The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-11
WIFE AND DAUGHTER FIGHT
FOR THE FORTUNE OF JOKAl
Romance of the Great Hungarian Will Be Explained in
the Courts by the Widow and Adopted Child

kal's nieces to a share of the inher-
itance. Altogether it would seem very
probable that the lawyers may yet get
the greater part of Maurus Jokai's
property.
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
brief one, for the aged author proved
an ardent wooer. but the disparity in
the ages of the couple exposed them to
much ridicule. 1t was this which led
Jokai to publish defense Of marriage
between old men and young women in
general, and of his own marriage in
particular. In this he asserted that
although his years exceeded the psalm
lists limit, the SHOWS of wintry age had
not chilled his blood while his capacity
for love was greater than that of most
young men of the period. But it did
not reconcile people to the marriage Of
the national idol with a girl who was
young enough to be his great-grand
daughter.
The relatives of his first wife, of
whom he had written after her de-
cease, "she was the angel Of salvation
who rescued me from exile and death:
the sharer of all my sorrows, the pride
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 welcome guest. And
when it was discovered that she was
also a Jewess the anti-Semitic feeling
which is SO strong in Hungary was
aroused against him. In consequence
he fell into dfsfavor. not only with the
court and aristocracy, 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
exclusive court functions. When at
other gatherings he CHANGED to meet
members 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
fornlality. Many old friends ostenta-
tiously ignored him. Among those who
remained true to him not a few refused
to receive his wife, but the proud old
man refused to accept invitations III
which she was not included.
It was on the occasion of the first
anniversary of his first wife's death
after his second marriage that he was
made to feel the full measure Of the
odium he had incurred by wedding
lHIEu-Idte JEWISH dCtISSS. AS nctQ Decil
his custom on each anniversary of his
first wife's death Jokai drove to the
cemetery where she was buried to pay
a tribute to her memory. He deposited
on her grave a wreath which bore the
inscription, Rosa, from her ever
loving and ever sorrowing husband,
Maurus." His young wife, whom he
had taken with him, placed on the
grave another wreath which bore the
words, Rosa from Bella" Later the
first wifes relatives reached the ceme-
terry to place their floral offerings on
the tomb. They, indignantly tore up.
both of the wreathS that they found
there and sent the fragments to Jokai's
home.
Jokai paid another visit to the ceme-
terry and placed another wreath on his
wife's grave, but her Infatuated rela-
tlves again destroyed it. Then Jokai
started legal proceedings against them
and sought to rally public opinion to
his side by denOuncing their conduct in
the press. But popular feeling. taking
little heed of the legal questions in
volved in the unseemly quarrel. unmis-.
takably proclaimed itself against him.
He was no longer the nations idol
Feeling keenly his dsthronement he
withdrew from the city, and thereafter
spent more of his time in one or the
other of his two beautiful country resi-
soled by visit from Countess
Stephanis Lonyay, formerly Crown
Princess of Austria. 1t was touch of
fellow feeling that brought her there.
BY her marriage she. too, had defied
the conventions and public opinion. In
a long conversation with him, which
she authorized him to publish, she de-
clared that her admiration for him had
been Increased tenfold by what he had
done. Just as l have found complete
bliss in marrying the man love-" shs
said, so 1 am sure that you, too. will