The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-25
SHEPARD SUIT
FOR DIVORCE
Duchess Of Marlborough Calls
a Family Council.
SUIT THREATENED SCANDAL
Young Couple Sail for Paris on Different
Ships, Where a RscuncUlatltn
Is tlpsced.

fuence Of the Duchess of Marlborough
exercised upon her aunt. Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, II is probable that the d.
vorce suit brought against young Elliott
f. Shepard by his wife will be aban-
doned.
Mr.. Shepard is a granson of the late
William III. Vanderbilt. and therefore a
first cousin OF the American Duchess"
The wife who sues him was Ester Wig
Greenport, l.. I.
1t is further probable that within ss
hours there will be a family gathering
in Paris, at which Mrs. Elliott f. shep-
ard, Sr-herself a Vanderbilt and a
daughter Of the late William II. Wander
hilt--will meet her only son and daugh-
ter-in-law.
A reconciliation, IL Is expected, Will
thereupon take place between the young
man and his wife. and the parental bless
ing will then be bestowed upon the young
people by Mrs. Shepard. Sr.
In pursuance of this plan OF recon-
ciliation the younger Mrs. Shepard will.
after a fight OF several years duration,
be received on a friendly footing by Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt and the young
mans allowance will be materially in
creased by his mother.
SAILED ON THE TEUToNIc.
Unknown to any save a few close
friends young Elliott F. Shepard. who
through all the gossip occasioned by the
divorce proceedings has been quietly liv-
ing at the Hotel Netherland, sailed on
the Teutonic last Wednesday, although
his name was not on the passenger list.
Fy-l- n. .&f-I
the same steamer.
Mrs. Shepard followed her husband to
Europe on a steamer OF the North Ger
man Lloyd line, the Grosser Kurfust,
just "a hours later. Mrs. Shepards name
did not appear on the ships list.
That Mrs. Shepard has suddenly gone
to Europe and that her suit for a d.
vorce is very much up in the air. since
neither complainant nor accused can
appear at the hearing set for next week
by the referee. IL not denied by the Wig
ginses. her relatives in Greenport
On the contrary, they say they are de-
lighed that. through the championship
of the Duchess of Marlborough ana Sem
ator Depew, little Essle Virgins, as
every one calls Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard,
Jr., in Greenport. is at last to be recog-
nized by the heads OF the Vanderbilt
family.
The story of the efforts OF tho Duchess
Of Marlborough to secure the assent and
cooperation of her aunt, Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, and the assistance OF her
old friends and advisers. Senator Depew
and E. ". w. Rossiter, in q plan 10
avoid scandal and bring about a recon-
ciliation between her cousin and his wife
was told in Greenport last night by
person well acquainted with both Mr.. anu
Mrs. Shepard
SUIT BEGAN IN AUGUST.
It was on Aug. l2. about the time the
Duchess OF Marlborough was to sail
from England to this country, that an
nouncement was made that Justice Al
fred Stocked, OF the supreme court, had
appointed Colonel Franklin Bartlett re-
fierce to take testimony in a suit for d.
vorce brought by Mrs Shepard against
her husband
All proceedings In the case were kept
from the public, James c. De la Mare,
the young mans attorney, who has an
Office at 277 Broadway. refused abso-
lutely to talk about the mater. and "A.
III. Hummell, who had been retained by
Mrs Shepard, was equally reticent.
From that time TO this the greatest Sc
crecy has been maintained by both sides
as to the actual cause of the disagree
ment between Mr.. and Mrs Shepard.
But one hearing OF the case was had be-
fore Colonel BARTLETT as referee and at
and his wife were present and many
things divulsed that were not altogether
pleasing to the Vanderbilts.
Mrs Elliott f.. Shepard Sr., upon
whose liberslity her son Is dependent for
his ability to maintain gaily painted au-
tomobiles and gorgeousy appointed
yachts, had gone TO Europe a few days
prior to her daughter-in-law's action IN
bringing suit.
MARRIAGE DISPLEASED HER.
II is understood that no particular love
pretty dsughter-in-law. the former deem
Ing the daughter OF a country storekeeper.
no matter of how amiable a disposition,
no1 r a, suitable match for great grand
Young Shepard has had various adj
ventures both In and out Of college. His
OF Introducing TO his dormitory early one
morning three members Of a theatrical
company, and his enforced retirement
from college notwithstanding the protests
OF Senator Depew, are still talked Of on
the campus.
When he married pretty Essie Virgins
Potter-she was a young widow OF Green
would settle down. Mrs. Shepard, senior.
was at first bitterly opposed 10 the mar
TsSs as oS gs5e sbe Vsnderbt %si 81 'e 9emy
AS shepard, who was only twenty, az
the time OF the marriage I'm 1897, while
his bride Was seven wears ms senior.
seemed to settle down. however. the
vanderbilts. while refusing TO recognize
his wife socially acqulesced In the in
evitable. and Mrs. shepard gave her son
an allowance Of $3.50 a month from the
81. 900 OO0 estate left by his father. n sum
which Il Is understood was materially
increased from time TO time.
BRIDE FELT INJUSTICE
All this time. however. the bride
ranked under a sense OF Injustice at
the hands Of the Vanderbilt family IN
their failure to recognize her socialb.
and this. N Is said. was a potent factor
IN her determination 10 bring suit for
divorce.
with these facts the Duchess OF MARY
borough was familiar upon her. arrival
I'm this country. and with n determins-
tion TO avert a scandal II possible she
sought the aid of her aunt. Mrs. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt.
That ladys attitude towards her eld-
est son on the matter OF his marriage Is
well known, and when the Duchess men
toned the Shepard family troubles Mrs.
Vanderbilt coldly remarked that she
wal. L.. he