Where the Professional Bigamists Find Wives.
The matrimonial agencies that have been investigated and suppressed by
Detective Wooldridge and the postoffice authorities have disclosed an
almost incredible phase of woman's nature.
There are today in the United States no less than 50,000 women who
have been married, robbed and deserted by "professional bigamists."
This fact represent the most serious phase of the matrimonial agency
swindle, for it is the history of nearly all noted bigamists that
they secured their victims through the matrimonial agencies. Of
the thousands who become subscribers to these agencies, however,
comparatively few ever proceed far enough to encounter the tragic
features of the swindle. It might be inferred from this that women
are much easier to entice into matrimony than men. Probably, however,
this is an untenable conclusion. When a woman does start on marrying
bent, mere men fall before her like grain before the sickle. Miss
Marion Rapp, arrested at Philadelphia, is known to have secured eight
husbands in three years, and is suspected of having captured six or
eight more. Miss Rapp is still young, and if her career had not been
untimely cut off she might have made a record that would have done
credit (or discredit) to her sex.
[Illustration: PUTS A SNAFFLE BIT ON THE OLD MAN]
The sad experiences of people who have been victimized by gay
deceivers, male or female, perhaps contain a lesson to persons who
carelessly contemplate matrimony. When a stranger proposes marriage
at first sight it may possibly be well to take a look into his or her
antecedents. This is not the most romantic way to proceed, but it is
a way that may have a great practical advantage. It probably would be
endorsed by every one of the 50,000 women in this country who are now
looking for professional bigamists who married them and ran away with
their cash.
That the matrimonial agency business is not confined to Chicago and
dupes of the system are found elsewhere than in rural communities and
among the poor and humble is demonstrated by recent revelations in
Europe. During one raid I seized a large quantity of literature in
the offices of a swindling concern doing business under the name of
Mason, Brown & Co. The "firm" advertised itself as the largest of its
kind in the world and the only one "indorsed by press and public and
patronized by royalty," adding that its "clients and representatives
were to be found in every land."
In extra large type the information was conveyed to the victim that
he or she need not be ashamed to resort to the agency method in order
to secure a life partner, as the royalty of Europe used this means
exclusively in contracting marriages, especially in cases where
American heiresses were sought as wives for titled but impecunious
foreigners.
When it was casually remarked during an examination of a wagon load
of Mason, Brown & Company's advertising matter the reference to the
titles and heiresses was the only true statement it contained, there
were smiles of incredulity. American millionaires were said to be too
shrewd and level-headed to enter into deals with marriage brokers
when the life happiness of their fair and independent daughters is
concerned.
[Illustration: (Divorce Decrees; Spring)]
It was but a short time after this conversation, however, that the
following cablegram was published: