The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-14
Tries to Reach Agreement with
 Countess Lawyers
MAY BE MUTUAL DECREE
Count Expresses His Deep Desolatlon Over Affair, and Asserts Con- tinued Affection for Ills
 Wife and Children.

Paris, February 1S.--Count Boni de Cas- tellane had long conference today with the lawyers of the Countess, his wife. This was one of several meetings at which the parties concerned have care fully gone over financial features of the case with the view of determining the exact form of the future procedure. and ultimate decree.
 In the meantime the Countess's bill of complaint is being prepared, but has not yet been filed as the form will depend upon the pending conferences over finan- cial affairs. If these are satisfactorily adjusted. the Countess bill of complaint Is likely to be materially modified, so as to contain only incompatibility or other grounds within the statute, but avoiding allegations of a scandalous nature. How ever, the conferences are not for the purpose of reconciliation, as all con- cerned including the Count and Countess, and their lawyers appear to recognize reunite the family.
 Reach Financial Understanding.
 The indications are therefore that the parties will reach a financial understand ing, and the bill will be modified. and a decree entered by mutual consent. The decree will probably be for a separation as the French law permits such decree being extended to a complete divorce after three years. Thus far. however, the Countess has not decided whether the bill shall ask for a complete annullment of her marriage. Her friends are rather inclined to restrict the decree to a sepa- ration, as this would prevent the remar- riage of either party within three years, thus putting an end to the rumor that the Countess intended to marry again, which her friends characterzes as ab- surd.
 Until the bill is finally framed and filed. the courts will not formally possess the document explicitly setting forth the grounds of the action. The preliminary plea did not enter into the merits of the case. but was a formality under the French law whereby the wife must ask the courts permission to begin an ac- ton against her husband. In order to sustain this plea, the Countess presented papers establishing a prima facie right to begin and action against her husband.
 May Eliminate the Names.
 These prima facie papers did not spec fly the names of the correspondents but recited incidents in which the Count is alleged to be implicated. The present ne- gotations tend to further eliminate these names from appearing during the official proceedings. As a result of the Countess prima facie showing the court has award ed her the temporary care of her chill dren and a separate domicile at the Cas- tellane home on the Avenue Du Bois de Boulogne The effect of this interlocu- tory order is to exclude the Count from the mansion as the law considers it to be incompatible for two separate domicles to exist under the same roof.
 The Countess remains there with the children and she expects to be joined soon by members of Howard Goulds fam fly.
 Count Boni expresses to friends his deep desolation over the affair and asserts his continued affection for his wife and chill dren. He pays the fullest tribute to the wifely loyalty of the Countess, and does not intend to file a cross bill.