New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-16
JAIL IF THEY ERR.
Foreign Titled Husbands of Ameri-
can Wires Face Prison.

oH te ground Of fatthlessness to his marriage
Il HKeiy to contribute more than anything else to
cool the ardor OF fortune hunters in this country
mailing from Continental Europe. While there are
some matrimonial alliances Of this kind hat have
turned out extremely well and that have brought
nothng hut happiness 10 the American brides, it
cannot be denied that there are a very large num-
Der that have resulted in misery and in public
scandal owing TO the disposition manifested by the
impoverished but titled husband TO use his Amer
lean wifes money for intrigues with other women.
Hltherto these wives have contented themselves
with tears. separation, and quite frequently with
divorce But the extremely energetic daughter
OF that most pugnacious OF mortals. the late Cen
eral Van Buren, (she is great-grandniecs OF PrsEi-
dent Martin Van BUREN,, has set the example and
established the precedent OF having the faithIess
foreign husband jailed. and that too by the tribu-
nails OF his own country.
II Is not only Italy that Furnishes disregard of the
marriage vows by imprisonment There Is hardly
country OF Continental Europe that does not pro-
vide similar penalties for marital nhdeity, penal
ties that are particularly severe in France when
invoked by the plaintiff Thus. Countess Boni de
Castelane could have sent her husband to prison II
one quarter Of the charges brought against him are
true charges on which she has founded her petition
Tor decree of divorce. and il she has abstained
from resorting to any such extremes the former
Edith Van Buren, it is because she probably wished
Tor her boys sake to obtain her divorce with the
minimum Of scandal. and also for the reason that
punishment by Imprisonment is rarely If ever tn
voked by the grand monde in such cases. those who
take advantage thereof being almost exclusively
the small bourgeoise, the artisan, petty shopkeeper
and peasant classes
or course. II is well to bear in mind that the law
cuts both ways and that if a wife can punish the
faithlessness of her husband by OF jail
injured husband impose similar retribution
upon errant wife for her indiscretions. and nat
uraly the disgrace Of Incarceration for such
is greater for a than for a man
Instances OF American wives married to for
eign husbands who have furnished to the latter
statutory grounds for divorce have been rare. It
is the American wife who has almost invariably
been petitioner-that say the injured party
IN the 1t is to them. therefore. that the ex-
ample set by the American born Countess Castel-
menardo will appeal. 1t is means OF disciplns
placed in their hands Of the possession Of which
many of them were not aware. The very knowledge
that American women are liable, under provocaton.
TO avail themselves thereof, according TO the precs-
dent established by the Duchess Of Castelmenardos
transatlantic daughter-ln-law. is liable TO render
foreign sutors the hands OF American heiresses
less numerous and to cause them to behave with
greater degree of clrcumspection when married
than has hitherto been the case in these interna-
tional alliances.
In England there is Imprisonment for infrao-
lions of the Seventh Commandment. which British
law, with strange disregard Of what is stated in
the Bible describes as spiritual offence"
FIRST ROYAL ARMY SURGEON
Army surgeons have played notable a role in
the recent war IN the Far Orient. particularly on
the japanese side that the prestige of this former
ly most unjusty despised branch of the military
service has been thereby vastly increased and
established a lofty and henceforth unassaIable
basis 1t seems. therefore. singUlarly appropriate
that young King Alfonso should appoint his IA
vOrite uncle Prince Louis Ferdinand OF Bavaria.
not to honorary colonelcy. but to the Office OF
surgeon general Of the Spanish army. this being the
first instance record of any prince OF the blood
being gazetted TO a commission in the medical
branch OF the service
Prince Louis Ferdinand while distinguished
soldier, is likewise eminent physician. and de-
votes all the time absorbed by Wagnerian
music to Obstetrical surgery. In the way
that his cousin. Duke Charles Theodore OF Ba-
varia. by his five thousand cataract operations has
restored sight to numbers OF his blind country
men, Louis Ferdinand may be said to have helped
many hundreds of tiny Bavarians into this world
OF suffering free of cost Indeed, he enjoys
siderable fame in the medical world OF Europe in
connection with this particular branch Of surgery.
The prince, who is married to the Infanta PaE,
sister of the late King Alfonso. and who is a son
Of the late Infanta Amelia. sster-in-law of the
late Queen Isabella will be remembered here in
connection with the violence of his denunciation
of Manager Conried's production Of 'Parsifal" In
New-York and other American cities. He con-
dened 1t as an inconceivable act of sacrilege Cpie
Enthusiastically Since the death of the late King
Louis he has been the principal friend at court Of
the Wagner family. and is so enthusiasts on the
subject of Wagnerian music that he often plays the
first violin in the orchestra at the performance Of
Wagner's works. both at BayTeuth and in Munich
I may add that he is likewise a composer and that
he has produced a very successful opera, based
upon the we'll known German drama by He0bel en-
titled DER Gyges ind sein Ring
KING RECEIVES A GREWsOMB RELIC
Apropos Of this, King Edward has recently been
placed in possession Of very grewsome relic OF
one OF his Stuart predecessors on the throne, name
". the lower portion OF the vertebra, or fourth
cervical OF King Charles I. and which had been
severed by the at the time of his execution 1t
possibly be remembered that in 12l5, when the
coffin of the i'll faed monarch was accidentally dis
covered in the vaults OF ST. Georges Chapel at
Windsor George ". then Prince Regent. caused
the casket TO be opened in his presence and in that
of several other distinguished men, including Sir
Henry Halford. who enjoyed the distinction of hav-
ing been the medical adviser to no less than four
British soveretgns. After the remains Of King
Charles which were found in a marvellous state OF
preservation. had been carefully examined the
leaden coffin soidered up again. and It was
only when this had been completed that the dis
covery made that the portion OF the vertebra to
which I have referred above had been overlooked
and left outside the casket The Prince Regent
would not hear OF the latter being opened again to
replace the fragment OF bone but presented It to
Sir Henry Halford who OF his great
favorltes.
Sir Henry caused it TO be inclosed in a case OF
lignuu vitae. lined with sold, and with a Latin IN
scrpdon inside the lid He very proud OF the
relic and often showed II to friends and acQuain-
tances Quite recently old Lady Halford widow OF
the grandson of Sir Henry Haford realizing that
at her death without issue the relic In question
might find it's way into the auction room, made up
her mind that would be the right thing to do to
restore IL to the royal family. from whom her hus-
bands grandfather had received It. So she pre-
sented fl to King Edward. who accepting the gift
has caused it to be placed in handsome silver box
and has laid the latter the coffin of Charles / in
TIE ua,llts Of ST George,s Chanel thus niietlr si