Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-01
HIS SILENT, SHY DIVINITY.


The Earl of Durham's Beautiful But
COld-Hearted Bride-Seekinga Divorce
from ii r on the Ground that she Was
Insane Before the Marrisge-Ber Gu
rtOus Behavior After Marriage.
LONDON, Feb. ga great deal of pa
thetic and romantic interest is attached
to the suit for annulment Of marriage
which has been begun by tie young Earl
Of Durham, and is to be tried this week
before Sir James Hannah in the London
Divorce Court. The Earl, whose family
name is John George Lambton, is an anna
bic gentleman. in the 30th year of his age.
He succeeded his father as the third Earl
of Durham i'll 1870, inheriting a vast area
of landed property along with the title.
Since his accession to the peerage
he has dabbled in politics, and
has opposed the Radicals OF the Chamber
lain school; but his political influence
has never extended far beyond the bound
aries OF his own estates. In 1882 he mar
ried Miss Ethel, the second daughter of
the late Henry b. W. Miner, Esq. Miss
Miner was and is a beautiful young wO-
man, and had been the reigning belle in
London society during two seasons. The
marriage was a splendid social event.
There seemed to be no doubt OF the young
EarPs devotion to his lovely bride, and it
was testified to some extent by the Law
iShness Of his gifts. All the heirlOOms of
the Durham family were settled upon
the bride, and $500, 600 worth of jewelry
was presented to her by the Earl. Costly
presents were also made to the brides
maids, and it seemed as though a mar
rl8ge combining so much wealth and
beauty must surely be a happy union.
Within a few months of the wedding
rumOrs arose that the young Earl ana
Countess were not living happily to eth
er. There was no quarrel and no scandal,
but they ceased to be seen together, and
the Countess appeared TO be mOping and
melancholy. The story became public
last November, when the Earl applied for
an annulment OF the marriage on the
ground that his wife was insane. The
legal proceedings were conducted during
the earlier stages with great delicacy and
regard for the Il elings of the parties in
interest and the families on both sides. Ii
was urged on behalf Of the Countess that
the Earl was estopped from seeking an
annulment of the marriage, even ii she had
become insane, because by his marriage
VOWS he had swOrn to cherish her in sick
ness or health. The answer of the EaTl's
lawyers was that the lady had been IL
sane before the marriage. The Earl, how
ever. seemed in no hurry to press the suit
to trial, and it is only to-day that what
are believed to be the real facts OF the
cOurtship and welded lille of the Earl and
Countess have come to light.
According to the statements of the Earl
of Durham, which are supported IN many
points by indisputable evidence, he found
Miss Milner the most charming, and, at
the same time, the most Indifferent woman
he had ever seen. She Inflamed his pas
sion, but neither encouraged nor repealed
it. When he asked her to become his
wife, she admitted that he was as accept
able as any man she had seen, but said
she had never thought OF marrying. He
took this for an acceptance and sought
the consent Of her guardian, which was
easily obtained. The bride bore her part
throughout the brief engagement and the
wedding ceremony with grace and dignity,
tut when the festivities were over
she seemed TO have no more APP
probation Of the meaning of the
rade at which she had assisted. She
was always quiet. gentle and obedient,
with a sort Of childlike dOcility, but she
had absolutely no recognition as
husband for the man with whom she had
stood at the altar. The Earl supposed
that this abnormal state of mind was only
the result of excessive shyness and re-
maidenly mOdesty and her love for him.
He tried every gentle remedy which he
could think of, but her mind remained
blank as to the marriage vows or what
the words implied. He says that ne IS
therefore reluctantly compelled to ask
for an annulment of the marriage, with
abundant provision for the appropriate
maintenance Of the Countess, because
that is the only way in which he can be-
70 a q
suspicion Of crimInalitY on either side.
Counsel for the plaintiff cited many in
stances of the defendants conduct to
prove that she was and had long been OF
unsOund mind. One of these was her eX-
treme taciturnity toward her husband,
even before marriage. Another was her
abnormal insensibility to pain. Before
his marriage to Miss Miner the Earl was
much worried about the strange silence
so persistently maintained by his ath-
anced He attempted in every way he
knew how to make her more talkatiYe
and communicative, but all to no pur-
pose. When the marriage engagement
had been entered into he wrote to her;
wonder if you win ever talk to me. After
marriage | could gaze on your charms some
hours every day; but it will become monoto-
nous II we maintain this gloomy silence the
rest Of the time.
During this period of their acquaint-
ance the Earl called he- his "silent, shy
divinity"
The plaintiff said that frequently before
his marriage Miss Miner had often said
to him:
''Oh, there is something awful, dreadful,
ought to tell yOu," but whenever he
would press her TO tell him, or explain
what she meant, she would retreat from
the entire subject. During the entire
period of their cOurtship she had never
used a single word of endearment toward
him. Her invariable answer to his ques-
tions was, 81 don't know" Evidence was
adduced showing that the defendants
mother had committed suicide during aft
of temporary insanity.
Some of the partisans of the Earl are
less lenient in their judgment, and say
that he has been williully imposed upon
from first to last by the Miner family.
Justice Hannah, before whom the appli-
cation was made, set apart tomorrow
for the special and private hearing of the
medical testimony essential to establish
the nature of the Iady's atf1ictiOn, giving
as a reason for having this hearing pri-
vate that it was undesirable to have this
part of the case made public.