The Saint Paul globe., 1902-03-21
TIREDOF HONEYMOON
COUNTESS FESTETICS WEARIEs OF
SEVEN YEARS OF LIFE
ON YACHT
MISSES HER MAID BESIDE
As Ella Haggin, With Name Restored
by Courts, She Finally Secures
a Home Ashore in House
of Her Father.

NEW YORK, March 20-Although gen.
orally regarded as a California woman.
Ella Haggin, who has lust received per-
mission from the supreme court of that
state to resume that name is resident
of New York city, where her parents, Mr..
and Mrs Louis Il. Haggin, reside at no.
AL Madison avenue. After a yachting
honeymoon which lasted seven years,
with break now and then, the Countess
Festetics became weary of the prospect
of being tossed about all her married life,
sued for divorce on several grounds, and
won her case.
The judge remarked that the count had
never offered his wife a home ashore.
Together they passed through many
dangers at sea-
Miss Haggin, who is a granddaughter
Of j. B. Haggin. the late millionaire turf
patron, of California. was married to
Count Rudolphe Festetics de Tolna of
Austria on Feb. "a, 1892, at her home, No.
IL East Ihirty-fourth street, this city.
They had met the previous year at ball
at the Austrian embassy in Paris. The
wedding was brilliant home affair, an
altar being erected in the house. The
Rev. George IL. Houghton performed the
ceremony
Festetics was the second son of Count
Sigismund Festetics. who was chamber
lain at the Austrian court. The young
man was said to have an income of
$150C00 a year.
Started on Long Yachting Tour.
After the wedding the young couple
went to San Francisco TO begin yacht
ing tour which was destined to be the
longest on record. At intervals the news
papers published stories of their troubles
at sea. Mr.. HaSgin bought the yacht
for his daughter as a wedding gift. It
was fine boat and was christened
Tolna
Festetics had an eye to business as well
a s pleasure on the yacht He loaded her
would please the Inhabitants of the South
Sea islands, but when the time came 20
depart the customs officers demurred at
a pleasure boat carrying such a load. and
with a foreigner as master This diff
Guilty was sa-mounted by the countess
being made master of the yacht They
sailed away.
The honeymoon yacht was sighted and
reported at various times and places. In
October. 1884. came the runor that Fes-
tetics had been. drowned. This was fol-
lowed by the story that ne had been
eaten by cannjbals.
Probably no yacht was ever rumored
about so much as the Tolna. In 1897 a
sailorman went TO j. r. Haegin the
countess grandfather, and told him that
the mate Of the yacht had shipped on
purpose to raise mutiny, seize tbe Fes-
tetlcs' cash and jeweiry, sell the cargo
which the yacht carried, and leave the
count and countess on desert isle
1t transpired that the man who spun
the yarn had grudge against the mate
'the wedding presents, the jewels and all
were safe. and the cargo went to the
proper Cpnsignees.
Countess Tired Of 1t.
When the yacht touched at Japan in
l89t the countess went ashore and took
a steamer for home. 1t was said tha-
there had been quarrel, but this was
denied, and the following wear tha
countess returned tO lamar, tO
husband on his yachting cruise
In May. 1898, the count entered the har-
Dor OF Manila, Dewey was the harbor
master at that time The Concord tired
a shot over the Tolnas bows. The Yacht
reported its missions as one of sight
seeing only The admiral was SO angry
at the visit of the yacht at such a time
giving him another boat to look after,
that he ordered Festetics to sea.
The countess got ashore again and took
another steamer for home. This time she
remained, and i'll May, 1900 she brought
suit In San Francisco for divorce alleg-
Ing cruelty, non-provision and desertIon.
She said she had left the yacht, her only
home, when it reached Singapore in the
previous November, that she was un-
willing to continue the cruise and wanted
a more stable home. There was no house
she could call her own as Countess Fes-
tettcS.
She said that the yachts cabin was
twelve feet square only, that she was
cramped for quarters, had no maid, had
fered from fright, had had narrow es-
capes. had been shipwrecked and lad
enough Of the sea.
Left Her Stranded.
While she and the count We're trying to
reach an amicable understanding, she
said. he had sailed away, leaving her
without means to return to New York.
Her father sent her the money.
The count did not appear in person to
contest the suit, but he put in an an
swer denying the charges. He was par
.ticularly grieved that the yacht had been
called bad names, and averfed that the
countess had expressed delight with it,
The count said that his wife had tlirt-
ed with a British naval officer named
Remington, over whose head he mad
broken a bottle. Nobody in court believed
this story, and the judge ruled against
it, The divorce was granted, but there
was an appeal and perfect freedom for
Miss Haggin has just resulted.
After the countess left the yacht 1t
had still worse luck. 1t was wrecked in
the South seas in 1900. The count and two
men were saved. but they spent three
months on an island before being taken
away by a steamer. Festetics burned the
wreck.