The herald., 1897-01-20
Asks for a Divorce From His
Wife
TWENTY-FIVE GOOD CAUSES
With Eighty.Eight More Held Back Ia
Reserve
The Court Is Expected to Grant a De-
cree Without Taking Any
Testimony
Associated Press sneoial Wire

| Associated Press Special Wire
CHARLEROI, Jan. 19.-Action for di-
vorce brought against the Princess de
Chimay who eloped last summer with a
gypsy, opened here today. Prince de
Chimay was in attendance, accompa-
MED by his cousin, Prince Joseph. The
! public prosecutors asked in the interes.
of public decency that newspaper men
and the public be excluded. The judge
acceded to the request. Counsel for the
prince asked the court to grant his cli-
ent a divorce on the admissions of the
princess He also asked that the prin-
cess be allowed an hours visit month
to the child, she paying them $4,000 francs
yearly. If necessary, counsel added, pc
titioner would produce witnesses to
prove twenty-five acts justifying the
suit, and stated that the petitioner could
prove four times that number of acts
in justification of the proceedings
Later counsel read letters written by
the princess to her husband in which she
offered to go into a Carmelite convent
for five years from whence, the princess
added, she would return purified to the
domestic hearth
The prince replied from Paris, saying
he was going to Chimay and that he did
not want see her. Counsel
continued that on the following day the
princess, accompanied by Rigo, supped
at cafe chantant, with a man and wo-
man, and the princess made scene
with the woman, whom she accused of
attempting to steal her lover.
For the sake of the children counsel
then said the prince hoped the court
-o,,1I of tt,-a ~ hx-H
as the notoriety of the scandal and the
attitude of the princess since the be-
ginning of the suit proved the principal
charge, viz: her flight with Rigo
In conclusion, counsel recalled that
as early as August TO- 1895, the Gil Bias
of Paris spoke of the "vagaries of
princess in Paris" in an article clearly
designating the Princess Chimay.
Maitre Allan for the defense did not
deny the principal fact, but contended
that all the accessory evidence was false
or greatly exaggerated. Proceeding,
counsel endeavored to clear the princess
of the reproach that she was a bad
mother, asserting that if it was neces-
sary to seek the causes for the eccentric
love with which she wrecked honor,
they could be found in the weakness of
her husband, whom she loved and still
loves.
Counsel continuing, asked the court
not to be Influenced by the atrocious ac-
cusation that the princess had aban-
doned her children without regret.
Prince Chimay's counsel pointed out
that the princess defense was confined
to extenuating circumstances and re-
called that the princess, in order to es-
cape from the lpeadings of her husband
sent him a formal note through her doc
tor that all communications between
them must cease And today" counsel
added, 'she has dared to reproach her
husband with having abandoned her."
Counsel for the prince also said: "All
Europe would laugh if the court required
testimony in this case" The decision
will be rendered in a fortnight, but, ac-
cording to general opinion. it is believed
the court will grant an absolute divorce
without hearing any testimony.