New-York tribune., 1920-02-23
Arnstein Foes
Framed Him
Asserts Wife
Fannie Brice Claims limo.
cence of ReputedMaster
Mindin BOndRobberies:
Says He Had No Money
Her $500 a Week
Keeps Home Going
He Was Generous, but Un-
able to Support; 'Nicky'
a Relic of Younger Days

able to support; 'NIcky'
a Relic of Younger Days
Mrs. Jules w. Arnstein, known on
the stage as Fannie Brice, declared yes
terday that her husband was not the
master mind" behind the Wall Street
bond robberies and that the charges
against him were either the result Of
some "horrible mistake" or the efforts
of his enemies to frame" him.
Mrs. Arnstein is appearing in
ziegfeld's midnight Frolic" on the
New Amsterdam Roof. She has been
on the stage for more than ten years
and is known in every large city in
the country. AS side line she has
dressmaking establishment at 1877
west Seventy second Street She said
yesterday in an interview with re-
porter for The Tribune that the income
from this business, with what she
earned on the stage. formed the prn-
cipal means of livelihood for herself
and husband. She denied the state
ment made by representative of the
National Surety Company that her
husband was wealthy and that his
fortune was composed almost entirely
of money obtained through bond thefts.
MY husband is not rich" said Mrs
Arnstein, who had just come from a
sick bed and was attired in a blue and
gold embroidered dressing gown. "The
fact is that he had hardly any money.
l know that he never received any
stolen bonds"
Family Has Four Servants
The Arnsteins have been married
two years. Since last September they
have occupied handsomely furnished
eight-room suite in the La Grange
apartments, at 1 West Eighty third
Street. They have a six months old
daughter, Frances. They own an auto
mobile, have four servants and numer-
Gus pets, including huge German po-
lice dog named Jack.
The couple have lived at the Eighty
third Street address under the name Of
Mr.. and Mrs. j. w. Arnold. They dis
carded the name of Arnstein, Fannie
Brice said, because it was the one un-
der which her husband was arrested
before they were married. She conced-
ed that his real name was Jules w.
Arnstein.
Il know that my husband is abso-
lutely innocent and will return and ex-
plain everything" Mrs. Arnsten de-
clared. II know, too, that he could
never have been involved in the gigan-
tic robberies in the financial district
without my knowing it. He told me
everything. When he left me on the
afternoon Of February IL he didn't say
where he was going or when he might
return. ! haven't heard word from
him since, but that is not unusual, as
he has frequently left me for week
or two without communicating with
me. / am sure that he could not have
gone very far, because he didn't pre-
pare for long trip and I don't be-
lieve he had much money with him.
He Had No Secrets, Says Wife
"Thcse stories about him having
large sums of money on deposit in
various banks are pure fiction. He
didn't have cent in any bank except
the Pacific Bank. and the authorities es
have investigated and know that it
source. That and an account | kept
in a local bank for household purposes
are the only deposits we had. If Mr..
Arnstein had had any other accounts
1t would have been almost impossible
for him to keep the fact from me-
He never even played the races with
out telling me Of it.
although my husband has engaged
in various lines of business. he has
never made much money, and | have
contributed the cash--about 5000 a
week-which goes to support this
apartment and our little family.
make $500 week on the stage, and in
addition to that l have dressmaking
business in West Seventy-second
Street which returns substantial
revenue. / am twenty-cight years old
and have been working hard since
was fourteen. and l haven't forgotten
to lay something aside.
"I met Mr.. Arnstein in Baltimore
six years ago when l was playing
there and we were married in Brook
lyn in 1917. He told me all about
being arrested in 1912 in connection
witt; that overlapping affair and am
sure he was made the goat at that
time for the crime of others. Since
then he has been a family man, has
led a perfectly straight life and has
not been the master mind behind all
these bond robberies, as the police say
he has:
while my husband devoted a good
deal of his time to playing the races
he also engaged in legitimate business
pursuits. He at one time conducted 8
shirt hospital where mems shirts and
women's waists were mended. He also
invented and sold patent Ire de.
tector, and more recently was in the
secondhand automobile business In
this line he made considerable money
and frequently would hand me a
twenty dollar bill and tell me to 30 buy
something for myself. He never made
enough, however, to pay the expenses
of an establishment such as the one
we are living in.
Search, but Don't Wake Baby
"The first time knew that Mr.. Arm.
stein was wanted in connection with
the Wall Street bond robberies was
when three detectives from Police
Headquarters called on me last Tues
day afternoon and said they wanted te
search my home. told them they
could search it to their hearts content
so long as they didn't wake up the
baby. They went through the apart.
ment from one end to the other, ran
sacking every corner and going through
all my personal papers. 1t didnt
bother me any, as had nothing to con.
ceal. When they finished they begar
to question me as to my husbands at
fairs, and told them just what have
l told you.