The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-01-06
AFTER EUROPE'S
MARRIAGE MART
INTERNATIONAL BUREAU THAT
MATCHES NOBLEMEN AND
HEIRRSSES.
GET IMMENSE RAKE-OFFS
Has Agents Throughout United States.
Many Of Americas Wealthy Women
Find Titled Husbands In This Way.

.-Special.-Secret Service
men who rank high in the service of
their respective governments are In
vestigating an international marriage
bureau which has its headquarters
here and which is said to have clear
ed millions of dollars for Its pro-
moters by arranging marriages be-
tween impecuniouS noblemen and
heireSSeS, mainly Americans. 1t is de-
clared that within the last generation
more than $100,000,000 in 6owries has
passed from the United States to Eng
land. France, Germany and Italy as
the result of the Vaccinations of this
syndicate.
Branches are maintained in all of
the principal European cities, and a
secret service or private inquiry de-
partment exists i'm the United States
which supplies exhaustive information
as to the financial prospects, person
ality and appearance of every Ameri-
can girl whose parents are financially
able to meet the market rates for
titled husband.
Women are employed almost ex-
clusively for this confidential work,
and everyone of them is, of necessity.
of excellent social standing.
The rates charged with effecting
these matches depend upon the
amount of dowry involved.
The syndicate will not concern it
self with a match which would not
Get Immense "Rake-ofTs."
Its "rake-offs,' however, ranged
from this sum to 100000, and a
match it is now trying to negotiate
between a widely-known Prince and
one of the most beautiful and promi-
nent American heiresses would bring
it the record sum of 100000.
The syndicate'S method OF proce-
dure is comparatively simple. An i'm
poverished nObleman applies to it for
n, III.
an American. He pays a registration
fee and is then shown list of eligi-
bleS with their prospective inherit
ances given and their physical attrib-
utes described as infinitely as though
they were thoroughbred horses offer
ed for sale.
Before seeing the list, however, he
signs an agreement to pay a percent
age Of his future wife's dowry to the
agency. The next step is to advertise
him in the section of America where
his intended bride lives. This is done
by cleVeriy prepared advance stories OF
his family's antiquity, his own inter
esting personality. his career in the
Boer War or as a big game hunter
etc. and then when the time is ripe
the agency provides him with an ade-
Quate wardrobe. money for current ex-
foremost folk socially In the city in
which he is 10 make his campaign
and ships him across the Atlantic. From
then on 1T is up to him, and, as events
have proved, unless his title is badly
damaged, he generally wins. The
amount he has pledged to the agency
he, or course, adds to the bill he
charges the family for marrying its
daughter. The agency rarely loses. In
the rare instances where the nobleman
repudiates his promise the brides fam
sly have made good at the agency's
suggestion TO head off humiliating pub
licity.
BIackmaII Levied.
The interest that the secret service
has in the matter now arises from
rumors in English and French society
circles that the matrimonial syndicate
recently has been adding to it's '1egiti-
mate" fees immense sums in black
mail levied on the families OF the mil
lionaire brides II has furnished, and in
cases whore the noble husbands have
particularly unsavory pasts. upon them
as well.
There are said to have been nj least
two striking instances OF this kind OF
blackmailing within the past year
whereby the concern mulcted its vic
Tins OF hundreds OF thousands OF dol
lars. Heretofore while the operations
of the syndicate were we'll known to
the police, they were conducted strict
| ~ within the law. and while the mem
/ bers OF it were not in particularly
J good odor with the authorities. they
| were beyond interference. II the black
4 mailing tactics can be established sum-
| mary action will follow. The task
! seems almost hopeless, however as the
| social prominence of the victims makes
! them willing to endure almost any
amount OF extortiOn rather than 10
| openly confess that their own flesh
and blood has been the subject OF a
! cold-blooded, revolving matrimonial
deal.