Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-08
COUNTESS CALLS
COUNTALIBERT|NE
CASTELLANE DIVORCE CASE
IS NAuSEATlNG
Council for Both Sides Argue for and
Against the Separation of the
Wealthy but Unhappy
Couple
Rv Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
PARIS, Nov. THE Castellane di-
Vorce case is again before the court
Today Maitre Cruppi, of counsel Tor the
countess. reviewed the points ne nad
covered last week and declared that
proofs of the counts inhdehty ana
cruelty contained in the thirteen alle-
cations made last week were sufficient
to Justify a divorce without summoning
witnesses Maitre Cruppi then plunged
directly into the counts maneuVers
since the divorce proceedings were In
stituted to reconquer his wife's affec-
tions.
After the failure of the attempt at
arranging a reconciliation February l,
when the countess was granted the tenn
porary custody of her children, Count
Boni began syctem; tic campaign,
writing to the, countess letters filled
with avowals of sincere repentance,
supplications for pardon, passionate
words and professions of undying love.
On February rs the countess sent a
cold rejoinder, informing the count that
she had suffered too much and had lost
all affection for him and confidence In
his honor and veracity, concluding with
the statement that she found him dis
gushing"
The letters continued until the middle
of September, when the count wrote
that he would not long survive, plead
ing to see the countess.
1t was then, said M. Cruppi, that the
countess, worn out with her husbands
insincerity, wrote him three postal
cards, one of which read:
Calls Him Libertine
my response is the refusal of a re-
spectacle woman to see such a liber-
tine"
The wording of the other cards was
equally emphatic.
M. Cruppi made no concealment of
the fact that the countess aided her
husband in his electoral campaign last
May.
Maitre Bonet of counsel for Count
Boni began his reply by describing the
dreams of luxury of a young American
heiress when she married a French
nobeman, resulting in making the life
of extravaganza upon which she en-
tered quite natural to her.
Counsel then read affectionate letters
written by the countess to the count,
excusing her inability to furnish funds
because her brother George would not
supply them.
To show that the count made sacri-
fees as we'll as his wife, Maitre Bonet
declared that he sold his share of the
ancestral forest of Bueny in order to
make the first payment of $S0000 on the
Malakoff avenue property. The divorce
proceedings, counsel said, were due to
the evil counsel of mischief makers,
especially to the Vaccinations of Ed
mond Kelly, the American lawyer.
whose object was to obtain a high fee.
: Without adverse interference, counsel
was sure the countess would return to
her husband. sSas-s-1-s
AS for the testimony of servants,
Maitre Bonet said he classed such evil
dence, mere declarations not made
under oath, as a comedy, and conse-
Quently he insisted on the examination
of witnesses which would permit the
tribunal to judge of their credibility.
Maitre Bonet protested Indignantly
against the bitterness shown against his
client in picturing him as the brutal
jailer of his wife. Counsel said:
1.-THE count has not been the brute he
has been described to have been. He
always has been gallant gentleman
who has respectful affection for his
wife. There has been nothing to shake
or destroy it.
"The counts only thought has been to
give his wife the luxurious, queenly ex-
istence of which she dreamed. If he ex-
ceeded his aim it is to his honor only.
AS a result of this laudable effort he has
been saddled with the task of paying
$4,000 annually"
Counsel for the count declared that
the Gould fc:-,ily did not look favorably
on divorce. At any rate, George ].
Gould wrote to Count Boni that he was
profoundly grieved at what had hap
pened. Had it not been for Mr.. Kelly,
who desired to secure the management
of the Immense estate, the countess
would have listened to her husbands
supplications. Mr.. Kelly directed the
campaign against the count. Counsel
instanced an alleged case in which an
agent of Mr.. Kelly gave money to a
witness to prove the counts infdelity,
and the person referred to, smitten with
remorse, returned the money
mother witness, continued Maitre
Bonet. told a friend that he was MAX
ing enough money to buy a villa at
DEauville and live independently.
The countess, counsel asserted, had
known of the things complained of
several years ago, and he hinted that
she had condemned them and had taken
no action except under outside pressure.
Maitre Bonet did not tack the coun-
tess during the course of his remarks.
but on the contrary spoke of her in
high terms.
Before counsel had concluded the
court adjourned until tomorrow.
Maitre Bonet's charge of bribery of
witnesses may prove successful in fore
ing an inquiry, as French court sell
dom oyerlooks such allegations.
Mr.. Kelly this afternoon was served
with 150 documents in creditors cases,
which will be heard Immediately after
the divorce is disposed of.