The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18
A Mohammedan ny Choice and Prin-
cipIe, This Ex-BrOOkIynite Goes
the Full Oriental Pace.
a HAPPY FAMILY OF WIVES
GLADYS, A BOSTON GIRL AND 4 IA
VORITE, UNFORTUNATELY DIED.
The Family Spends Much Time at
Paris. hut the Real Home Il Tunis,
Where SecIusiOn Is the Rule.

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal.
PARIS. May S.-There was great and
fearful leave-taking at Villa Lumiere yes
terday, when the Yankee oslem, Richard
Russell Pasha his three wives and sixteen
children, also sixty-ive slaves and three
eunUchs. mounted a succession Of carriages
and 'busses to take train for the Mediter-
raneaE and there ship for Tunis. where
they viii reside in future. For the Rus
sells were genuinely loved by all who knew
them and as Richard is ten times million
aire everybody. who is anybody, made it
his. or her. business, to know him and-his
harem. 1t is so interesting. you know.
RusselIs was the only European harem
outside of Turkey since Mr.. James Gordon
Benefits correspondent, Herr Grundt, dis
solved his Belgrade establishment for lack
OF funds. Grundt was sent to Belgrade at
the outbreak Of the hostilities between
Turkey and Servia OS76) with orders. he
claims, TO buy up the finest harem in the
market so as TO be in a position to write
inteIligently OF MOslem misruIe in Chris
tian country. He did so with great aIac-
rity, reporting to the Paris home office
that he had three blacks, two Of chocolate
color, seven yeIlows and a Circassian.''
1.-THE governor was delighted" says
Grundt. and encouraged him to send facts
and beats FOR the daily and stories for the
Sunday"
And SO. for several months our fat friend
kept the wires hot, until stopped by sheer
lack of funds. no remittance having ar
rived and his urgent kilograms for checks
being treated with silent contempt Finally
Grundt wrote a personal letter to Bennett,
ac no rrbx nd
my word" replied Mr.. Bennett, Il did not
know you wanted money A man who can
afford to keep two blacks, two of chocolate
color, seven yellows and a Circassian be-
sides may be supposed to be rolling in
wealth"
But that is another story. Russell. as he
once told me, does not keep a harem par
order de Mutt, but because of his religious
and personal sentiments" Though born
On Brooklyn. y. Y, where he lived tho first
eighteen years of his life. he is a Moham-
medan by choice and principle both. and
INDUCES his polygamous habits for no
other reason than to make happy as many
women as he possibly can. while at the
same time doing the prophets bidding.
FAREWELL TO GLADYS.
A sad scene was enacted just before Mr..
parted from the beautiful villa. where they
kept open house so long and IavishIy. Mr..
Russell and Gertrude, the German. his
first wife his second wife, Juliette, a
French woman, and BIdah, the fourth
wife. who is native of Tunis. went to
pay their last respects to poor Gladys, the
thi q wife. who died in January last
tt Gladys's room they went, great hall,
all hung in white silk, the marble floor
covered with a velvet carpet of the same
color. And there they Frustrated them
selves in silent prayer remaining an hour
or longer. until the courier almost drove
them away. saying the special train would
depart in fifteen minutes. ct took ten
minutes TO get to the station.)
only the day before Gertrude Mr.. Rus
sells fascinating blonde. had told me the
sad story Of Gladys.
''She was a Boston girl and one OF the
most beautiful of the many fine women
for which that city is famed" she said
MY husband met her four years ago while
on a business trip in the States. 1t was
a case of love at first sight. But when
Gladys learned that Mr.. Russell was a
Mohammedan, that he had already buried
four wives and had two wives living. she
fed in terror from the fascinating man in
whom her whole life was wrapped up.
That made Richard only the more anxious
20 possess this jewel. for such she was. as
we learned TO our pleasure after a while
"Mr. Russell remained in Boston much
longer than he had first intended, until
Miss VandercOok. thinking he had depart
ed, returned. Then they met again and
talked the situation over. AS result of
family council, Gladys followed Mr. Rus
sell 10 Tunis. accompanied by elderly rela-
tives. Gladys was anxious to see US. my
self and Juliette. She wanted to know
what harem life was like.
BEFORE SHE MARRIED MR.. RUSSELL.
MY husband had prepared a house for
the two Boston ladies in the town he
owns. Zagduan. near Tunis. and there sur
rounded them with all the luxuries Of
European and Oriental life. They liked it
so well that they remained the whole win
ter. and in the end Gladys placed her small
white hand in Richards and promised
10 be his wife forever and day.
WIVES NOT JEALOUS.
eve. Juliette and myself. did not prove
so terrible after all. We were not slaves.
as Gladys had assumed. and she was not
10 become one if she joined us. AS for my
SELF, j am the daughter OF a well-tO-dO Ger
man writer and poet. while Juiette's father
Is a French general stationed in Algeria.
All. how We delighted I'm Gladyss silvery
laugh. how we admired her beauty Of face
and form. Of character and sentiment No,
We were never Jealous OF this fine Ameri-
can girl; on the contrary. we united our
prayers with Richards 10 persuade her 10
marry him.
Gladys soon learned that there was
nothing degrading about our mode OF life
and that Mr. Russell was the kindest OF
husbands. but she had religious scruples
Born and bred a Protestant, she could not
bear the thought Of embracing Islam until
Mr.. Russell proved 10 her that there was
not really so much difference between the
Christian and Mohammedan faith.
I'VE were all very happy when Gladys
became one Of US. The wedding took place
on Jan TO- 1s99 and was ma gnihcent, the
religious ceremonies being especially i'm
pressive. Those published reports saying
that there was religious ceremony and
that consequently Gladys was not the legiti-