The sun., 1919-01-21
GRINDS ORGAN IN
$S5,OOO,OOO HUNT
Joel Feldman, Arrested for
Making Music Box q Nui-
sance, Reveals Story.
CLAIMS A BIG ESTATE
Left Poland Twenty Years
Ago to Get Fortune of
California Miner.


Joel Feidman, organ grinder in thc
streets OF New York for eighteen years
was arraigned yesterday in the Harlem
Police Court for grinding his organ as
late as II p. N.
Feldman. who wears a shirt made OF
green carpet and decorated with faded
red flowers. a sleeveless coat fastened
! tightly under his chin and about his
body by safety pins. has shuflcd prob
ably into almost every block in the city.
But the people who dropped pennies
or nickels into his tin cup did not know
that the money would probably so to es-
| tablish a claim to an estate OF $50 900, :
| ooo or that beneath that patched coat OF
many colors reposed proof in queer look
Ing Russian documents OF the organ
grinders inheritance. an Inheritance that
for the past twenty years he vainly has
been endeavoring TO collect
Feldmans tattered. dirty yellow pa
pers did not aid him In court yesterday.
dence-that Feldman had been torturing
citizens living near Lexington avenue
and l25th street Saturday night at IL
o'clock by the whine Of his battered Or
gan. Feldman admitted his guilt, al
though he had never heard Of Section
10, Chapter Il. Of the City Ordinances
He had been grinding his organ after 6
o'clock-he needed the money to get
lawyers to help him secure his fortune.
He Pays Fine OF az.
Two dollars" said Magistrate No.
Ian. With the nickels. pennies and dimes
or the charitable-thrice counted-lest
his Inheritance he delayed by too great
generosity to the city, Feldman paid tho
fine.
Later In his four room fat, two bla ok
flights up, at II East ll7th street, IN a
carpeuess room which gave a fine view
OF the trains laundering past on the
elevated structure on Park avenue, Field
man tod his story. 1t was told with
the aid Of n neighbor who spoke Eng
lish. while his wife. heiress OF millions,
stood by silently. and Feldman's four
children. all girls, frolicked about to
amuse themselves and TO keep worm in
the freless fat
Proofs gentlemen. proofs" Feldman
arranged the papers written in Russian
Stamps and seals bearing the black
eagie OF Russia adorned the papers
Feldrlan IL little old man, five feet
one. according to tho stained FIRST citi-
zenship papers he produced, but the
weight OF the organ has bowed him
down TO good six inches below that
height. His age is So. but he appears
TO be 20.
Twenty years ago Fe.dman owned
little general store in Warsaw He and
his wife were happy and contented.
Then came story In the European
papers which stated that heirs were
being sought for the S35 900, 900 estate
OF one Jacob HorowitZ. later known as
Martini Horowitz of san Francisco.
Horowitz was tho uncle Of Feldman's
wife. lie had left Poland many years
ago 10 seek his fortune In America. In
England he had halted for a time, long
enough to graduate from ONfosd, u
doctor OF medicine. Then he had gone
10 San Francisco and disappeared from
the ken OF his people in Poland.
Refused s2,OOo,OoO On.r.
Tho general store TO longer seemed
such a wonderful success to Feldman
as Il had before the newspaper clip
ping had come 10 place the posi-
bility of great wealth before him. He
collected hts proofs OF his own and his
wfe's birth His neighbors regarded
his fortune as made. and the Deutsche
Bank OF Warsaw. Feldman SAYS. offered
him 100000 for his right in the e.
tate. He laughed al the bankers and
wound up the affairs of the general
store and sailed fo- America. He went
to San Francisco but could find no one
who would heed him or take his case for
his money had dwinded. 4 lawyer
named kovalsky told him 10 60 back
to New York to SEQ a partner of the
dead millionaire In his mining and other
ventures.
Then came the hand organ. Feldman
got II cheap in San Francisco, and with
town by town, across the American Con- |
tlnent. 1t was weary. hard work, but
what could little man. ignorant of Eng |
l!sh and unfit for hard work, do? In |
New York Feidman learned nothing but !
the death of Horowitz's partner. Mean !
time his wife had arrived In Now York |
Eight children were born TO them, but !
only four survive. !
For some years another heir of the
HoroUltz wealth, a Mrs Wcinstcin. |
helped Feldman in his search but She |
died. leaving the organ grinder and his !
wife sole heirs TO tho fortune. Some |
days Feldman's organ would net him |
50, sometimes SO. On HOLIDAYS the wall !
Of hts music box occasionally charmed |
as much as Sc from the pockets of the |
poDulace