Evening journal., 1897-01-19

spent in various ways. She does not need
% sing anywhere.
Prince de Chimay asks for. an annual
allowance of 10000 francs ($15, ,000), and
the princess consents to it.
"When the children are Of age they win
have under the Belgian law, the income
of their portions of her fortune"
The princes counsel is NJ. Coppin, o
leading member of the Belgian bar. Re.
ferring to the preliminary proceeding Mrs
Coppin said:
The preliminary proceedings, as you
no doubt are aware, were behind closed
doors. Consequently the actual process
verbal of the princes case cannot be repro
duced. But / can tell you this much about
the affair:
According to Belgian law, before di.
vorce case comes on for hearing both par
ties are cited before the president of the
tribunal to see whether it is not possible
at the last moment to effect a reconcilia.
ton and avoid open rupture. In obedience
to this regulation the prince made his ap-
pearance in court last October and the
meeting with the princess was fixed for
November
1t need not be added, her highness did
not put in an appearance. and it was de
cided to go on with tho case. The actual
proceedings began Dec. 2i.
Although precluded by the seal of alb
solute secrecy from entering into all de
tails. l may hand you this account Of
what passed 1t is in substance correct
and has not appeared in any English OF
American newspaper;
THE first sitting before the tribunal of
Charleroi first chamber) in the action for
divorce brought by the prince against the
Princess of Chimay was Monday, Dec. 21
The bench was composed Of NM. Bastin,
judge, acting with plenary power as pres
ident; Morel de Westgaver, judge; Ma
terne, assistant judge; Morelle, substitute,
and Tournay, official recorder.
THE prince, who appeared in person,
was supported by NJ. Chopin, barrister of
Charleroi, and M. Delacroix of the Brus-
sells bar The princess was represented by
NJ. Allain of the Paris bar and NJ. Hal
paut of Charlcroi. A large number Of mem
Lers OF the bar were present.
IN. Delacroix gave detailed statement
of the facts which led up TO the present ac-
tion. Plaintiffs counsel detailed certain
episodes of the life Of extravaganza, of fol-
", the princess led in Paris in 1892 and
1898.
Counsel then arrived at the period Of
1S94-5-6 and TO the elopement of the prin-
cess with the gypsy chief Of orchestra OF
the Cafe Balzac, which caused a sensation
in Paris. The princess. continues, it ap
pears, to live with the gypsy, and they are
at present in Austria, where they take
shelter under the name of RigO.
Maitre Delacroix reminded the court oi
the life led by the princess and the gypsy
4 at Villers-la- Tour-a life so shameless that
the burgomaster was obliged TO issue @
warrant for the expulsion of the stranger
"Maitre Allan, for the defense admit
ted that the statement was true in sub
stance, but maintained that certain of the
so called shameless details were exagger
ated. The second hearing is fixed for Jan
q 10"
The recent publication Of the raid madl
by the police of Budapest on the apart
ments of the Princess de Chimay in tina
city and the discovery there of a bundle o
letters said TO have been written by a Ger
tain royal parsonage has caused grea
sensation in European court circles.
1t is openly asserted that the royal au
thor of these letters was Leopold, king o
the Belgians, who was known to have pai'
marked attention to the princess from tn
very moment she arrived in Brussels