The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-05-21
FREDERIKA SMITHS STORY.
Interesting Lawsuit in France
Mother Denies her own Daughter.


Interesting Lawsuit in Franoe--A
Mother Denies her own Daughter.
A singular case was recently tried be-
fore the Appellate Court in Paris. Mad
anne d YSon is q fashionable woman who
has lived in the Rue de la Chaise since
the year 1912, when she married her Sec
ond husband, the Count d'Yoon. Her
first husband, an Enelishman, Mr.. Samuel
Smith, had died in London seven years
before, and when his widow was married
to the Count she had with her little
girl about nine years of age, called Fred
erika, supposed to be the issue of her frat
marriage.
Frederika was educated with great care
at the Sacred Heart, and when she became
a young lady, Madame d. Yoon introduced
her into the fashionable society of the
Faubourg st. Germain. In 1856, Freder-
lka wished to marry a young Breton Off
Ger, De Tremegain, who was very much in
love with her. Madame d'Yoon refused
her consent, for although the young man
was of an old family he was poor. Fred
eriks then left her home and went to the
Convent of Piepus. She sought to oblige
the Countess to pay her an annual allow
ance of $500 toward her support. Mad
anne d'Yoon replied that Frederika was
not her daughter, but that she was q char
ity child, taken from one of the work
houses in London The Court decided
against the Countess on the ground that
having taken care of Frederika up to that
time she was bound to still contribute to
her support
Frederika married De Trsmogsin, and
Immediately after the annual pension was
stopped by the Countess. In 1870 NJ. de
TremOgain was killed in one of the Loire,
leaving his widow with four children.
Frederika then renewed her claim to an
annual allowance of $500 against the
| Countess.
On the trial of the case testimony was
| given showing that in the year 1884, DR.
Perkins. who was her family physician.
met Mrs. Smith, now the Countess d. Yoon
on vessel going from Antwerp to Eng
land, and that at that time the Counties:
was about to become a mother; that DR.
Perkins saw Mrs. Smith month later il
| Brussels, when she presented an infan
child who was with her as her daughter
and told him that she had been confined IL
London. The Smiths continued to liv
in Brussels until the death of Mr.. Smitl
in 1886. In 1885, the members of tn
family, according to the official records il
the city were: Samuel Smith, gentle
man, aged 80; Mary Ann Smith, his wife
aged 25, and their daughter, Frederiks
aged 16 months, born in London" Up t
the time of Frederika's disagreement wit
the Countess about the young officer sh
wished to marry, no one had ever sup
2 posed that she not the daughter of Mad
, anne Yoon.
} The defense of the latter was that Fred
, erika's real name was Mary Ann Chspe
) and that she was beggar's daughter ts
t ken from the House of Refuge of St. Ms
/ ry's, Newington, in England, in Decembe
8 1884. To prove this an extract from u
! register of the House of Refuge was pJ
4 in evidence, showing that child name
b Mary Ann Chapel was born there In D
}. cember, 1888.
t A number of physicians certified tn
: Madame d. con had never been mothe
e and was not Sc formed as to be able
= have children.
It The Appellate Court, however, affirm
: the judgment of the lower court, and q
Is clded that Frederika is the daughter
n Countess d. DON, and that the annual {
al loWance demanded must be paid. Its
,e cision is based upon the failure of preof
Of the identity of the workhouse child WI
,r Frederika, and that upon the fact IN
it she was % years of age Frederika had
ID ways been introduced and treated as
n daughter Of Madame d'Yoon. The Coz
a. does not deem the certificates Of the pt
,h sicians' strSng evidence, on account of
er age Of the Countess.