The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-15
ADVANCE AGENT TOTHE STORK
STORK BROKE TBE CONTRACTS
-WOMEN MOBBED BENJAMIN.
Jewish Christian scientist Had 100 Patients
n Day. They say-sOme Paid Big
Money for Babies That Never Came
Many DisapDOinted Parents In Court.


A group Of excited women gathered in
front Of 343 East Seventeenth street yes
terday. Some Of them shook their fists
at one Of the front windows and shouted.
"Humbug! Come out herel'
The crowd had grown to a considerable
size when Policeman Heany got wind OF
II and strolled up.
He promised me a baby. He got my
good money out 1 got no baby, and my
husband wanted one 40 badly" explained
one of the women to whom che policeman
spoke.
Other women gathered about the cop
and said they had been swindled In their
plans to induce the stork to visit their
homes. Heany counted fifteen OF the
aggrieved women and they told him that
there were about forty others.
Sounds Of strife next came out from the
first floor hallway and the policeman went
inside to investigate. There were a dozen
men in there. They were the husbands
of the angry women on the sidewalk. They
wanted the policeman to arrest Julius
! Benjamin, who had an office and a suite
Of rooms in the building.
what did he do2' asked the policeman.
"He told my wife he'd bring a baby for
her, as he has God in his house, +" said Hey
man Goldfarb, q clothier Of 254 Seventh
street.
ale promised to cure my wife without
medicine or an operation said Isidore
Richter, a law clerk who lives at l4S Gin
ton street.
Il thought every family on the East
Side had as many children as it wanted.
II he promised them more / don't see any
thing against the law in that, remarked
the policeman.
Richter said he would make u complaint
that the man had obtained money under
false pretenses from him. The policeman
then arrested Benjamin, who was nearly
mobbed by the angry women when he
reached the side walk.
BENJAMIN is SO years old. He is a good
looking chap, with black eyes and a pointed
black beard, and is a plausible talker.
He is a Russian Hebrew and says that he
is a Christian Scientist by profession. He
has been in this country eighteen years and
in the profession for ten years. For the
past four years he has been in business at
his present address. A maid dressed in
white ushers in the patients or customers
On some days, II was said yesterday, there
were more han 100 men INT women waiting
to consult Ben iamin. The man himself
said that his business was small up to three
years ago. Some of the women who went
to his home yesterday said he was reputed
to be a millionaire, but wealth is usually
exaggerated on the East Side.
The policeman set off for the Yorkville
police court with his prisoner, and a dozen
of the women some with their husbands,
went along. The apparel Of the women
indicated prosperity. The prisoner wore a
frock coat and had diamonds on his fingers
and in his tie. This is a partial list Of the
married women who said they had been
deceived in the expectations being blessed
with babies whioh Benjamin held out to
them: Mn. Bessie Hyman OF 7oj Fifth
street, Mrs. sofia Jacobwitz of 2ss
Seventh street, Mrs. Louisa Mangold of
729 Fifth street, Mrs. Annie Samuels Of ~
Willett street, Mrs. Goldfarb OF 24
Sc venth street, Mrs. Rose Furdiok OF o.
Avenue c and Mrs. Frieda Spiegel of 14l
Ridge street.
The Hymans have beer married eight
years. They have longed for children. but
no baby has come to make them happy.
Some one recommended Mrs. Hyman to
go and SEQ Benjamin, she said, and she did
SO. He usually charged s? for the first
visit and 81 for eacn subsequent visit.
Sometimes the fee went up quite high when
the patient could stand it. For three weeks
she made daily visits to his Office: then less
frequently. She made one hundred visits
altogether.
Last summer when she was about to go to
the Catskills Benjamin told her, she says,
that her wish for a baby was soon to be
fulfilled and he gave her some instructions
about wearing loose clothing,
81 rave spoken to God in your behalf and
my prayer has been answered. Be sure
and not take any medicine while you are
away she declares he said to her.
She went to the mountains rejoicing and
after a time wrote back to her husband
that what they longed for would soon come
to pass. Husband and wife were happy
in their belief, which continued to grow
strong. One night a month ago the hus-
band FASTENED to the office of DR.. Marcowitz,
Come quick, doctor. My wife wants
you right away. l hope it will be a boy, for
I want a son very, much, he said:
The physician hurried to the house and
gested to the oma that she might as we'll
get out of bed, for she was going to be dis
you've been ~humbugged," he told them
as he left the house.
Isldore Jacobwitz is a prosperous real
estate agent. 1t was said that he had given
about 81 1000 to Benjamin. He and his
wife wanted a baby. Other women said
they had paid various amounts from 500
.cN' NS hhoIoiAJ WOtV IN
for the children that had been denied them.
When a Jewish woman on the East Side
does not have children 1t nearly breaks
her heart" Benjamin said TO the police
man.
Richter. the law clerk, made the formal
complaint that Benjamin got 81 from him
under false p%retences.
What did you give the 81 for? Did you
want a baby, too?' asked Lawyer Spiel
berg.
mo, this man said he could cure my wife
without medicine or any operation. i
was No. 90 that day, so you can see what a
good business he had: l gave. him s12
altogether and my wife gave him more.
He told ME he was a doctor and a Christian
Scientist. All 1 saw him do was to spill
a bottle of cologne about"
Hyman Goldfarb then told this story
through an interpreter.
Il was told by my wife that there was a
man in Seventeenth street who had God
in his house. went there with her and told
this man that | wanted my wife to nave a
child. He told me hat my wife would
have q girl. He told me it would cost me
81 a visit. For some time l believed we
would get the little girl. and then l began
to despair and told him 30. He said l was
full Of sins and 1 must go and get a silver