The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-28
The Strange History Of a
Lovely Country Seat.
A TALE OF TWO DIVORCES.
The Stepmother Wrestling the Prop
ery from the Daughter.
fHE FINAL ISSUE NOW APPROACHING.

romantic interest II involves tale Of two strange
divorces . reconciliation not only between the
husband and wife, but also between the wife
ana the alleged paramour who had disturbed
her conjueal happiness, . litigation between STEP
mother and daughter for the possession OF mag
niacent property In which the husband Is witness
agains. his own chd and tries wrest from her the
estate he himself had bestowed
"coMPo."
'sCompo" 10 the curious and perhaps rather high
sounding title given OF the finest seats In this
country. II is situated about mile and half from
westport Conn.,, and stands In about eighty acres Of
carefully cultivated ground right ON the bank OF the
lovely SauRatuck, and overlooking the glorious
Sound The mansion, which IS almost castle
like In Its extent. Is built In the Grecian
style II Is OF wood and brick, and magnihcen'ly
furnished. There are not less than four green
houses on the grounds cottages Tor friends and
visitors well Tor the o servants, and immense
stables The interior Of tho mansion is respondent
with costly paintings and statuary and dainty with
rare brc-a brac articles OF This beautiful place
built by the millionaire banker OF Pine street, the
latc Richard n. Winsow, or wnslow, Lanier Co.
and cost him $270, 900 Compo has strik!ng his
tory aud It IL not yet ended. Eleven years ago-in
ls66-Compo was purchased from Winslow's widow,
by Stephen H. Alden, then rich man aud former
president Of the Exchange Bank Of Albany, at price
much below its cost He moved into the mansion with
his family consisting Of wife, three sons and two
daughters The latter were just budding INTO woman
hood, aged respectively eighteen and sixteen, and It
can easily be imagined what painful cloud the scan
duous developments that ensued cast their fresh
aud tar lives Alden then about lorty-four and
heavy Wall street SPECTATOR He is described as hav
ing been rather good looking we'll built OF full
habit and face strongly marked with tho traces of
strong passion.
THE FIRST SUIT FOR DIVORCE.
Aasi beautiful rs the surroundings were, tempest
was soon brewing in the matrimonial teapot. Tho
Alden family had been only short time living ut
Compo, when Mrs. Alden brought = SUIT for divorce
against her husband, the ground OF adultery This
suit tried in the same year At Bridgeport, and
resulted in q decree in favor Of Mrs. Alden. with
600 in lieu OF amony. The proceedings In this
divorce trial were unique The most damning tcsti-
mouy against Alden WAS given by his own bosom
friend Judse lorraine, who that he had visited
houses OF III repute in New York, in company with
Alden. This thought very strange by the neigh
borhood and when Alden took steps 10 appeal the
case, and readily paid the $50.000 1t was soon whs
psred that his wife had secretly agreed 10 be
divorced and that the conditions which she was to
release him from matrimonial yoke which he had
borne for twenty-five twenty years. were that
he should furnish the evidence OF his adultery
was he anxious throw of this yokeY the
neighbors asked. Their question answered,
when, SIX weeks alter the divorce Alden married
weli-shapcd woman oil commanding figure, with in
tenscly black hair fnow tipgsd with gray) piercing
black eyes and keen and shrewd features 1t will
seem strange to the New York reader that man
udically convicted Of adultery should have been able
marry again but the law OF Connections gave, and
still gives, Its sanction to this proceeding.
GEORGIASA GARDINER.
Hero few words necessary to explain the his
fnPv liz MT oro n IN
tant role in this story SIN was originally Miss
Georgiana Taylor, OF syracuse, n. ~ and there mar.
the marriage her husband died, and tho young and
progressing widow went South 10 seek her fortune.
