The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-08
DEFENDS HER BARON,
Won Muenchhausen's American VIE Tell
About the Marriage Brokers.


Martha Washington. Baroness vons
Muenchhausen. born Beokel Of New York,
was TREMENDOUSLY indignant yesterday
when she read the cable reports from Berlin
intimating that her husband, Baron Burch-
ard Won Muenchhausen. had been financed
in his quest Of an American bride by a
notorious marriage syndicate Of Stuttgart.
The dispatches said that the baron
was Prosecuting suit for blackmail against
syndicate of German tradesmen who
were IN the business Of finding rich Ameri-
can wives for German noblemen. and the
facts brought out in the trial were In effect
that the baron had come over to this coun-
try in is9s TO marry Southern heiress
provided by the syndicate under contract
10 pay them per cent. of her dowry of
7,5OO,oO0. He did not marry the girl in
tended. according to the dispatches, but
instead took back as his bride Miss Martha
Washington Beckel. daughter Of Joseph
Beckel. wealthy importer living at 80
West SiNty-nnth street
Al her fathers home yesterday the bar
oness was eager TO point out the falsity
of what she called the slanderous story.
In the first place" she said, Il did not
marry title. | married my husband.
| would have married him Just the same
had he been a Smith or a Jones. II was
his qualities I loved and not his name
splendid as IL is
The baron IL not prosecuting anybody
He is on his estate. while am here visiting
my father. These stories are based on
an old affair that my husband was through
with five years ago.
MY husbands family was poor, like
many Of the German nobility He went
into the army upon promise Of sufficient
income from his relatives 10 support his
position moderately.
The money d d not come ard the baron
fell into ~ ne spoke Of his abts 10
Frau Won outflow. |; dy of high social
position, Who has since PROVED 10 bo one
of a ba d Of conspirators who were for
many years successfully engaged in a
business Of ble' ding young nohlemen ard
army officers who fell into their clutches
Why, when my husband expos 4 the band
three years ago. II was fourd that even
princes had fallen into their tolls. az d two
prominent officers commit. d suicide as
result of the exposure,
Well. Frau Won Outflow tod Burchard
that she knew wealthy bank in SUIT
gar' who was always glad 70 hop young
officers who were ia triiing d bt He
vi-n' Il this man. whose name Was Eisser
a d borrowed a little on his expectations
r. expectations We're not quickly realiz' d ,
a. when i-~ler hogan 70 squeeze him
my hu-ba 4 was in d SPAR
-Eissler t.en propo-' d that he sign an
agreement ~ marry an heiress whom his
gang wor'd provide and give them 5 per
cent. % I'M 4 Dwry Ne ma d. them chan &c
'he agreenI' u 70 read that he wou d nav
if he married through them, because he had
no intention of marrying at their dictation
Even then his family was raising mon. v
on an inheritance which he knew would
help him out He became engaged 10
wealthy southern girl in America; ard on
money provd Il Nv his relatives. no, by
the marriage syndicate at all, he came
over hero 10 marry her. But tisslers
crowd got wind OF it and claimed tht ir S
per cent. even before he was married.
Then he met mo and broke his enga &C.
ment. We were married in December
the Church Of the Heavenly Rest We
went 10 GERMANY INN. diatay
My husf as ST. i giant az the
treatment n" d receiv d FROM FISHER
tina. he cons Il himself r,iev d from all
obligations a d vent 10 the Public Prose
cutor with his story. The officials me- de an
investigate with the result thai I issler
was arrest, d and sent 70 prison for three
years.
1T turned oft. however. that Eissler was
in the habit Of raising money on the notes
from various trf Il 'smen. The Public
Prosecutor got after each OF these men in
succession after he had sent Eissler 20
prison, but most of them were able 20 show
intention in lending Eissler money on his
lesser prosecutions to which the cable
repOrts refer ="