Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-01
LOVE LETTERS
READ IN COURT
CASTELLANE DIVORCE CASE
NOW ON
Eplstles Written by Count to Various
Women Contain Extremely
Affeotionate Para
graphs

PARIS, oct. 31.-The Casbe1Iane
divorce case was heard this afternoon
before NJ. Henri Ditte, president of the
tribunal of first instance of the Seine.
Neither the count nor the countess
was present. Maitre Cruppi, for the
countess, pleaded for divorce on the
documentary evidence submitted. on
extended review 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
household. He explained the marriage
contract by which the regime of separa-
ton of property was established from
the very beginning, and stated that
domestic difficulties are over the ques-
ton of money. iii treatment soon fol-
lowed, 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 CO.
respondents as Madame Az and MA
dame b." and so on.
Maitre Cruppi asked that the countess
be given the custody of the three chill
dren.
Counsel for the countess spoke for an
hour and a half, and had not finished
when the court took recess.
Counsel's presentation of the case of
the plaintiff causes a complete and pitt
full story, a wreck of her married life,
due primarily to the counts inordinate
extravaganza. Even in spite of their
domestic infelicity, the countess was
too good to begin action for divorce
until she had obtained full proof.
She was only 20 when she was mar
ried in 1895, and the happiness of the
honeymoon was disturbed on their ar
rival at Paris by tie counts demands
for money.
The countess income was then $780,
coo and the count allowed her $50 for
pin money. The court room was
crowded, among those present being
many members of the American colony.
By 1899 the countess interests, NJ.
Cruppi said, were so heavily compro
missed by the counts extravaganza that
1t necessitated a family meeting in
New York and the appointment Of a
legal trustee.
But the difficulties regarding money
were unceasing, and in order to obtain
funds the count pawned or sold at
ridiculous prices the most costly OBJ
jects.
When the countess protested, the
count abused her in the presence of
servants, and when she declined to at
taeh her signature to documents he
pinched her and sometimes struck her,
the first time being four months after
their marriage.
NJ. Cruppi protested against the
'malicious reports in regard to the
countess intentions" and announced
that she would leave France for
America Immediately after divorce is
granted.
Recounting the counts infidelity, the
first instance cited by counsel was that
with married woman, described as
MADAME A. in 1898.
The correspondence was conducted
through M. Moret, the counts secre7
tary. The countess accidentally dis
covered in the Castellane chateau a
packet of love letters, and when she
protested the count struck her. The
countess later placed the letters in
the custody of her lawyer.
M. Cruppi read passionate extracts
from one of the letters 1t read:
Il am kissing you on the neck. Do
you feel it?" and so on.
Counsel also detailed liaisons with
MADAME B" and MADAME c. whom
the count met in apartments which he
rented in different parts of Paris.
M. Cruppi had not finished his presen-
tation of the case when the hearing
was adjourned until next week.