Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-04
ROSENTHAL'S PLEA.
Complicated Case of Divorce
Tried in Chicago.
A HUSBAND ooNFEssEs TO BIGAMY

In Order TO Defeat a Suit for Separate
Tertiary the Least of Two Evils-Hor-
ribie Story Told by the I9-Year-Old
Wife of an Italian Brate-whipped Her
All One Night.
CHICAGO, April 4.-Joseph Rosenthal set
upa defense TO the separate maintenance
suit of Leonora Rosenthal which is liable to
make him amenabls TO the laws of New
Ierk if the authorities there care to press
the case. Leonora sued him for separate
maintenance for cruelty aud desertion, and
the matter came up before Judge Shepard
yesterday morning on Mrs. Rosenthars mo-
ton for alinony. Mr.. Rosenthal came out
boldly and admitted that he was bigamist.
He said that when he married Leonora in
1873 he had another wife living AMI undi-
vorced whom he married in Poland IN ISL
Had Jewish Divorce.
He procured divorce according to the
Jewish laws by q rabbi, and be believed this
divorce was legal AMI binding, and made it
unnecessary 10 invoke the civil laws of New
York To get SEPARATION He did not dis
cover his mistake until h consulted coun-
sci, and now he was prepared TO take the
consequences of his ignorance, even If they
carried him back II New York to stand trial
for bigany.
% Not Much choice Between Them.
Mrs. Rossnthal was said 10 have known all
about his higamods behavior. Rosenthal
aid she read letters received by him from
shefirst wife ami was thoroughly CONVEX
san with al the circumstances, and took
him % b. her husband with full knowledge
OF his previous marriage Mrs. Rosenthals
lawyers frIel TO break tue dramatic force of
Mr.. Rasentha!s act in admitting his short
comings by denying that he was ignorant of
the effect OF his conduct Mrs Rosenthal,
il appeared, was the widow Rosenweiz with
several grown up children. They all came
in and made affidavit 10 Rosenthal's miscon-
duct, ami the fact that he knew what be was
about when he married her
The Original Rosenweiz Bobs I'D.
Rosenthal said his wife mad former hus-
band. and he believed him 10 be alive. not
withstanding What purported to be his dead
body was shipped to New York and buried
in the Rosen weiz family lot The original
Rosenweiz had been in some trouble in New
York, IN which the police had an interest,
and Roselthal charges that the body of a
colored man, somewhat resembling him in
nothing but stature, was shipped from South
America and buried in state, in order that
the detectives might be nIslei, and Rosen-
weiz could ever after live in peace in the
southern republic.
All the Rosenweizss denied this statement
They each declared that the body was that
of their father aud not that Of an imposter.
They declared they had seen and recognized
him in his coffin.
A Poser for His Honor
Judge Shepard said the case possessed
some Of the most remarkable features Of
any ever before him Rosenthals avowal
OF bigamy was sworn TO. and must be taken
as true He was under impression that his
defense against payment OF alimony on the
ground Of No legal marriage with Leouora
was good one, but he said he would look
up the authorities and decide the point
later
Mrs. Rosenthal is worth 50 o00 R.osen-
thai claims to be worth nothing