The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-11-14
THE CASE OF THE
CASTELLANES
or THE TRIAL FOR
DtVORCE-THE COUNT Is MADE
OUT A WORTHLESS WRETCH.

-
Seine. Neither the Count nor the !
Countess was present. Maitre Cruppi !
for the Countess, pleaded for divorce |
on the documentary evidence submitted |
The counsel declared that the Countess
at the beginning of the suit, was not
acting under influence, but solely for
the purpose Of ending forever the peril
of the moral desolation Of her house
hold. He explained the marriage con-
tract by which The regime Of separa-
tion of property was established from
the very beginning, and stated that
domestic difficulties are over the ques-
ton of money. III treatment soon
followed, the Count even striking the
plaintiff before the servants.
When he reached the question Of in
fidelity charged against the Count,
Maitre Cruppi did not mention names
or even initials, designating the CORE
spondent as Madame A." Madame
b." and so on. Maitre Cruppi asked that
the Countess be siven the custody OF
her three children.
PROOF OF INFIDELITY.
Counsel for the Countess spoke for
an hour and a half, and had not finish
ed when the court took recess.
Counsel's presentation of the case
of the plaintiff constitutes a complete
and pitiful story, a wreck of her mar
ried life, due primarily to the Counts
inordnate extravaganza Even in spite
of their domestic infelicity the Countess
was too good to begin an action for
divorce until she obtained full proof.
She was only 90 when she was married
i'm 1895 and the happiness of the honey
moon was disturbed on their arrival in
Paris by the Couit's demands for
money. The countess income was then
100000 and the Count allowed her $50
pin money. The courtroom was crowd
ed, among those present being many
members of the American colony
COUNT STRUCK COUNTESS.
BY 1899 the Countess interests,
Cruppi said, were so heavily CONF
promised by the Counts extravaganza
that it necessitated a family meeting in
New York and the appointment of a
legal trustee. But the difficulties re-
garding money were unceasing and in
order to obtain funds the Count pawned
or sold at ridiculous prices the most
costly objects When the Countess
protested the Count abused her in the
presence of servants, and when she
declined to attach her signature to
documents he pinched her and some
times struck her. the first time being
four months after their marriage.
Cruppi protested against the mali
cious reports in regard to the Countess
| inteGtions'' and announced that she
would leave France for America i'm
mediately after a divorce is granted.
LOVE LETTERS TELL OF KISSES.
RecotNting the Counts inidelity the
first instance cited by counsel was that
with a married woman, described as
madame A." in 1898 The CORE
spOndence was conducted through
Moret, the Counts secretary. The
Countess accidentally discovered in the
Castellane chateau a packet of love
letters and when she protested, the
Count struck her. The Countess latCr
placed the letter in the custody of a
lawyer.
Cruppi read passionate extracts from
one of the letters. 1t read: 81 am kiss
ing you on the neck. Do you fell it?"
and so on. Counsel also detailed liasSns
with Madame B" and Madame c."
whom the Count met in apartments
which he rented in different parts of
Paris.
| MANY WOMEN OF ALL CLASSES.
After recess Cruppi read from a note
book kept by the cook of one of these
apartments, giving brutally plain de-
I tails of what counsel characterized as
IAN objectionable offense against the
| Countess" He also recounted the IL
| Alison with Madame c." whose maid
counted guard and sgnalled from a
window when the coast was clear.
But counsel continued, the Counts
| love affairs We're not confined to la
| dies of society. They included numer-
Gus other women, the reading of whose
letters created merriment in court.
Cruppi said that the Cout's defense
will probably be, that, being young
and rich he could not protect himself
against the assaults of loVe-sick
women. In the face of the overwhelm-
ing evidence submitted, Cruppi de-
| clared his opponent could not expect
| the tribunal to ask for the summoning
of witnesses.
NO HOPE OF FORGIVENESS
Counsel added: Does he imagine by
| dragging out the case to obtain for
giveness? No, no. Count Boni's plan
to reconquer his wifes affections is too
transparent"
The final rupture came the day after
the first entertainment of King Charles
OF Portugal, December 1, 1905. The
| Count at that time insisted that the
Countess go with him to a shooting
party given by a noble of whom the
Countess had cause to complain, and
when the Count became enraged at
the Countess refusal she abruptly an
nounced her intention to. separate from
him and began legal proceedings.
Counsel placed $S,OOO,OO0 as the total
of the Counts expenditures preceding
the appointment of a trustee At one
time there was seizure of their prop
erty in a suit for the recovery of a