
his soiourn in this city were full of
hardships and privations. Finally,
when he was almost penniless, he secur-
ed place as barkeeper in saloon on
Canal street, kept by a good looking
German widow. The plausible manner
and progressing appearance OF her new
! barkeeper made such an impression
upon the heart of the widow that she
accepted his hand when he proposed to
her a few days after making his &C
quaintance. Seitz Immediately sold his
wife's saloon. and with the proceeds led
for some few weeks life of dissipation.
He then got tired of her, and one day
drove her out of the house, telling her
never to trouble him any more. The
poor woman begged him to have mercy
on her, but he coolly Informed her that
he had another wife in Germany, and
that she, with her four children, would
reioin him in New York at an early day.
The first wife arrived in this city few
days afterward, and Seitz lived again
with her and her children. The second
wife thereupon preferred complaint
for bigamy against him at the Essex
| Market Court, and two detectives were
dispatched to arrest him. Upon reach
ing Seitzs house the officers found him
playing cards with tailor named Rull-
man.
"Where is John Seitz ?'' asked De-
tective Smith.
Seitz pointed insidiously at the un-
suspecting Pullman, whereupon the Off
GERS Immediately seized the tailor, and,
despite his indignant protestations that
he was not their man, hustled him off
to Essex Market Meanwhile Seitz hur-
riedly cut off his long whiskers, put on
pair of green speetacles, and left the
city. After various adventures in AL
bany and Buffalo, he went to Cincinnati,
where he became a pastry cook at the
Burnett House, and married the
daughter of a merchant. After living
with her for few weeks, he disappeared
with his wife's jewelry and large sum
of money belonging to his father-in-
law. His destination was New Orleans,
where he acted as bookkeeper in a
confectionery store, and married a
French woman.
This fourth wife turned out to be
much poorer than she had represented
to Seitz previous to her maria &c, and SC
he Immediately left her in DISGUST.
He next turned up in San Francisco
Cal, where he eked out a precarious
living as runner for an emigrant
boarding house. until he managed tc
ingratiate himself with woman who
kept an assignation house. She hao
plenty of money, and, for time, Seiti
!, led a very jolly life. Somehow or other
his new wife heard of his former ex
PLOTS, and, in a fit of jealousy, drove
him from her house. Under the cir
cumstances he deemed it most pruden
to leave the Golden State. In Salt Lake
, City, where he next turned up, he asso
ciated with a gang of horse thieves, anC
came, on one occasion, nea- bein.
| lynched. Shortly afterward we fine
. him at Omaha City, Neb., where h,
worked in cigar factory and married
again.
Meanwhile he had constantly CORE
sponded with his first wife, for whom h
seemed to entertain some affection, an,
repeatedly sent her remittances. /
letter from her one day fell into tn
hands of his Omaha wife, who threat
| ened to prosecute him. Seitz hastil
/ left the city, and went to Philadelphia
where he acted for some time as
d" shower" Of counterfeit money, and
r as usual, married again. He told hi
new wife that his first had died in Ger
many, and he even showed her tina
/ lady's photograph. The German wife
: who had all along remained in New
} York with her children, accidental,
5 learned that her husband was Twin,
7 with another woman in Philadelphia
. and repaired to that city to hunt up he
: truant husband. After long searcl
: she found the Philadelphia wife, whel
$ a very angry explanation ensued. TIL,
l new wife refused to give him up, bu
: Seitz made his escape from the city, an,
: is now believed to be in New York
f Some of his former acquaintance hav
a seen him on the Bowery. He is fin
S looking man, about forty-fve years 0
: age, of medium stature, long blond
e whiskers, and face that does not b.
f any means beiray the desperate villain
S heis.
: THE latest smuggling dodge has beer
Il detected at Ogdensburg, n. Y. Flo