New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-14
IS SHE MR.. DURANTS WIDOW
AcrA1mANT TO THE LAWYERS ESTATE.
| A slit FOR DOVER BROUGHT By WOMAN WIN
.1rrGEs THAT SIZE WAS HIS LAWFUL WIFE.

A
ALLEGES THAT SHE WAS HIS LAWFUL WIFE,
Some of the Boston newspapers OF yesterday
contained long accounts OF a remarkable suit which In
-, not ONLY the great estate but also the personal
character OF the late Henry +. Durant, the wekhowh
poton LAWYER The case got into the courts last week.
for widows right OF dover ands brought by
Mrs Caroline T. Shelley. woman forty nine years oh,
bo formerly lived In Boston. but who now spends most
os her time in New-York. The principal defendant
against whom the suit Is brought, both individually ana
also A. the exccutrx and trustee OF Mr. DuTants estate
{. Mrs Pauline A. DIrant, the lawyers widow, VINO
res at wellesley. Mass The other defendants are the
trustees OF Wellesley College the resduay legatees OF
the c.tote the Mutual Life Insurance Company which
holds n mortgage the property directly involved, a
larcc niece of real estate at Mott Haven; Annie c.
Young who claims portion of this property. and Mrs
Florence Ada COnOycr daughter of the plainn, VINO
claims that sho is Mr.. Durants only legitimate child
MRS. sHELLEYS STORY.
Mira. Shelley, in the detailed accounts which she gave
TO the Boston reporters of her relations with Mr. Durn
stated that she the daughter OF physician not OF
the regular school," who now would be called an &c
lectic" and that her maiden name Caroline T. Ken
drick While she young girl, she continued shc
was seized with desire 10 become actress She did
40 much to disgust of her family and played In New
York and Boston under the stage Of Carrie More
land Her sister had trouble with her husband and con-
suited Mr.. Durant about divorce. In this way Miss
Caroline met the young lawyer and finally he told her
that he loved her but that he did not believe in church or
civil marriages and that besides 1t would ruin his pro
fcssonal prospects II he openly married actress lie
brought books about Byron and the Countess Guicc
oil and talked to her about what he called true mar
rage" about Dante and Beatrice, Pcrarch and Laura
and Shelley and many others who had been blest with
true marriages" So she finally consented to como to
New York with him. where she alleges they lived to-
cethcr a. man and wife at the Aston House. The only
marriage ceremony performed whcn as she says
he took my hand in his and told that In the presence
of the and only living God that he and both he
licvcd in he would be unto death anditook me
for his true wife. and did the same with him" After
this their relations continued the same for some years
and Mr. Duiant she alleges frequently introduced her
TO people his VIE. In the meantime her child was
born One day when She visited Mr. Durants office she
saw there a lady and little girl who she told were
Mr. Durant's wife and daughter He TO see her at
once after this and there terrible scene between
them She tried To kill him and he tried to pacify her
with large offers OF money. She wonld not be lmcnru
i'm $50 shelley enlisted in the army and was on Gen
cral Ord. staff When on long inrlough he visited
Boston with her and heard Of her relations with Mr..
Duraut lie her after going through consider
able trouble she sentenced To the House OF Cor
rcction for wear for theft but was paroned 10y Gov
Crnor Andrew. she obtained divorce from shelley IN
New-YOrk and resumed her former relations Win MI.
Duiant for short time: Then abe broke mem on Hhe
says She made Investigation and found that MT.
I'm Two years after hi- true marriage with herself
The viii OF Henry 7. Dusmt makes Pauline A. Durant
that the income OF 10000 and $4,000 respectively
shall be- spent at the discretion Of the cAccurN FOR The
support during their lives OF Mr. Duaurs brother, VIII
IAN f. smith. and hie brothers daughter Bessie smith
these fund, To revert at their death To- ihc lc,hu1il
Pauline y Durnt thc.uSc. income ana inpoy cmct %,
all other real ana persona cIa,e G44s hGr HE o n%
' yeai t IN WELLESLEY and invest ana rcinycst tho
proceeds, give and bcqucath all my real and personal
estate subject 10 IA" trusts Aforesaid anu 10 my N.7
rights therein during her li to wellesley College It's
Mr., shelley, counsel in Boston are Governor b. T.
Butler Charles r. Train. D. F. Crane and Jane, +
Ward and i'm N.W-lor they Roger \. Pryor and {.
W. peasants. ot No. 81 Broadway.
REriCrNCr CONCERNING TnE SUIT
None OF the defendants in this city have aS yet been
served with a summons in the case. : j. storr, Of SO
11O Broadway. IL private legal adviser Of gentleman
who is indirectly involved in the said to TRIBUNE
reporter yesterday afternoon II find on investigation
that the Only papers in the case on record are Inc COM
paint and petition Of Mrs. Shelley and an AFFIDAVIT Of Mr.
Peasants her attorney who brought the suit for her In
the Supreme Court OF Kings County oil November =
Nothing file IN me County Clerks Office relating TO
the alleged facts published In Boston These statements
are evidently obtained from tho plaintiff counsel The
defendants In the case were approached long Tine be
fore this action was brought and oilers were made To SCI
tie matter by the payment OF sum 0i money TINS
offer has been constantly refused Dou can Judge for
yourself from this what the character oil The suit Icay
G. W Plcasants who has managed the legal part Of
the case in NcwN ork IN General IrNofH absence was
extremely retccut the subject when the reporter
the subject" he said. have had nothing 10 do with
the case except purely legal aspects. took the
case into the Brooklyn court. y" ia Brooklyn, and
Will he more Jugcnicut ion II the defendants de
mand il the case will have 10 DC transferred 10 New
York know nothing about Hny,prOpo-Cd compromise
I'm the case. II there have been such negotiations they
have been carried iu Boston. Mr.. Shelley lives IN
-third-st. bat do not wish 10 have her inter
viewed; 40 must refuse 10 give her address The
case viii certainly be pushed; that what it be
gun for. did not give out any Ui the facts for puOiCH
lion They came out in Boston knew that at least
ono 10 ,toii ncW spapcr hid the story time ago.
---------------