The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-08
Robbed Women of Their Lifetime
Savings After Marriage.
ONE HUNDRED WIVES
That is the Number the Rascal Now
Sought Had. lie Joined the
Gaug Six Years Ago, and
Soon Became Ring.
leader Among Them.

leader Among Them.
The New York American says in
vestigation OF the marvellous marital
exploits Of DR.. George A. Witzhoff,
biRamist, revealed recently that there
Is an organized band on the East Side,
mum bering seventy. five members, who
during the last ten years have married
more than 1000 young women for
| their savings desert ting them within
q few days or weeks, according to the
length Of time 1t took to cajole them
out Of their money.
The head Of this combine is known
as Harry Kaufman, and when arrested
aud arraigned In the E ,scx Market
Court two years ago he was confronted
| by twenty six women who claimed
| him for husband.
DR.. WijZhttr, whose matrimonial
exploits we're unearthed through the
efforts OF Miss Dora Dorf, whom he
married under the name Of Weston,
] )incd the organization six years ago,
and Immediately became one OF It's
ringleaders by reason Of his pleasing
address, his accomplishments and the
fact that he could speak six or seven
languages, and WOO in all Of them.
1t was found, through one OF his
earliest wives, Mrs. Sophie Youcker,
OF No. 205 Broome street, that Witt
hLM has married more than thirty
young women whose names are known,
and probably Is the husband OF more
than one hundred East Side girls, In
addition to the wives he married in
other cities.
The Identification OF Witzhoff, as
the husband Of the young women
whose names were furnished by her,
was complete, as Mrs. Youcker (the
name under which Witzhofr married
her. first laid her finger upon por
trait Of Witzhoff, and then upon the
name Of each woman, exclaiming in
turn:
That Is the man that married that
woman"
1t was found that Wltzhoff used the
name of Schotty, Schottie, Cohn,
Kahn, Stein, Goldstein, Swartz Omar.
rying two women under that name,)
Krieger, Horwilz, Glucker and others,
including the thirteen names publish
ed recently In "Americ M
1t was found through woman who
recently called upon Attorney Banja
min Franklin, No. 145 Nassau street,
that the mans real name Is Vivitz
hotr, and that he went under that
name when living with his mother at
East One Hundred aud Sixth street
and Third avenue
Letters received by Attorney Frank
lin from out Of town showed that the
man sought had wives in Bridgeport,
New Haven, Pittsburg, Hartford and
other cities, aud that he owned prop
crty In Plttsourg during the time he
lived there, and when he married
young woman named Thorpe.
The organized gang, which has been
engaged Ia marrying East Side young
women for their money. has had head
quarters, and maintained an assocla-
tlon as iirmly bound together as was
the association Of "GendrOns." They
operated through the medium OF ma.
trimonlal agencies, or "Schalzens,"
who we're hand. in. glove with the mem
bers, and who hunted up the young
women eligibles, presenting them to
the mon harpies who sought their aay
ings.
Principal among these "schatzans,"
according to the story Of some OF the
victims to the American" were a
Mrs. Epstein and q man named Fried.
man, whose addresses are known, and
whose operations will be made the
subject OF police inquiry.
was married to Harry Kaufman,
the 'ingleadef OF the band" said Nj rs.
E. Rosenberg, OF No. E.dridge
street, and gave him $25. That is
all he got out OF me. The gang mar.
ried murc than 600 girls on the East
Side. Twenty six women we're in
court and accused him OF marrying
them. He Is now in Sing Sing"
Il have found more than twenty
girls myself that Witzhoff, or Youkcr,
married." said Mrs. Youckcr, "and a
large number that Kaufman married.
The organized band OF these harples
numbers seventy five, and they have
been operating for many years. Above
200 girls have been married and de-
serted by them" A condition or terror
pcrvAdes the East Side in the district
bounded by Eldridge street, the East
River, Grand Street and Henry street
Girls who have been victimiz ale
afraid Of violence at the hands Of the
members Of the "oand," as 1T "a call
ed, and hesitatcd to betray their
trouble, even on finding that they
: have been mulcted OF their life saw
ings. 1t is this fear that has pre-.
vented the discovery OF the opera.
lions or the band beiOre
Mrs. Anna David, Of No. 2o4 Stan.
ton street, who was marie d by Witt
nOlf under the name OF Godstein, y
Is now conducting ~ small and pros
porous business, and would not ad.
NIT her identity as one Of the victims
Of thcima2. It had been said In ad
vance, by her friends, that Mrs. David
would not make a charge against the
bigamst, for fear that some OF his
friends would shoot her.
Additional proof Of the fear OF the
residents OF the district for the mem.
bers OF the gang was Furnished when
Mrs. Sophie Youcker vas asked 10 ac.
company an American" reporter and
| Attorney Benjamin Franklin, to the
houses Of several OF the women who
have been victim!z3d.
II would not think OF IT," she cried
, unless | have proper protection. The
members OF the band would shoot me
~ they thought l was Investigating