The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-11
,peeiaI Foreign Service

IN UDAPEST, Sept 10 MauruS
TX Jokai's estate is the object of a
very interesting family quarrel. On
the one side stands the youthful widow
of the great Hungarian novelist, who
is in possession of the property; on the
other side is Jokais adopted daughter,
who is older than the widow, and who
finds herself disinherited. The contest
over the will has already begun in the
courts. and the Budapest gossips are
looking forward to some new revela-
lions of the domestic life of the great
author.
Jokaf married for the second time, at
the age of seventy-five, an actress,
Belle Weiss, who was more than fifty
five years his junior, being only nine
teen at the time. He had no children of
his own. but had adopted a daughter,
who is now the wife of painter
named Arpad Feszthy. The new wife
and-Frau Feszthy soon quarreled, and
the latter found herself very unwel-
come guest at the Jokai home. The
marriage took place in 1893, and after
that time Jokais daughter saw but
little of him. In fact, she now accuses
the widow of having virtually kept her.
husband a prisoner, permitting no one
to see him during the last few months
OF his life. except the doctor, whom
she had herself engaged.
When JokaiS will was opened it was
found that he had left everything to
his wife. and completely disinherited
Frau FeSzthy, the document stating
that ample provision had been made
for her during his lifetime. Frau Fes-
zthy has flied a protest against the
will. alleging that Jokai was not his
own master at the time the will was
made. The document, she says, is in
his handwriting merely, and does not
represent the wishes of his heart.
Perhaps the most interesting point
in the case is the question as to the
value of the estate. The widow insists
that the poet died actually in debt,
while the daughter asserts this is alb
soiute 7 Nnsense, and that the estate
Is Wor-n nearly million kronen
(S200. 000). The estate was inventoried
by court notary. who seems to have
accepted unhesitatingly all the widows
statements, ignoring the daughters
protests. According to the latter's
statement, only a few articles of furni-
ture were put in the schedule. Valu-
able collections of eurios and pictures
were not mentioned, neither were the
publishing rights of the deceased,
which Frau Feszthy asserts have fifty
years to run and are worth at least
half million kronen ($200, 000).. Among
the pictures was an painting by
the famous Russian war artist. Nerest-
Chagiu. who met with such a
tragic end in the war in the far East
This picture was dedicated to Jokai,
and bears the inscription in the pain
ter's own handwriting ITO Mon
sieur- Jokai." Its value is put in the
inventory at a few kronen only. Jo-
kafs country villa at Schwabenberg,
with a large park, is put down at $1,000.
c'hereas Frau Feszthy declares it is
worth over $4,000.
Jokais widow makes a vigorous
answer to these charges, and attacks
Frau F'eszthy very bitterly. threatening
her with some unpleasant revelations
as to her treatment of her father. FRAU
Jokat says she has legal documents
which show that the daughter received
$4,000 in hard cash before the second
marriage. besides other considerable
sums. She also claims to have deed
under which Jokai gave to her all his
curios and other valuables. This deed
states that he transferred the property
TO her. as proof of his love, and also
IN Oruer tnat no Otner unworthy IN
dividual should be able to make any
claim upon it.
The official notary's inventory. of
the estate shows an indebtedness of
$4,000, $1,000 of which is due to Jo-
kafs publishers. Frau Feszthys law
yers demanded that new inventory
should be made, but this the court has
refused. so that the widow has won
the first round in the contest
The legal situation has now become
more complicated by the claims of Jo-