The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-01
SHAME OF THE CASTELLANES Case Before the French
 Court. COUNT BOM IS ARRAIGNED Maitre Cruppi Presents Cause of
 American Girl. Noted Barrister Tells How French Lib- ertine Spent Her Share of The Tremendous Fortune of
 Jay Gould.
COUNT BON1 IS ARRAlGNED

Paris. Oct. 31.-Before crowd which taxed the capacity of the court room in the palace ol justice in the old Latin quarter, the case of the Countess Boni de Castellane was be- gun this afternoon.
 Count Boni's attorneys made no ef- fort for further postponement and with Henri Ditte. president of the tri- bunal of first instance of the Seine presiding. and with two associate jus tices on the bench. Maitre Cruppi pre- sented the plea of the countess for absolute divorce and the custody of the children.
 This plea was made upon documen- tary evidence and without summoning witnesses. The great lawyer spoke for four and one-balf hours with an intermission of only fifteen minutes. The case was adjourned before the Maitre Cruppi argument was finished and he still seemed to have plenty of ammunition in the locker.
 Such severe arraignment has sell dom been heard in this court room. He painted Count Boni in the blackest of colors. declaring him to be rapa- ciOus. brutal and licentious and while the countess was held up as the long suffering victim Nothing was spared and nothing was glossed over. In chronological order Maitre Cruppi re- counted the story of the alliance. which he said had been unhappy from tho very honeymoon owing to the in- credible extravags nee of the husband. who in i've years had used up the CO., lossal fortune that the daughter of Jay Gould had brought him.
 Wanted Money Immediately.
 Count Bonfs inordinate and insatia- ble demands for money, according to the attorney for the countess, began as the couple arrived in Paris and led immediately to i'll treatment and abuse and soon to blows. The countess was struck by her husband, according to yer lawyer the first ..me. four months
 ter the marriage. This was the re-
 of a quarrel in connection with 7ner given by an American to
 the count was not invited. h. and amours carried on under
 -tess's very eyes were not long
 Aitre Cruppi detailed iiasons with
 .ur society women. designating them as Mime. A, Mime. B., Mime. C., and Mime. D. Referring to the counts af- fairs with the demi- mondaines the lawyer told the story m a pain unvar- ntshed fashion. He made no attempt at rhetoric. but marshalled the facts from a big dossier before him. He read unexpurgated extracts from in- eliminating letters and gave deposi- tions of servants and others indicat- ing infidelity.
 Only when Maitre Cruppi reached some particular outrageous incidents of the Counts conduct did his voice, vibrat- ing with passion, rise uutil 1t penetrat- ed the farthermost recesses of the big hall, and at other times it would sort en as he spoke of the humiliated wife under such circumstances, trying to bear up in the face of the world. As he spoke of the Counts efforts to pro- long the case with a view of securing forgiveness and conciliation, the law yer fairly shouted: No. no. forgive ness Is now out of the question"
 Rubberfng In Court Room.
 Beneath the disguises of Mime A.. Mime B., Mime. c. and Mme D., many persons in the court room recognized the Identity of the women to whom the lawyer referred, and there was a cram ing Of necks as the court room listen ed to the reading of burning words of passion in the letters and the curious were especially absorbed in the sal acious details set forth by the lawyer of the case of Mme C., with whom n code of window signals had been ar ranged, and whose maid did sentinel duty at the door of the mansion to give the alarm in case the betrayed hus- band should return unexpectedly.
 In this deposition 1t was set forth that a servant ushered Count Boni to Mme C's boudoir, Maitre Cruppi of fered evidence to prove that Ccunt apartments In Paris for the conduci of his love affairs. The most notorious of these apartments was at Neuilly.
 They were hired in the names of servants. Count Boni's cores pon #cncn with women of fashion was conducted through his secretaries. The reading of letter from e-demi- mondalAes
 
 Upon society women and demimon- daines alike the count showered flow CTS and gifts. according 10 the attorney for the countess even pawning pre- cious articles bought by his wife 10 get the money, or borrowing from us- uerers when he could not obtain credit
 Maitre Cruppi dwelt upon passag" in a letter from Mme B which he dc clared left no doubt that a liason exist ed This passage was. "I never be- lieved you capable of making dishon- orable use of my letters Matrc Cruppi disclosed the fact that in No vember 1900, the civil tribunal of tho Seine was about to appoint judicial trustee in the person of Georg" J. Gould for the purpose of protecting the Countess against the rapac!ty of h"r husband but being unable to appease the crediotrs, the case was transferred to New York.
 The description of "Thc Comedy of Leaving" played by Count Ron' on that occasion, provoked roars of laughter. Hc wrote q letter to the Countess, tn which he said: 'I leave this house forever. taking only 10000 francs to keep m" until I can earn mr broad. l will resign my seat in Parllam mt and go to China. l hope the newspapers won't know to what I am reduced. ."
 Tn a postscropt the count added: "t hoxe 500 francs in my pocket and l cn- close 300 for your lunch and dnner today.
 The Countess first left tn, mansion and went to a hu'"l in August, l30i. Maitrc Cruppi continued. when. deeply outraged and worn out wilh iufamjrs. she learned tHat Mm". D, aud Count Boni were tt Trouvili. Later she re- turned home and bore thr situation lin- til the day uftcr the rntertaiuWcnt of King Charles of Portugal. peC"mbcr l2. 1905, when, upon the Counts try ng tG force her to go tn d shooting party. of which she was suspicious. the Count ess left the mansion and entered pro