Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-09
TITLES COME HIGH
To American Women Who Seek Bliss
in Their Glamour.
A RICH GOTHAM GIRLS STORY
In Divorce Court Shows That All Barons
Are Not Gentlemen.
A DRAMATIC RECITAL OF WRONGS

SIOUX FALLS, S. D., Feb S.-To-day has
been a sort of elimination in the divorce
interests in this city. The event was the
trial of the suit of Madame De Steurs for
divorce from her husband, Alphonse Eugene
Lambert De Steurs, Minister for the Neither
lands in Paris The plaintiff is represented
by Herbert A Shipman, Of New York, and
Captain w. II. Stoddard, of this city. The
Baron is represented by j. L. Glover and
A. F. Orr, two young lawyers who propose
to make their mark in the trial of the case.
The plaintiff is daughter of the late John
Carey of New York, and a cousin of the
late John Jacob Astor, her mother having
been daughter of William Beskhome
Astor. The plaintiff is credited with q
fortune of 81, ,O00,0
In the summer of 1891 the Baroness ap-
peared in Sioux Falls in the company of a
handsome young man, who was known as
William Elliott. but who has turned out to
be William Elliott Zborowski. of New
York. His mother belonged to an old
wealthy New York family and part of the
estate which the count inherited is the site
now occupied by the Broadway theater,
New York, in which Zborowski has an in
friends to be in the vicinity Of $4,000 a
year.
Cruelty It's Chief Charge.
There have been some 20 depositions filed
in the case The charge of unfaithfulness
has been ruled out by Judge Aiken and the
decision will be reached upon the charges
by the Baroness that she has been cruelty
treated, and an attempt was made to in
H. ThQ na-
fendant denies those charges, and SAYS his
wife is subject to nervous disease which
gives her distorted view of everything
which amounts to insanity.
Court opened at 9 o'clock, and Mrs De
Stuers was at once called to the stand. She
went over the case made out in her petition,
all facts in which have been published
"What was your husbands treatment of
you in London?"
"He was very unkind to me. He would
scold me before people. He said that was
a savage American and baby. and that 1
didn't know how to behave myself before
people"
she said his conduct in Paris was similar,
as also at Madrid. "You say he made
scenes. What do you mean by that?" asked
Captain Stoddard.
'He was unmanly. For instance, one
ten guests I made some remark which he
did not like. He jumped right up from the
table, screamed at me, spat in my face and
said, Z wish to God had not married you,
left the table weeping and was very i'll at
night
Dramatic, but Satisfactory.
The Baroness went on to tell of other in
cidents which were cruel, including undue
niohy, mt Of fhair OH ha
ess was dramatic throughout her testimony,
and told her story with better effect than an
attorney could do. The "Church" story
was particularly effective. She said,
"One time when 1 was in Berlin
/ received telegram from my
husband, who said he was coming to see me.
1 met him at the depot. He looked like
murderer. I asked him what was the
matter. He said he would tell me later
When we got to our hotel he charged me
with being unfaithful to him some
ten or twelve months previously
I was SO astonished that for
L told him his charge was
false and insulting. He finally told me if
L would 60 to the church to swear 1 had
been faithful he would be satisfied. 1 went
and did So He then said I. had perjured
myself, but later said he believed me. He
went back to France, but soon after came
again and made the same charges. l finally
convinced him that his suspicious were un-
founded,
She also said: ''Once in Madrid my hus-
band was negotiating delicate commercial
treaty and he was unable to carry it through
without the assistance of the Minister of
Commerce NV husband asked me to in
vite the Minister to the house and to play
all my Establishments upon him. In short,
to make him fall in love with you. You
know how. told him I was not doing
such work and refused fatty to thus place
my womanhood at the service of the State
That was in 1885,"
Tried to Put Her in an Asylum.
After detailing other minor incidents the
witness gave very vivid and touching ac-
count of the effort made by her husband to
have her locked up in retreat. The doc
tors did not find her insane, but said she
was unbalanced. Fhe defendant then said
that the children should be taken from
her. That evening the children were
spirited away, the daughter being placed in
convent and the boy in boarding school,
The witness has never seen either child
since. She told this portion of her story in
tremuious voice, and the audience by this
time was large and greatly affected by it.
She has since then received only few
letters from the children-one since her ar
rival in Sioux Falls. This completed the
examination of the witnesses.
Defense attempted in cross-examination'
to locate Elliott in the deal, but were
stopped by the judge The defense asked
''Did you consult an attorney in New York
before coming here about coming to Sioux
Falls for diyorce?"
81 most distinctly say that did not 1
have looked up the statutes myself, for
thought it was well that should have
some information. In that way 1 learned
of the South Dakota law. 1 entertained
the possibility of getting divorce when
came here. I procured the book of Mr..
Hall, of Paris.
During cross-examination Madame De
Steurs testified that she is worth 81, 000 900,
all In New York property. She also said
she was in mortal terror of her husband.
Madame De Steurs' maid gave support
ing testimony. AT the evening session of
the Court, the attorneys read dispositions
and made arguments, when the case was
turned over to the Judge with the under
that depositions now on the way
will be received. Numerous exceptions to
the Courts rulings were made and in case
divorce is granted an appeal will be taken.