The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-31
CATCHING HUSBANDS
The Method By Which Handsome
Eveline Neal
Caught Forty-three Fortune Hunters : She
Would Manage to Get Many Presents and
then Desert Her Man-Her Last.
Especial to THE HERA1D-Examiner Dispatch

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch
PARIs, March 90 by cable to the New
York World. IA woman who has actually
gone through the marriage ceremany with
forty-three men and sWindled all but one
of them within three hours after the cere-
mony is the latest catch of the Partisan
police. Six years ago Eveline Neal, a
handsome young English girl, married a
Frenchman who died within a month of the
wedding, leaving her with no money but
with plenty of debts. Tol square herself
with society, Evelinesresorted to what is
known in police hngoa as the marriage trick.
Her method of procedure was simple and
ingenious She advertised, stating she was
a widow possessing fortune of 200, 900
francs, who wished to marry gentleman
in good circumstances belonging to the no.
blllty or to the high commercial class. An
swerS were to be sent to the postoffice.
Her accomplice, who occupied the position
of companion, seems to have had the i'm
portau duty of choosing the victims from
among the applicants; at any rate the sui
tor was never admitted into Eveline's pres
ence unless his personal appearance was in
his favor. Then he was granted a rendez-
vous, either in her sumptuous apartments in
the Champs Elesees or at one of the best
hotels. Naturally Eveline took different
name on every occasion. To some of the
suitors for her hand and fortune she called
herself Madame Eerbank, Madame Rappie,
Madame Decomay, or Madame Burnelly
She always began by making some
objection to immediate marriage. Sometime
assuming the character of an ingenious
miss, she said her mother considered she
was too young for marriage and the appli-
| ~ Juuit IN, Oh
sions the fortune or social position of her
suitor was not what she desired, but in the
end she always allowed herself to be capti-
waited with the personal qualities of would
| be husbands. She often managed things
so cleverly that she received rich presents
| from some of her suitors. After getting as
much as she could, she would suddenly dis
appear. In several cases she considered it
! better policy to secure possession of we'd
ding gifts by agreeing to a marriage cere-
meny. For this she invariably crossed the
channel, expressing her preference that the
wedding should take place in England
After the clergyman had in all good faith
| pronounced the nuptial benediction she re-
turned with her victim to the hotel and
always managed to disappear before night,
but never leaving her wedding gifts behind
! her.
Eveline had victimized thirty two pre-
sumably intelligent men in this way before
she fell into the hands of the Paris police
in the autumn OF 1887, when she was sent
| to jail for two years. She obtained an
early release by good conduct, and at once
resorted to her old trick. Again she vic
timized ten lovers more, without detection,
| Most of the men she swindled were too
much ashamed to inform the police, but her
| forty third victim gave the police informa-
| ton which led to Evelines second arrest
on Good Friday at Hotel Meurice, Rue de
Rivoli. Her dupe, this time. was French
viscount who had ruined himself through
gambling and who was anxious to regild
his armorial bearings with the 1900, 600
francs of the charming widow. 1t would
even seem he was really in love with the
adventures, for he journed with her and
| her companion, certain Mrs. Caba, who
is believed to hail from New Orleans.
They travelled in England, Belgium and
Norway, the viscount paying all expenses
by borrowing money right and left on his
expectation. He made Eveline rich pres
ents wherever they went. At last they
got back to Paris when the viscount in
sisted on having day fixed for the wed
ding, but it was of no avail. s'Miss
Reynolds" that was the last name she had
assumed. was inexorable; he must wait.
This fact awakened the suspicion of the
viscount who laid the case before M.
Goron, chief of the detectives. When the
officers presented themselves at Hotel
Meurice Eveline was greatly astonished
but she followed them bravely to the police
station. AS for her companion Mrs. Caba,
she was absent from the hotel when Eve.
line was arrested and has not been seen
there again. This time the fair Eveline
will probably get a sentence that will put
her out of harms way for many year.