The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-02
cDSTELLANE DYING HARD
PRoLoNGs CASE IN HOPE OF 4
 RECONCILIATION,

His Defence to Charge of Infldelity Will
 be "Unprovens-NIay Demand In-
 quiry Which Will Prolong the Case---
 Calling of Witnesses Countess COun-
 sci Hopes to Avoid in order Not to
 Drag in Some of the Highest Names
 in France,
 Paris, Nov. 1.--In spite of the reiter- ated statements made yesterday by Maitre Cruppi, in the opening address of the trial of the divorce case of the Countess de Castellane (who was Anna Gould, of New York; that there was not the faintest possibility of a recon ciliation, it is by no means certain that the count has completely abandoned hope of such an outcome, His entire conduct since the suit for divorce be- gan would appear to be based upon the belief that his wife, who for ten years submitted to so many indgnities, must yield in the end This sthsory will ex- plain the counts refusal of liberal of- fers of a life income, and 1t is now dis closed that the count never ceased writing love letters to his wife in which he begged for a reconciliation, and in which he anathuatized the American lawyers under whose influence he charged she was acting.
 Friends of Count Boni say he was dumfounded to learn that the countess had allowed the presentation yesterday of a detailed case. He was so confi- ] dent that his wife would surrender that he did not prepare line of denee, and i it was only to-day that the documents which, under the French law, must be exchanged were transferred to counsel 1 for the opposition. These papers amount, in the main, to letters written 1 to Count Boni by his wife, and which show the contempt in which she held her husband These letters probably 1 Twill necessItate the production of the letters which provoked them.
 It seems certain to-day that Count l Boni's defence to the charge of inf delity will be improved and that he consequently will demand an inquiry and the reduction of witnesses for the purpose of prolonging the case his idea being to accomplish a reconcilia- tion. This would open a road to extri- cate the count from the money difficult ties with which he is beset.
 The calling of witnesses is what the attorneys for the countess is particu- larly anx'ous to avoid, as so doing | would drag in some of the highest names in France. Maitre Cruppi did not utter one word yesterday to give a clue to the persons referred to as i Mime. A." Mime B, Mime. c" and 1 Mime. D" except to those persons fa- miliar with current gossip. If an in quiry can be avoided the decision probably will not be rendered before 1 November 2f,
 | AI<Te CFuppl SAP0St9 'O speth IoI dl hour an half next Wednesday,, and the remainder of that session of the court will be given to Maitre Bonnet. oi i counsel for the count. The court will then adjourn for a week in order to give the public prosecutor, who under i the French law, represents the interests of the community and the state in di- vorce cases, an opportunity to present his conclusions. After this there will be a delay of another week while the judges prepare their decision.
 The reports that the husbands of two of the women who were referred to yes Iterday by Maitre oruppi have challeng. ed Count B5ni to duels are quite with. out confirmation and all inquiries made in the matter lead to the belief thai l +I,ox-