The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
AGNES sORxA,s xIsroRrUNEs.
Her Husband Obtains In HIS Divorce Suit
the Custody OF Their Child.

the Custedy OF Their Child.
A decision has been given in Berlin against
Agnes Sorna the German actress. in the
suit for divorce brought by her husband.
Count Minotti. BY it the custody Of their
son Is given to the husband.
Agnes Sorma is in a sanitarium. sufferer
mentally and physically. Only five years
ago, when she came to the United States for
the first time. she was under 30, the most
popular actress In Germany and the happy
wife Of Count Minott. an Italian. at one
time attached to the diplomatic service OF
his country. Now her career may be COM
pletely ended.
Her misfortunes are the result Of her in
fatuation for Harry Walden, the most popu-
lar OF the younger German actors. His
greatest SUCCESS was made as Prince Kart
in "Old Heidelberg" which he acted for
more than year. This man so attracted
Sorma that she put aside all thought Of her
husband and son and set out to win his love
Her conduct might have been less sur
prsing from some other actresses. Sorma' S
life had been very different from that Of
most women OF the German theatre.
She was a girl when she married Count
Minotti and had seen little or no:hingof tie
world. The two were absorbed In each
other. and when her son was born he Count :
PISS Mno,ti, as she was called in private life.
transferred much of her devotion 10 this
boy There never any apparent dis
agreement bet ween the two until her meet
| ing with Walden,
The home of the family was always in
| Berlin. and there the actress had collected
| many souvenirs Of her travels. In the
pxasNk
| by Eleonora Duse, with an ahectionate
| message TO -the greatest Of all NorGs. .
| Most of the noted German art lists had
| painted her portrait. and she had received,
| for such a young woman, remarkable
| collection Of gifts from members Of the
| German royal family.
One Of these was a signed photograph
| of the Empress. sent after the latter had
seen performance of Die Ners'inkene
! Glocke. in which Agnes Sorma created the
ole Of Ramtendeiein. She played the part
| for year and was largely responsible for
the success OF Gerhardt Hauptmsnns play.
| Sorma's rise was quick. At the age OF
a., TO- after two years apprenticeship in Bres-
lau. Bingen. Weimar and Goeritz, she went
10 Berlin to act in Withdrawals comedy,
The Love of Youth" Her success in
this first engagement was so great that
she remained for thirteen years in Berlin
! acting at the Deutsches and Berliner
heatres.
After her return from her second tour
in the United States. Agnes Sorma became
! convinced that she had reached the level
of fame that made her a world actress "a
the Germans describe woman, like Bern
! hardt, Duse or Reiane, who is accepted in
| any country whatever language she may
! play in. She had acted with triumphant
success in the United States and Russn
and was great favorite in Berlin
Three years ago she decided TO carry her
art far beyond the frontiers of her own
country and play in Italy and France,
She had, curiollsly enough. never acted in
Vienna. and there she began her tour on the
way to Italy.
| For some unnccountable reason. the
Viennese did not care for Sorma. She
next played in Turin and in other Italian
! towns, but her failure was so complete that
after few weeks 'of financial and artistic
discoura cement of kind that she had never
known before, she discharged her company
| and returned TO Germany.
| She was for while i'll in a sanitarium
| and on her recovery went to Berlin. which
was still loyal to her. During that engage
ment she met Harry. Walden.
! Whether she will return 10 the stage is
| uncertain.
Count Minotti is determined to carry his
divorce proceedings through to the end.