The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-06
MRS. VANDERBILT DIVORCED.
Granted an Absolute Separation From
Her Husband,
GIVEN CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN.
Justice Barrett Grants All That Her Law
yers Ask-Bistory of the IrOuble-She
Ia Literally Provided for.

! granted a decree of absolute divorce in
favor OF Mrs. Alva Il. Vanderbilt. from
her husband, William X. Vanderbilt the
well known millionaire. AS all Of the
testimony and the report Of the referee
have been sealed, no facts can be ascer-
tanned as to the parties who are impll-
Gated with Mr.. Vanderbilt. Although a
liberal allowance has been granted Mrs.
Vanderbilt, there is no record Of the
sum which her husband has agreed to
give her. The only paper the public
can examine is the decree OF divorce.
10 HAVE HER THBEE CHILDREN.
Mrs. Vanderbilt is to have the care
and custody of her three children. The
decree is granted upon the report Of
Edmond Kelly. who was appointed to
hear and determine all the issues in
| Volved. In the action, the complaint in
the suit was served on Mr.. Vanderbilt
on January 81 last, and within a short
time the answer of Mr.. Vanderbilt was
served by his counsel, Anderson, How
land d Murray. TIE case was sent to
the referee on January 18th. Mrs. Van
derbilt was represented by Joseph ii.
Choate Colonel William Jay and VIII
liam A. Deur. and Henry II. Anderson
erree made his report on February 9Th,
i'm which he found all the allegations to
be true and Mrs. Vanderbilt was entitled
| TO her decree of divorce, and that she
| should also have the custody Of the three
children, Consuelo, William X, Jr., and
| Harold Vanderbilt.
DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS.
Mr.. Vanderbilt raised the issue as TO the
| allegations of the petition in his answer
| by denying the charges made in the
| complaint, and upon the issue the case
was sent to Mr.. Kelly. as referee. His
| report finds that the allegations Of Mrs.
| Vanderbilt are true, and that Mr.. Van
derbilt has been guilty Of the acts
| charged against him. The parties were
married on April %, 1875.
THE DECREE or THE COURT.
Neither the complaint, nor the answer,
nor the report Of the referee nor the
| testimony is open fox inspection. The
| only paper that can be seen IS the decree
| of the court
| In this it Is set forth that the referee
| finds and decides among other things,
| that the material allegations of the
| complainant in this action are true, that
| the defendant had been guilty of the
acts of adultery, charged in the COM
| plaint as in the said report, and specifi-
| ed that the defendant is a man OF con-
| siderable means and able to provide for
| his wife and family, and that the com
plainant is entitled to suitable provi-
sion for the support of herself and for
the education and maintenance OF her
children. The referee having directed
that judgment be entered in this action
in favor Of the plaintiff and dissolved the
marriage between the parties hereto, and
the action having duly come on TO be
heard on February g. 1895, and the referee
having duly made his report TO this court
the parties were directed to attend a
special term Of this court on February
2l 1895. to present evidence on both sides.
Said hearing having been adjourned until
this day. the plaintiff presented an agree
ment making due provision for the educa-
ton and maintenance of the children
and support of the plaintiff, dated Janu-
airy 49, 1895, the plaintiff duly waived
and relinquished all her right and claim
to have any such provision required to be
made by this court herein. And after
hearing Joseph ii. Choate, William Jay
and William IA. Duer, Of counsel, on be-
half Of plaintiff. and Henry H. Ander-
son, for defendant, and on motion OF
Messrs. DayO, Duer and BauerdOrf, at
torneys for the plaintiff il Is ordered and
decrecd that the said report Of the referee
be, I'm all respects, ratified, approved and
confirmed, and it is further adjudged
and dccreed that the plaintiff. Alva a.
Vanderbilt, and the defendant William
X. Vanderbilt. the parties to this ac-
ton, be. and they are. hereby divorced, |
and that the marriage between them IS |
dissolved accordingly.
MAY MARRY AGAIN.
at is also adjudged that the plaintiff |
be permitted to marry again during the |
life of William X. Vanderbilt, as if the |
marriage to him had never taken place.
at is decreed however. that William |
X. Vanderbilt is not permitted to marry |
during the life Of the said Alva Van
derb!lt.
1T is ordered that the said William X.
Vanderbilt Oe permitted TO visit the said
children at all proper times
1T is also ordered that the children re-
ceive their education in the United States.
upon consent Of both parties, through
their lawyers I'm court"
The three children Of the marriage are
Consuelo. born on March ?, l8N; William
X, Jr. born on October G. 1873, and Har-
old s., born on July 6. 1854.
Justice Barrett said that he had had
the report OF the referee and tran
scrip Of the testimony since early in Feb
ruary. 81 was sick" he said. "or l would
have signed the decree long ago. To-
day is the first that l have spent in court
since my Illness and this divorce was
one of the first things that l attended
to I'm the course Of my Cuty.
"Mr. Vanderbilt has made ample pro-
vision for his wife. lie has formally
agreed TO pay her a lump sum. l am
not at liberty TO mention the amount. of
course. but il was considered entirely
sufficient by Mrs. Vanderbilt and ner at
toneys.
THE testimony and the report OF the
referee are sealed under provision OF
the law"
II IS said that Mrs. Vanderbilt has ar
ranged to sail for Europe tomorrow Tor
a long visit She will be accompanied by
her three children.
HISTORY. OF THE TROUBLE.
The story Of the trouble in the Wander
biz family first came 10 the knowledge
of the public last August when cable
dispatch from Paris stated that formal
negotiations W ere then in progress for
judicial seuaration between William *.
Vanderbilt and his wife. The name OF
Nellie Neustretter, a very well known
woman living In Paris, was mentioned In
with these proceedings. She
had recently established herself in expen-
siVe apartments in Paris and at Deuvile
with an elaborate encourage OF servants.
The domestic difficulties between Mr.. and
Mrs. Vanderbilt reached almost a climax
last spring when the party on the spien'
did yacht Valiant broke up in the Medi-
terranean under circumstances which at
once widely separated all its members.
Mrs. Vanderbilt went to England, where
Scott Murray's beautiful estates. Danes
field near Henley, on the Thames, has