The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-23
MAY BE DUCHESS YET.
Lady Francis Hopes Brother-in-Law
is Opposed to Divorce
From the New York World.

1ouS sCTupleS the Duke OF NeWcaStl
will not hear to a divorce between hi
brother, Lord Francis Hope, and Ma
Yohe. l5
Therefore, the strange situation I
presented of Lady Hope travelling t
Japan in the guise of companion t.
Capt. Putnam Bradlee Strong while he
real husbands hands are tied so tina
he cannot prevent her from bearing
his name.
The conditions are doubly bitter t.
Lord Francis, for the courts would MOI
hesitate to undo the knot tied through
folly.
Eventually May Yohe doubtless will
become the Duchess of Newcastle, and
then only can Lord Francis, having the
title and income, assert his new inde-
pendence by repudiating the unpleasant
Duchess. Even then he may be unsuc-
cessful. for, if precedent is observed
the courts of this country will decide
that he has waited too long, knowing
of the offense of his rights, before seek
ing legal relief.
London Papers Don't Give Names.
The elopement is only vaguely limited
at in the London newspapers. The
name of neither principal to the affair
was mentioned; indeed, nothing was
said that even remotely pointed to the
identity of the actress noblewoman.
Nevertheless, every one here knows
that Lady Hope and Capt. Strong have
just sailed together from San Fran
cisco, whence they had gone from the
army officers home city. New York
and that the two intended to make
a long stay in the land of the chrysan-
themum.
Lord Francis Hope is in seclusion.
He is at his hotel here. and it is given
out that he is suffering with chills and
cannot leave his room. His intimates
say he has been apprised of all of the
humiliating circumstances of his wife's
conduct and they say there is no doubt
of his desire to take radical measures
through the courts to remove the stain
from the ancient family name.
When called upon to-day by the
World correspondent, Lord Francis
sent this message:
Hope Has Nothing to Say.
Lord Francis Hope has nothing to
say and can see no one. :"
The serious. almost insurmountable
obstacle with which he is confronted
will cause much wonder because of it's
peculiar features. His wealthy brother
is firmly opposed to divorce under any
circumstances, and never would for
give Lord Francis If he should avail
himself of the divorce courts to free
himself from his wife.
The Duke of Newcastle holds the
purse strings of the family. He has
an income of more than $500. 900 year,
and he has the ear of his immensely
rich mother, the Dowager Duchess of
Newcastle.
The Dowager Duchess is High Church
and very devout. 1t it said that she
has seriously considered retirement
from the world to an Anglican con-
vent to spend the remainder OF her
days. She devotes the greater part of
her splendid income to charity
She and the Duke present a striking
contrast to the son and brother, who
has no money at all through prodigal-
1ty and has contracted an alliance
that has about it nothing of the odor
of the sanctuary.
Duke is Very High Church.
The Duke of Newcastle is the ac-
knowledged leader of the extreme rit-
ualistic wing of the Church of England.
He believes in altar ceremonial so close
ly approaching that of the Church of
Rome as to be undistinguishable from
II by the uninitiated. He holds to the
tents of the Roman Church with ref
erence to the marriage state. The sew
NAihS vi hupAidi DOilQ Is with MN
absolutely prohibitory, no matter how
wretched the circumstances may be.
Lord Francis does not share the
Dukes rigorous views on religious
questions, and his friends say he would
readily seek a divorce had he not been
made aware that his brother would
cut him off without a cent if he went
to the courts.
The passionate opposition of the
70 se-
stood when it is known that he has no
son to succeed to the dukedom. never
will have one, and that while he fully
understands that an heir to his line
might be the outcome of second and
more honorable marriage for his
brother, the heir presumptive. he yet
stands as adamant in opposition TO his
penniless brothers wish to be free from
the woman Who has brought disgrace
upon the name, and who was never ex-
pected TO prolong the family line.
Heir After Lord Francis.
After Lord Francis. who will be the
Eighth Duke of Newcastle If he lives
the title goes to Lord Charles Staple
ton Pelham Clinton, son of a brother
OF the NTH Duke of the line and sec
ono cousin to Lord Francis who is
childless, and will then descend to
Lord Henry William Pelham
Clinton, brother of Lord Stapleton. or
to one of his several sons.
The attitude of the Duke regarding
divorce approximates a mania. Ac-
companied by Father Black. a priest of
the High Church, he attends. as a
duty, every marriage where one or the
other of the contracting persons has
been freed by divorce and when the
clergyman asks, as he must. according
TO the ritual IL there is any opposition
to the union. the Duke arises and de-
mands that the ceremony stop. He is
almost always elected from the church.
He also insists that those who have
been through the divorce courts be de-
barred from the sacraments of the
Church, and personally takes action
against them in this respect.
May Yohe has $4,000 worth of Jewels.
but she has not the famous Hope dia-
mond. though she often wears an ex-
act replica in paste that is hardly dis
tinguishable from the genuine gem.
The real diamond is held by bank as
security for a large advance TO Lord
Francis. Permission to sell Il, which
was sought by the broken Lord in De-
cember. 1898, was refused by the courts
on the ground that IL is a family heir
loon. that its proceeds would not 20 for
the benefit of the family and that its
value is not likely to decrease.
The stone is a peerless blue Indian
diamond, weights forty-four and one
half carats and is set in the form OF
a brooch. II is surrounded by twenty
two of the finest hriIlfapfe