New-York tribune., 1883-03-16
MIR. DEBELLEVILLE'S CAREER.
A LETTER FROM HIS BRorHER-N-LAw.

A LETTER FROM HIS BROTHER-lN-LA"'
HOW HE TREATED HIS ENGLISH wIFE-Ius REAL
NAME AND HISTORY.
A letter received by THE TRIBUNE from Simeon
Jacobs of London, furnishes additional damaging
information concerning Frederic de BelleVlle, the
actor who recently appeared in a disgraceful posi-
tion in the divorce proceedings brought by his
reunited wife. Edith de Belleville. in the Supreme
Court. Mr. Jacobs says that Mr.. de Belleyille was
married TO his sister in London, in 1875 and, after
shamefully abusing her. deserted her and went to
Australia
The divorce suit in the New-York Supreme Court
is brought by the wife whom the defendant
found in Australia and whom he brought with
him to San Francisco and afterward to this
citv. Here he deserted her and began liv-
ing with another woman to whom he
saws he is married. The divorce proceedings came
before Justice DonOhue on motion for alimony
and counsel fee Mrs. de Bellevlles papers recited
many acts Of cruelty on the part of the defendant
toward her. In his answering aiiidayits Mr. de
Belleylle ayerred that in 1875 he was married to
widow ten years his senior named Julia Josephs
After the marriage he discovered that she was Hit
crate and had bad temper. He went with her to
Havre and opened hotel which did not succeed !;
then TO escape his unhappy domestic life, he left
his wife and went to Australia, where he met the
plaintiff lie brought her 20 America ana llVed
with her, but never married her. lawyer named
| T. w King secured for him an Arkansas dlYofce
| from his London wife, although neither OF them
| had been in that state; tnlS decree he
sad he had only recently discovered was spurious
Surprising TO be valid, and that neither Juila nor
Edith had any claims upon him., he married the
wOlnaD VITA whom he ~ living. IL was asserted Dy
the actors counsel that as the divorce was Invalid
and he had a wife living Edith could not DE ms
wife and could have no alimony or divorce. justice
Donohue said Mr.. de Bellevilles aihdavlt and plea
! were the most dsgraceful he had ever heard pre-
sented in court; that II would be charity 10 the
| defendant TO consider that the Arkansas divorce
| was tTumped up for the occasion. Inc JnuBe
| granted the motion for almOny aud counsel lees:
| Mr. Jacobs writes to The TRIBUNE that DE Belle
Vile married his sister at the Registry Office. Bow
| ST COvent Garden London, in 1876 and after
beating her repeatedly and otherwise ill-using her
| left her i'll destitute condition TO go
to Australia with a theatrical company. lie
| left that company and joined another. and Ill 1850
ot sydney he got into trouble with Mr. Garner, the
manager who took him to Australia Mr Jacobs
saws that In spite of the way IN which DE BelleVile
bers of her family the means to fit him out for his
| tourney TO Australia. He promised TO send
| her f2 week regularly while he
| was away, but did not in fact send her a
penny He wrote 10 her from Australia that he
never intended TO return to England or to her, and
| that he was going from Australia to America, and
| IL she could get q divorce she was TO do so. Mr.
Jacobs denies De Bellevlle's story that nc served
| been in the Prussian army, but lett the
| country without taking any part III the war, and
went to England. Mr. Jacobs adds that De Belle
| villes real name Is B0uha; that he Is Belgian by
| Rue de pHarmonie, in Antwerp, was in the Franco
| Prussan war. He declares that DE Bellevile was
lawfully married to his sister, and that there were
no divorce proceedings. -, o..
| recently playing in the Union Square Theatre lie
is now in Baltimore.