Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-04
THREE WOMEN
CAUSE TROUBLE
MlSHAPS OF ABD'EL KADER
AND FAMILY
Swarthy Algerian Painter Relates
Experience in Which Rich Men
Tried to Steal His
Wives

Abdel Kader and his three wives had
since their advent into the United
States some six months ago. The
swarthy Algerian, with few wives
selected from his harem. do wonderful
stunts at the Orpheum with paint
brushes and an eXpanse of paper.
The Algerian artist is a thorough
cosmopolitan and speaks eight or nine
languages as he says, IAN badly, but
well enough to he understood"
The three wives proposition came
near excluding him and his family
from the United States When they
landed at Staten island, Abd'el Kader
told the immigration official that the
women were his wives, which precipi-
tated all kinds of complications. The
more than one wife in this great land
of the free and the brave and keep out
of Jail.
That difficulty was easily overcome
for the resouTceful Abdel said: "Ah,
then if the ladies may not enter the
United States as my wives they may
perhaps enter as my relatives" The
inspector was perfectly willing that
such an arrangement be made and ac-
cordingly the four entered the sacred
precincts of New York.
Another PTedlcament
Some time later Abd'el and his three
were advertised to appear in a vaude-
Vile house belonging to Oscar Ham
1nerstein in New York. They We're of
course. billed as Abd'el Kader and his
three wives The immigration official
was much perturbed at the knowledge
that the four were so very closely re-
lated and told Abdeel as much. The
willy Algerian said to him in smoothest
tones. II told you, did L not, that the
ladies were my relatives Well, so they
are very closely related to me indeed"
The immigration official saw the
point.
I'm your journeyings about the world
YOU have seen many stTang things and
have had many odd experiences, is 1t
not so" was asked.
The English used by the master in
replying is indescribable. Broken to
degree, the French accent predomi-
mated, although a trace of German was
present.
"Oh. yes" he replied, '-many curious
things have happened to me IN the
twenty years I have been on the stage.
Attempts have been made to kidnap
my wives, have been refused admit
tance to hotels on account of my family
and altogether [ find this America
country very strange indeed.
Experience in Utica
when we were in Utica, N. WAS
it not in Utica, Fatma?" he asked one
of his wives. She replied in a jargOn
that was probably Turkish, although it
may have been Chinese, and apparently
treasured her lord and master that il
was indeed in Utica that the misfortune
occurred.
Abd'el Kader continued:
.gT4 ;,, ATp he ~
act and were waiting for a carriage to|
take us to the hotel The call boy of
the theater came to me and said: There
is man to see you out in front, Mr.
Kader.' So l went out and looked for
the man who wanted to see me. There
was no one i'll sight. ! thought that
was most extraordinary and after wait
ing for a few minutes l went back on
the stage to get my wives in order that
we might go to our hotel.
"Fatma and Beja were there, but
Aicha was not and they told me she
had gone to the carriage in front of
the theater. That was odd, for l had
not yet ordered the carriage. L hur-
ried out in front and there were two
men trying to force Aicha into Il cab.
AS soon as they saw me they ran, and
the cab drove off.
Offered Reward
The next day 1 offered a reward for
the names of the men who tried to
steal my wife, and finally l found out
who they were. | went to the police
captain and l said to him: Last night
these men tried to steal from me my
wife, Aicha.' He made sure that [ was
telling the truth and then he ordered
their arrest. They were the two richest
men in Utica. One was a doctor ana
the other was the owner of many of the
largest buildings. They got word that
they We're to be arrested and they ran
away.
ooh. I tell you it is not what you
call a cinch to keep three wives in
America"
Never do the wives let down their
wells except when they are alone with
their lord. From the gIimpses of them
caught while they went in and out of
their dressing room at the Orpheum
they are most charming wives indeed.
and the rich man who wanted to steal
one cannot be too harshly judged. To be
the sole possessOr of so much beauty
and ability must be most pleasant.
Story of Kader's Life
The story of how Abd'el Kader and
wives happened to go on the vaudeville
stage is interesting. The Algerian is
descended from one of the Oldest
y
grandfather was for many years
political prisoner in France, as was his
father. Accordingly the youthful
Abd'el received most of his education
in Paris. His artistic educatio he ac-
quired in Lyons, The faculty which he
has of painting quickly and well was
noticed by Marchand, manager of the
F'Olies Bergere in Paris. In that IA
NOUS theater he played a long engage
ment and has since showed all over the
world.
When he was showing on the con-
tinent Oscar Hammerstein saw him and
engaged him for a long tour in the
United States. In all his engagements
prior to the one in this country he has
been alone. although he kept up his
establishment in Kabyl, the home of his
fathers for unnumbered years. He had
previously taught his wives much that
he knew of painting almost in
In its advanced and chronic Fo,,,,