New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-16
HAS LEFT R. c. CHURCH.
RENOUNCES 1T.
Former Hiss CaId1ceU Gaze $3OO,O0O
to Catholic University.

The following letter. announcing that the Mar
ouise das Monsters who gave 100000 toward
the Divinity College of the Roman Catholic
University OF America. has left the Roman Cath
olic Church. has been received by The Associated
Press:
1t may interest some of your readers to know
that the Narquise des Monsters Merinville for
merly Miss NJ. q. Caldwell who. ii Will be re-
membered. founded the Roman Catholic Univer-
sity at Washington some years ago, has entire
ly Tepudiated her former creed. In an interview
with me the other day she said Yes it is true
that 1 have left the Roman Catholic Church.
Since have been living in Europe my eyes have
been opened to what that Church really is and
to Its anything but sanctity. But the trouble
Soes much further back than this, Being nat
urally religious, my imagination was early
caught by the idea of doing something to liA
the Church from the lowly position which 1t oC-
cuped in America, so l thought of a university
or higher school, where its clergy could he ed
ucated, and, if possible refined. OF course, in
this / was greatly influenced by Bishop Spad-
ing, of Peoria. who represented it to me as one
of the greatest works Of the day When / was
twenty-one / turned over to them One-third of
my fortune for that purpose: hut for years
have been trying TO rid myself of the subtle
YET overwhelming influence of a Church which
pretends. not only to the privilege of being the
only true Church. but of being alone able to
open the gates OF Heaven to sorrowfu, sinful
world. At last my honest Protestant blood has
asserted itself. and l now forever repudiate and
cast off the yoke of Rome" So saying the
marquise politely dismissed me-
1t Will be remembered that the Maruufse des
Monsters Mernve and her sister the
Baroness Won Zedwitz. are the daughters of the
late William :. Caldwell and his wife, who was
Breckenridge Of Kentucky. Shortly before his
death Mr.. Caldwell became a convert to Roman
Catholicism and left his children to the care
of Irish Roman Catholics in New-York whom
his wife had met in church circles. The younger
sister married some fifteen years ago a German
nobleman a Lutheran. and has since then also
left the Roman Catholic communion. The elder
has been in very bad health for some years from
having to occupy position before the world
hnl lie nipl1
a real one, and into which her extreme gener-
osity led her as a young and inexperienced girl
Now at last her own mind has asserted itself
and she returns to the creed of her ancestors.
William S. Caldwell after being theatrical
manager in England, settled in Richmond, Va,
and eventually made large fortune in building
gas houses in Chicago St. Louis. Mobile and
other cities Miss Caldwell and her sister Lima
spent the summers at Newport, and usually
spent part of the winter, when they were not
abroad. in this city. On the death of her father
Miss Caldwell inherited $200O.000. In 1896 she
was married TO the Marquis des Monsters
Merinville q French nObleman in Paris. by
Bishop Spalding. the guardian and admins
traitor of the estate OF Miss Caldwell Some
seven years previous 10 her marriage Miss Cald-
we'll was engaged to Prince Murat. grandson of
the King of Naples. The engagement was
broken. the reason given being that the prince
insisted that one-half of Miss CaldwelIs for
tune should be settled him.
Miss Lima Caldwell married Baron Won Zed-
WITT. who killed on his yacht Isolde on
August Is 1876. while taking part III the races
of the Royal Albert regatta at Southsea. Eng
land the result of a collision with Emperor
Williams yacht Meteor. The baron struck
the head by a block a piece of the broken
mast of his yacht. He had been secretary of
the German embassies at Washington, St
Petersburg Toxic and Stockholm and in 1883
he was appointed Minister of Germany to Mex
leo.
Washington, Nov. 15.-Prominent members of
the Catholic clergy in Washington tonight ex-
pressed their surprise at the announcement.
They were loath to believe it. At the university
itself the statement would not be accepted
true.
Bishop spalding is in this city: Asked to-
night If he could assign any reason for the
MarQuiSe des Monstierss action, he answered
that he could not; that he knew her only as a
good Catholic.
one official attributed a possible cause,
taking the story to he correct. the notoriety
which the university gained by the failure of
Thomas +. Waggaman, its treasurer, by which
the university suffered considerable financial
loss.
Louisville. Ky. Nov - (SpeciaD.-Miss Cald-
well before her marriage to the Marquis des
Monsters was negotiating for the building of
mausoleum to cost several hundred thousand
dollars, but she never carried the idea into ex-
ecution Her marriage to the marquis proved
unhappy. She returned to New-York over a
year ago and took rooms at the buckingham
Hotel. where she lived in seclusion. Her eye
sight and hearing became impaired.