National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-05

The London Matrimonial Netrs has lately
been instrumental-but deserves no thanks
for II in bringing to Justice a scoundrel who,
were he to be punished according to his de-
serts, should be kept at hard labor In prison
| for the remainder of his life. The man n
question, whatever his real name may be, has
been known to u small army Of too conAdlng
young ladies as ''Rey Reuben Allunder Ber-
son." An excellent education, q tolerable ap-
pearancc and attractive manners, being, for
aught that Is known to the contrary, his en-
tire stock In trade, he appears to have started
out In life with the purpose Of making matri.
mony tic stepplng-stone TO fortune. His
early efforts not having succeeded In the way
that he desired, he resolved to continue enter
Ing into wedlock until he should have accu-
INFLATED enough money from bowers to en-
able him to settle down comfortably with the
most prepossessng Of his victims. 1t is sus-
pected that he began Ills dnprlnciplsd career
about ten years ago-hc Is now over thirty
and that he has ever since piled his trade
with unlagging energy. To Judge from the
character and quantity OF his correspondence
at the time Of Ills arrest 1t would scarcely be
overshootng the mark I'd say that fully one
hundred women have been married to hlni.
An account has already been given In these
columns Of few OF the circumstances which
led to his being at last put upon trial for
bigamy. While In London, several Months
ago, engaged ii. paying hl7 addresses, through
the medium Of tic Matrimonial kess TO
from thirty-1ve to forty young ladies, with
the intention Of wedding all Of them, he con-
trlved to make the acqua ntance of General
Frlnginl, The house Of that gentleman he
used as base OF operations. Among those
who were advertising In the Ne,os for POSI-
| tons rs goyerness was Miss Eoulton, tie
a q n trnIn OIL linz NJ
Chaplain. Berson obtained an Introduction
| to her from the editor Of the Ne,rs Having
assumed, for the time being, the role Of Pres
byterian clergyman, he wrote several letters
to heT In most pous strain, concluding with
a note to her father, In which he requested
the honor Of an alliance with his family. To
satisfy the patcrnal mind rs to his ability 10
provide for wife, he announced In o post
| script that he had Just been appointed head
master of new college In Brazil, at q salary
of cS00 year and house rent free; that he
had already some property, and expected In
two or three years to be able to retire on q
handsome fortune. Mr.. Bouton, unwilling
TO lose such good chance for sccl.gir Il .
happiness Of his daughter, gave the ift,ed
consent and the marriage was solei IEed
soon aftcrward. As tbs prelimnares ' ire
being arranged, BersOn took advantage of
the opportunity to induce General Franglni
TO lend him E2OO on personal security. He
led the General to believe that Miss Boulton
was heiress to II considerable fortune, Of
which he was to have the management. In
decd, General Franginl was so thoroughly
impressed as to the truth of the statement
that he Invited Berson to pass the honeymoon
at his house, aud to use II as II II were his
home. Subsequently, the General having dis-
covered the true state OF the case, turned
Berson and the unfortunate young lady out
of doors.
BE son was then arrested and the publicity
which his dolugs received was the means Of
shedding light upon pany of his Infamous
deeds. \ large sum Of money found In his