The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-08
FIRST EDITIO N
a G A s TO FF w TF T..
She is Banished, Declared Dead, but
now Appears to Claim n Alimony
An Astonishing History of
Domestic neutrality-suspicious.
Legal Complication.

The New York Sun this morning gives its
readers this spicy piece of news:-
most remarkable case of abandonment is
soon 80 be tried in the Supreme Court of this
city. 1t involves n curious question of law
whether woman who has lived sixteen years
as the wife of Spanish merchant is entitled TO
alimony after he has deserted her. The facts In
this matrimonial litigation embrace bitter
accusation of infidelity, confession eXtorted
under pain of death, and publication OF an
account of the burial of the bantshed woman.
On Saturday Eight Mr.. Durand, the merchant
who is accused of this astonishing catalogue of
crime, was arrested in this city at the suit OF
Mary Durand, who asserts that she is legally his
wife, and that he has deserted her. She Is stu
young and beautiful. Mr.. Durand is commits
sion merchant, and has an office at No. "a
Broadway. We take the wife's story from her
affidavit, as follows:-
Young Loves Dream.
Mary Durand wife without the banns, was
born in France, where her parents still reside.
She arrived in this city sixteen years ago, and
soon afterwards became acquainted with MT.
Durand. The acquaintance ripened into love,
and they lived together as husband and wife
without the ceremony of marriage. Mary, how
ever, often reminded her consort of his promise
to lead her to the hymeneal altar, and the pro-
mise was as often repeated, but the fulfilment
was postponed indefinitely. They moved in
respectable society as Mr.. and Mrs. Durand, and
not breath of SANDER was whispered. The un
married couple have had family OF five chill
dren, but only one-a boy of twelve years-sur-
wives, and he is with his father.
Accusations of Lnfidelify.
The couple lived in sumptuous style in
mansion up town, and then again in handsome
apartments at No. 40 West Sixteenth street, and
at No. 81 Clinton place. They had a handsome
family of children, and they buried them. Mrs.
Durand says she has done nothing unbecoming
a wife during the twelve years of her cohabita-
tion with Durand, and she believes she is his
lawful wife. In July last Durand suddenly be-
came angry and jealous of his spouse. He
charged that she had had improper intimacy
w n friend hOuSe.
He accompanied the charge with threats of per-
sonal injury, and yehemently proclaimed that
then in Neufchatel, Switzerland
Banished TO France.
Early in August last Durand announced his
decision. He told Mary that she must go to
France, never to return to this country. He
further informed her that the two could not live
in the same land, and that the Atlantic should
separate them forever Durand threatened to
kill her in case she should refuse to quit the
upon the streets but for the love he bore her
child. The repudiated wife protested that she
was innocent, but Durand was determined
A Confession Under Threat of Death.
Then Durand demanded that the poor woman
should sign paper confessing that she had been
untrue to her duty towards him, but she refused,
and emphatically denied that she had ever been
guilty of any offense Durand, however, in
sisted. On the 3lst of Julylast he called on his
wife at No. 81 Clinton place, and in the presence
of Miss Emily Ward he repeated his demand
that she should sign confession that she was !,;
virtually harlot, on the pain of death. She still
refused, and he left in passion. AT o'clock
on the next morning, while the other in
mates of the house were sleeping, he dragged
Mary from her bed, and, exhibiting q written
paper, ordered her to sign it. Again she re-
fused and protested her innocence, but he pre-
sented revolver, and threatened to take her life
if she would not comply with his request Then,
under such compulson, she signed the paper,
and confessed to acts which she never COM
mitted. The husband noised the story of adul
terry abroad, and exhibited the proof in the pa
per which she had signed.
Banishment to Paris.
On the 7th of August Mrs. Durand, in pursu
ance of her sentence of banishment embarked
on the steamer Vile de Paris for France. Du
rand promised to supply her with money; but
he insisted that the separation from him and the
child should be lpal. He had previously circa-
lated report that she had gone to Europe for
the benefit of her health.
Death and Burial.
Mrs. Durand reached France in safety, and
told her story to her Indignant parents She had
scarcely passed month in her new home, when
she received copies of the New York newspapers
of August 81 which contained the following an
nouncement in the death columns
'Died, at Geneva, at 10 A. NJ, Aug. 80, Mary,
the wife of j. Durand."
Durnnd In Mourning.
Mrs. Durand says that her husband wore
Z weed on his hat in her memory, and told the
story of her demise to his acquaintances. After
this he wrote letters to her parents, informing
Lnenl JnaI Sne was an aOanuOneu woman, ana
accusing her of shameful crimes. He also made
known the fact that Mary was not his wife, and
that after having lived with her for many years
he had separated from her forever.
flight from Her Parents.
When Mary aparents heard the trumped-up
story Of her dishonor their anger knew no
bounds. She confessed that She was not
Durand's married wife. She told her whole his
tory to her mother. Durand stiu continued to
send across the Atlantic the poisonous tale of
her inhdelity, and at last he was obliged to fly
from her parental roof, and return to this city
In extreme poverty, without influential friends,
she AYERS that Durand has boasted that he will
drive her, by the exhibition of the eXtorted con-
fession of her imaginary guilt, to a life of pros
titution.
Dnrands History.
Mary adds, in her affidavit, that Durand is re-
ported to be worth at least $4,000 but that he
does not hold the money in his own name He
arrived in this city many years ago from New
Granada, South America. The order for his
arrest was granted by Judge Jones, and his bail
was fixed at $4,000; He is in the county jail;
Mr.. +. d. Mccarthy is .Mary's COUNSEL and
Messrs. BVwn, Hall, and Vanderpoel have been
engaged BY the defendant.