Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-03
LAWS ARE STRICT.
so SAYS BECKER. DISCUSSING DE-
FORMATION OF HIS FAMILY.
THE RUSSIAN TALKS OF HIS WOE.
liz Has No Evidence OF His Mar
rtagc. hut Says Ills Wife Had the
Highly of Him.
Highly of Him

"They are strict in Russia" said Moritz
Becker. the unfortunate man whose al
legged wife and family were deported on
Saturday. TO a Dispatch reporter yester-
day. but they are not strict like they
are in this country" and then ne re-
hearsed the pitiful tale Of his separation
from his children.
II had TO talk to my wife like a pri-
soner through the fence. and when |
cried and wanted to 20 to my children.
a man pushed me back with such force
that l almost fen down"
Becker was working at his bench I'm
Mr.. Schnurman's tailoring establishment
when he was seen by the Dispatch re-
porter. He was evidently very much dis
trossed as to the fate of the woman and
her four children when she lands again
in Russia. She has nowhere to go, and
no kith nor kin other than her old
mother, who is an invalid Her father,
he says, was killed in a railroad accident
fourteen years ago.
Mr.. Becker has no proofs of mis- mar
riage. He left them with his wife, he
says. when he left her 10 come 10 this
country, nearly six years ago. He was
married in October a few months before
he left, in Hija. The ceremony was per
formed in n private house by Jewish
rabbi. whose first name was Moses-he
has forgotten the other. The marriage
was duly licensed Becker says, and he
confided the certificate 10 his wife's care
DIDN'T WANT THE BAGGAGE.
The baggage of the family arrived in
Richmond yesterday, consigned to Moritz
Becker. Il didn't ask for the baggage
he said, Il wanted my family, and II
am not the father of the children, why
do those officials send me their proper
typ"
Becker makes light Of the supposed
contagious disease of his youngest child
and ridicules the idea advanced by the
authorities. He could have cured the boy
in three or four days. he aftirms. and be-
Ueves he was suffering from nothing
more serious than a bad cold IN the head
and general unclcanliness. In this latter
regard he makes an apology for his sup
posed wife saying she could not be eN-
pected TO wash the children on the Voy-
age.
Mr.. Becker explains the apparently IT.
reconcilablo statements regarding the
names Of his children, by saying that
some time ago his wife wrote him that
Louis, the third child by his former mar
riage was dead. He learned that this
was not true, for the first time, in New
York the other day, after he had given
the names Of his children as FAKE, Esther,
Mary, and Abe.
NOT AFRAID OF ARREST.
He ridicules the threatened prosecution,
saving he made exactly the right state
ment, and is not afraid of being prose-
cuted for nothing. II would like 10 bring
her back" he said. in reference 10 his
wife IF the government VIII pay me the
expense / have been put to-" He says he
spent over 800 to get the family over
here. and he is without funds 10 prose-
cute the matter any further. He attri-
butes all his present difficulties TO the
fact that his wife lost his Richmond ad-
dress and had not been able to communi-
cate with him since last April. She had
Koplins address in Baltimore, and If he
had gone 10 meet her Becker thinks all
might have been well.
The woman had to come 10 this country
under an assumed name TO evade the Rus
sian authorities, and her ticket had TO be
made out 10 coincide with her passport.
When she arrived, and was harrassed
with many questions, Mr.. Becker thinks
the woman did not know what she was
saying, and was really afraid to tell the
truth. dreading some terrible conse-
quences.
MIR. SCHNURMAN'S STATEMENT.
Mr. Schnurman. who has employed
Becker for the past three years, SAYS he
is n most reliable man. He had frequent
ly talked Of his wife and family, and had
sent them money regularly every month.
He had made from SIS to $25 week, and
keenly anticipated the reunion.
Mr. Henry Flegenheimer, who has work
ed zealously and without remuneration in
his clients cause, says he does not think
anything can be done now, except 10 lay
the matter before the Secretary of the
Treasury. He is stin hopeful of securing
an order permitting the wife and children
to come TO Richmond TO reside.
MIR. POWDERLY AGAIN DENIES.
This case has attracted widespread in
terest. has been discussed quite freely by
the press, and has given rise TO sharp
controversy between Mr.. Powderly the
Commissioner General Of immigration,
and Mr.. Henry Flegenheimer counsel for
Becker. The Washington Post OF yester-
day said:
Commissioner General of Immigration
Terence V. Powderly denied yesterday
the statements of Henry F1egenheimer.
counsel for Moritz Becker. the Richmond
tailor who claimed to be the father of the
Franck family, dcported from New York
by the immigration officials on Monday.
Mr. Flegenhemer appeared before the
Commissioner-General last Friday in the
interest of his client, and he claimed, IN
an interview published in the Post yes
terday. that he had been denied time In
which to apply for a writ Of habeas cor
pus for the release Of the mother and
four children.
This statement is absolutely false, "
said Mr.. Powdery yesterday. Mr.. Fleg-
enheimer was told by the New York OH
Gals. and also by me. that he could file
an appeal with this Office or could apply
for a writ of habeas corpus, and, as .
lawyer, he must certainly have been ac-
quainted with the privileges accorded him
by law and familiar with the procedure
When he left this Office on Friday We UNI
dcrstood from his remarks that he intend
ed applying for a writ of habeas corpus,
which would have secured the release of
the family before sailing on Monday. ]
am satisfied that Mr.. Flegenheimer did
not care to have the case go before the
courts, or else ne would have exercised
his privilege which a lawyer would GER
tainly have known he was entitled 10.
"The action OF the bureau was decided
upon on January 4th, shortly after tho
arrival Of the family, and. even If Mr..
Flegepheimer did not enter into the case
until the 18th he was aware that the