New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-01
NAY BE WITTE'S RELATIVE
SO JANITOR HERE SAYS.
East Side Jezc Thinks Himself Kin
of DiplomGts Wife.

The most excited janitor in NesH-York City yes
terday was Adolph Neurack. of No 21l East 1ith-
st. who had just been informed that he was the
brother-inlaw of no less parsonage than the Rus
sian plenipotentary Sergius Witte. Neurack. whose
work as janitor Is supplemented by occasional
Job of plumbing is native of the little town ef
Shavel. in Russia He is Jew, and the son OF
Baer Neurack. of the prominent merchants OF
the town. Nearly twenty years ago Neurack left
home. and since then he has either of his
two unmarried sisters Rumors of famous mar
riage have come TO him. but he did not know any
defnits facts until yesterday. when he received
letter from a relative. DIR. William Holman. of AL
lance n. J.. telling him that his sister Pauline was
the wife of the great Russian Minister.
The letter told the story of the romance of NJ
Witte and the Jewish girl whom he made his wife.
When NJ Witte was only minor official-'natchla-
nick is the Russian ttle-he was frequently
visitor at Shavel. In this town Baer Neurack
a prominent citizen whose house visitors
entertained. and here NJ. Witte met MISS
Neurack Residents of the East Side who say
they knew Miss Neusack declare that she
handsome, but her wit and cleverness
were widely known. Thus 1t was. SO Neurack
believes that in the journeys of NJ. Witte
the little Jewish girl by the charm of her
conversation captured the future diplomat who.
at the of his career, shouldered the burden
of Jewish wife. no sman burden in the anti
semitic Russian court Moreover. the East Side
gossip records that he has. unlike many Russian
husbands. treated his wife well
WAITING FOR AN AUDIENCE.
In the letter Adolph Neurack received yesterday
his relative gave him careful directions as to how
he should bear himself the brothcr-in-law or
distinguished a person. 1t gave him also the
first mixing which of his sisters was the wife
of NJ. Witte. The directions about behavior were
supplemented by the other portion of the letter.
which told the East Side janitor that he would be
permitted visit Sergius Witte. and impaired to
him mysterious signal which would secure
him admttance to the presence OF the Russian
statesman Armed with this signal. Adoph
Neurack. some time janitor of No. al East 14th-st
and also plumber by trade is waiting to obtain an
audience with NJ witte whom he believes to be
his brother-in-iaw. and who Is now a figure OF
worldwide Importance
Il believe that 81 Witte is my brother r-in-iaw.
said Adolph Neurack last night. as he sat in his
little basement apartment. But what should
talk about it for2 Last Monday 1 wrote him let
and told him who was And yet no answer
comes 1 do not care for Wtte: care not so
much for him for this cigarette am smoking.
/ do not ask him for money but l want to know
is his wife my sister. will find out. Aready>I
have had letters telling me part. Soon will find
o1t This do know: that Witte's wife Is either
my cousin my sister; she is either the daughter
of my uncle, Yohle. my father, Baer Neurack-
1 have letters that show that.
II have letter from DIR. holman. He Is rela-
tive of my fathers. ! always called him uncle
He came from Russia with me- He writes me an
eight-page letter to-day. telling me that he knew
witte that he often drinking tea with him. ana
that he married my sister Paulina From another
cousin have word to-day that Whites wife Is
not nv sister Paulina. but my cousin Msthiida-
| do not know how it is vet. but l viii write 10
Russia now to find out. 1 would not go 10 see
Witte but would like to find my family. They
think | am dead.
HEARD NOTHING FOR FOURTEEN YEARS.
TT is twenty years since came from Rus
Nr1yc Qndf
the richest in my town He was 'ahuef
bilt in that town. My father kept the big hotel of
the place In Russia In every city hotel the gov
ernnent keeps special apartments for the ofnciais,
and there were such in my fathers MOTEL here
have letters to show that Witte came and stopped
and met my sister Paulna. and that he married
her But that after l came away came to
America and / was boy, and for little wrote
home I got pictures of my family: have them
and when find a{ out thfn mGTs Tlll sho" 'hem
heard sG fTo See faf for my
heard hear o Nothing Then from my town wrots
letter which sI have aha trem frem Russia
and then l began to get letters teng me that His m
NOT NOT want to do anything suppose say something
and it makes Witte mad and fo he TSIs Ssi is he talk
ing so nT5 much fors Why don't he come and see me
and talk 10 me-? ,.o 49,, o,d
wife when he goes back 10 Russia SO last don
Day Tfe be too mus BUSY naybe the letter gets put the
~ aeket How can find out? write Ei-S 10
+au Rim Who I am and ask him what MS Wite5
name was and her fathers. But Will Inc OUT hoW;
n-ilI write 10 St Petersburg ana 10 MOSCOW, aIo
some one will tell me. l want TO near OF my
hrothers and of my sisters-there were 1our "4Su
7 caIne away two married and two unmarried. loa
and Paulina unmarried -,
~ have got letters and proofs to show VINO am
7 have an official passport TO identfy me- naIheo
with the eagle have the pictures and the letters
Of NV parents but I will not show these now.
viii not do anything that will make me Iooisn.
viii fnd out soon whether the great Witte mar
anyway Then l will produce my papers But the
Ia1yish papers they writing lies ABOUT me-
Thev saw that I am a rela tive of Witte, the great
Witfe starving in cellar You can see am
NOT starving | am janitor. but have enough 70
eat You ind out from Witte who his wlfe was
and her father. She will be Mathilda or Pauhna;
and She Will Neurach. anyway Then VIII
show you proof ~
Neurarb IS an extremely intelligent looking Rus-
san Jew short Of stature, but wlry, and ne speaks
English with considerable iuency. He says that MS
ia rily were all well e0'.Cated- and he speaks Ge-
man and French well "a Russian and JeWlsn-
One of his uncle5 was author. and ne declares
that his Russian English dictionary IS TO be oougnt
in Canal-st book stores He is confident that his
relationship will be proved. but he is somewhat
p11Zzled as TO how get the Russian Minister 10
answer the burning question to whether he mar
ried PauIina Neurach of Shayel. his sister or
Na1hilda Neurach of another city, his cousin
Portsmouth Aug a.-M. Witte's secretary to-
night told The Tribune correspondent that Nine