Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-01
BAGGAGE SENT HERE.
BECKER GETS BILL OF LADING
FOR HIS wIFE's EFFECTS.
Known HERE AS A MARRIED MAN.
Mr.. F1egenhimer Makes n Statement
on Behalf of His Client who, He
Thinks, Has Been Grievous1y
WrODSed--Mr Poyderly's side.

I
deported to Russia. their baggage, or a
part Of IT, has been shipped to him here.
Becker received a letter yesterday after
noon from Mr.. white an agent of the
United Hebrew Charities, OF New York,
who has taken much interest in the case.
/ enclosing him a bill OF lading for the
baggage which, he wrote, was sent to
/ Becker at the request OF his wife.
| 1t is presumed that the shipment only
! embraces a portion Of the effects Of the
family The woman, whether Becker's
wife or not, would hardly have sent the
| clothing for herself and children to Rich
mond when she had to leave with them
for Russia The things were sent by
freight.
! COMMISSIONER POWDERLY'S SIDE.
The case OF Becker has attracted wide
spread attention since the story Of the
| husband, who claims to have been so
! grievOusly outraged by the immigration
authorities was made public through the
press Commissioner Powderly is taking
pains TO acquaint the public with his
side Of the matter. The Washington Post
/ Of yesterday contained long story along
this line. The Post says:
THE facts in the case, as given out by
the Bureau of immigration yesterday, all
| of which are derived from statements
made under oath now on file with the
| Commissioner, are substantially as fol-
lows:
The mother, who gave the name OF
MargOlie Franck reached New York on
the steamer Patria, accompanied Oy her
four children, one Of which was suffering
from favus, a contagious disease, when
i'm itself barred the admission Of the
child into this country. The woman was
examined by a special board OF inquiry,
and stated that she had left her husband
in Russia; had seen him on the day she
left the old country, and that he had
furnished the money with which TO pay
the passage Of herself and children,
whose names she gave as Minucha. aged
Il: Ester aged Z; SchOleim, aged +, and
Isaac, aged 9.
CLAIMED BY BECKER.
ION the day Of the examination Of the
woman Moritz Becker arrived from Rich
mond and Immediately set up the claim
that he was the husband Of the woman
and demanded their admission 10 the
country. lie was placed on the stand
and in reply TO questions said that inc
woman was his wife giving her name as
] lOSd Dora. anu ne fldllllth hi9B NiAN Ni-'i
dren. describing them as Gersor lankel
aged Is: Ester. II or y years; Mary.
or 10 years. and the diseased child as ABE
! aged 3 wears Becker also stated thai
he had not sent for his family, but learned
of their arrival in this country through a
friend named VI. Hopper, Of Baltimore
who had written him postal card con
Veying the news. He said that he mac
not heard from his family since last April
:
pondence concerning their removal 10 this
/ country, but this had not been done, be
cause he had deferred sending them the
necessary money. Becker concluded MS
testimony by saying that he was tailor
and earned SO a month Should probably
be SIS per week.-EditOr Dispatch, ant
! had saved up about 500, and further
that ne had furnished rooms already toI
the reception Of his family, in case they
were permitted 30 land.
The mother and children were ther
called into the room, and Becker wa
greeted by the children as Uncle ahC
! the woman declared him to be her brother
Becker however stuck 10 his origna
story that he was the father OF the toll
children. which statement the author
ties found it difficult 10 reconcile viii
other statements which he also made.
CONFLICT AS 10 FIGURES.
UPON UtlIB lui INCL lhfFtiptsNN A''NiNNA
stated that he had come TO this country
in 1888. and had been here ever since. with
the exception Of four years-from 1889 TO
ISg3-during which interval he had visited
home He had lived continuously in TINS
country since 1893 but had never been
naturallzed. The dates given by the man
left the parentage OF the children in DOUBT
ard more so when compared with the ages
Of the children as given by the mother,
who. il is assumed. certainly knew their
ages. or even Should the ages, as given
by Becker. be taken as correct, the
strange fact that two. if not three. Of the
children were born in the old country du-
; ring his residence IN America. still puZ-
lied the immigration authorities.
Becker returned TO Richmond and took
, ont naturalization papers before the Com
monwealth Hustngs) Court IN the name
Of Maurice" Becker. giving his age as
% years After obtaining the papers the
absurdity Of being the father Of l0-year-
old child at the age Of 81 years occurred
. IN him. and he again came before the i'm
, mierotion authorities with an affidavit al
leging that the Clerk Of the court had
made a mistake i'm recording his age. ana
further that there had also been an error
I'm the matter of names. thus accounting
for the appearance of Maurice" instead
Of Moritz. ,-,..
"Tbe authorities were of the opinion
that ~ would have been unjust TO sepa
- rate the mother and her children, as II
: would have been necessary TO deport hel
with the sick child and consequently Inc
whole family was sent back nome las
3 Saturday
, REFUSED TO APPEAL.
"When this action was decided upor
. pecler was told that he was entitled t(
, IN appeal to the authorities at Nashlhg
ton from the decision OF the New 1otf
i oNicials or that he might seek redress by
writ of habeas corpus, but awaited him
j self Of neither alternative, alleging laci
~ means. which. also, did not agree witt
. the story Of his thrift and savings.
.Various communications were received
y nv the Bureau Of immigration bearnl
y | unon the case from persons VINO had De
come interested in what Becker claimed
~ he one Of great wrong to him, and il
nearly every instance the story told py
Tecker was at great variance with any
~ the other sworn stories on record be
foro the bureau. Becker stated 10 the au
thorities that his alleged family haC
come TO this country under an assumed
name in order that they might obtain the
! necessary Russian passport. which woulC
have ordinarily been denied them because
! az his long and continued absence from
his native country, a statement which i
, entirely at odds with the present pohcl
: | OF Russia. for II is aiding In every way
possible the emigration Of Hebrews.
"Becker's naturalization papers nav
been handed over TO the Attorney-Genera
by the Treasury Department, with Nie'
Of ascertaining whether the suspicion tina
! they were obtained fraudulently is correc