She turned up In Little Rock, Ark, where she
taught the young idea how to shoot-n = coiored
school, This was evidently occupation not alto
ee!her consen,ai TO her ents.p,sng spirit She aban
HERALD that housckeeper was wanted Oh the spen-
did Compo estate. She applied for the position and
obtained H. and her Vaccinations soon turned the hum
bic housek oeper INTO the proud mistress OF Compo.
ANOTHER SUIT FOR DIVORCE.
There happiness now again at Compo; but alas
In February, 1873 tho wife also brought suit
Tor divorce against Alden, the ground Of adultery
viii the divorced widow OF a Wesport school teacher
named Celeste Richards. She lived in cottage facing
Compo, with her child She Is also described as u
tall brunette but Of sailow complexion and not very
they could not what charm she could exert
man like Alden; hut that the charm complete
0cry one admitted. The case was tried at Bridgeport
before Judge Grunger with substantially the Same
that OF former suit brought by the first wife,
obtained verdict &c., lien OF
alimony. II appeared from Gcorganas complaint that
Alden ned first invited Celeste to come to Compo in
order to give his wife music lessons. tThe tender hrs
band-hc was solcItous Tor bis wifes IN usca edu-
cation Then compelled his wife present 10 the
fascinating Celeste such dresses aud Of ewelry
could conveniently SPARE, and when, In 1872 he
took his vile to New York, where they gcner-
ally spent the winters, Celeste had TO share
also their apartments at tho metropolitan
hotel Georeiana persuaded by Alden to spend the
summer Of 1872 travelling with bridal couple who
Ind been married at their house. aud upon tho return
from the trip Georgaua found her music teacher vr-
tuay installed AS tue mistress oil Compo. Georgiaua
mover having lived In Utah, had perhaps remarkably
rigorous notions to marital ndcliiy aud she
GENTLY did not like second vito installed at Compo
She insisted that Celeste although she could play the
piano, had no right TO usurp the place which belonged
10 her, and that she must leave CompO. Alden could
not this He loved Georgara and Celeste both,
snd had evidently embraced poIygamy his marriage
laith. When he came home from New York no
ring tho bell Immediately Tor Celeste, and
" she did not come at once, Georgiaua
vas mutrcsted and abused Georgiana had at last 10
subm to Csestos sharing hor place until she finally
bxtrcate herself from the abominable position Ia
which sho had been placed by her husband and his
soncubino and got divorce from him. Alden made
again no dcfence He was evidently anxious to be
cused from the troubIesome Georgiana, ana resdily
was already expense OF SIP QUO for the pleasures
variety-sureIy an expensive indulgence
A SHOWER op LITIGATioSs.
Alden after awhile, rcpented his haste In pay ny the
last named amount over to Georgana, and upon re-
gaming hts "sobcr, second thought. won't to work
in the Supreme Court 81 New York, tor
tho recovery Of tie $62oo ON the ground
ber 10 Connecticut was procured by COLLISION with his
counsel thus virtually admitting that he conniyed at
tho SUCCESS OF her suit VI course, tins suit for the
recovery vi money allowed by court IN an another
State could not DO sussipcj aud soon as Aldcns APP
plicaton Tor AN iujunciou " restrain her from dis
posing OF the money came boiore Judge Pratt the
latter dismissed H. THIS increased his spite against
Georginns and tried have nor arrested for steal
ing Of dishonsstly removing from "Compo" clothes,
boots, jewoIry, &C., which he claimed belonged
10 him, and which he valued vt $4,000
SI2 OOO, and seized her house and household fur
niturc. She, III turn, sued him tor the recovery Of
sotnes ieweIry aud other personal property, which
the charged bc had stolen from her.
FURTHER COMPLICATIONS.
Georgtana Iuwever vas not satisfied with this As
Alden had tried ocs her she set ~ work with all tho
fertile Ingenuity vi shrcwd woman to show him what
\ trou bcsofne customer he would find her To speak
in vulgar pariaDce, she would give him all tho law he
VA ted Hence she induced certain negro named