The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09
Youthful Widow of
Tokai Fighting
Relatives.
Adopted Daughter
Would Break
His Will.

estate IS the object Of a very inter
esting 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 JokaPs 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 look
ing forward TO some new revelations OF
the domestic life Of the great author
Jokai married for the second time, at
the age Of IS, an actress, Belle Weiss,
who was more than ffty-five years his
Junior. being only 19 at the time. He
had no children Of his own, but had
adopted a daughter. who is now the
wife OF a painter named Arpad Feszthy.
The new wife and Frau Feszthy soon
ouarreled and the latter found herself
a very unwelcome guest at the Jokai
home. The marriage took place in
1899. and after that time Jokai's daugh-
ter saw but little Of him.
When Jokai's Will was opened il 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 Feszthy
has fled a protest against the will,
alleging that Jokai was not his own
master at the time the viii was made.
VALUE OF THE ESTATE.
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 iss-a.bS0lute
nonsense, and that the estate is worth
nearly million kronen CS20O,OOOO. The
estate was inventoried by a court
notary, who seems to have accepted
unhesitatingly all the widows state
ments, ignoring the daughters protests.
According 10 the latter's statement,
only a few articles Of furniture were
put in the schedule Valuable collec-
tiOns Of curios 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 a million
krOncn (s100 000). Among the pictures
was an oil painting by the famous Rus
sian war artist, Vereschtschagin, who
met with such a tragic end in the war
In the Far East. This picture was
dedicated TO Jokai and bears the in
script0n in the painters own hand
writing. To Monsieur Jokai." It's
value is put in the inventory 1t a few
kronen only. JOkais country villa at
Schwabenberg. with a large park, is
put down at $1,000, whereas Frau
Feszthy declares it is worth over $2O,-
ono.
Jokais widow makes a vigorous an
swer 10 these charges and attacks Frau
Feszthy very bitterly. threatening her
with some unpleasant revelations as to
her treatment Of her father.
The official nOtary's inventory of the
estate shows an Indebtedness Of $4,000,
$500 Of which is due to Jokais pub
hshers. Frau Feszthys lawyers de-
manded that a new inventory should
be made but this the court has refused,
so that the widow has won the first
round in the contest.
NIARRIEs JEWISH ACTRESS.
Jokai's first wife had been dead four
teen years when he married Mile. Belle
Weiss, an actress attached to the Ma
tional Theater in Budapest, whose ac-
quaintance he made at the rehearsal
Of one Of his plays. The courtship was
a brief one, for the aged author proved
an ardent wooer, but the disparity in
the ages Of the couple exposed them to
much ridicule. II was this which led
Jokai TO publish a defense Of marriage
between old men and young women in
general, and OF his own marriage in
particular.
The relatives Of his first wife, of
- \,
''She was the angel Of salvation who
rescued me from exile and death, the
sharer Of all my sorrows, the pride of
my life" declared that it was an in
suit to her memory. The fact that his
youthful bride was an obscure actress
caused the marriage TO be regarded
with strong disapprobation in the high
social circles in which the great man
had long been a welcome guest, and
when Il was discovered that she was
also 2 Jewess the anti-Semitic feeling,
which is strong in Hungary. was
aroused against him. In consequence
he fell into disfavor, not only with the
court and aristocracs. but also with
the Magyar students, who had formerly
been his most enthusiastic admirers,
and the ever tickle public generally. No
longer did he receive invitations to ex-
elusive court functions. When at other
gatherings he chanced to meet MEM
bers Of the imperial family, in place of
the warm greetings which he had been
accustomed TO receive at their hands
he was treated with cold formality.
Many old friends ostentatiously ignored
him. Among those VINO remained true
10 him not a few refused TO receive his
wife, but the proud old man refused to
accept invitations in which she was not
included.
RELATIVES INDIGNANT.
II was on the occasion of the first