Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-11-03

Paris-Before a crowd that taxed
the capacity of the courtroom in the
palace of justice in the old Latin
quarter, the case of the Countess de
Castellane for divorce from her hus-
band, Count Boni de Castellane, was
begun Wednesday afternoon Count
pnnns. aotto,,raVsa made no effort for
further postpOnement and with Hen
ri Ditto, president of the tribunal Of
first instance of the Seine, presiding
and with two associate justices on
the bench, Maitre Cruppi presented
the plea of the countess for absolute
divorce and the custody of the chill
dren.
The plea was made upon documen-
tary evidence and without summon
ing witnesses. The great lawyer
spoke for 4 1-2 hours with an inter-
mission of only Is minutes. The case
was adjourned before Maitre Crup-
pts argument was finished and he
still seemed to have plenty of am
munition.
Such a severe arraignment has sell
dom been heard in this courtroom.
The lawyer painted Count Boni in the
blacklist of colors, declaring him to
be rapacious, brutal and llcentious,
while the countess was held up as
the long-sufrering and innocent vic
tim. Nothing was spared and moth
ing was CLOSED over.
In chronological order Maitre Crup-
pi recounted the history of this un-
fortunate alliance, which, he said,
had been unhappy from the very hon
eymoon, owing to the incredible ex-
t1avagance of the husband, who in
five years had used up the colossal
fortune that the daughter of Jay
Could had brought him. Count Boni's
inordinate and Unsuitable demands
for money, according to the attor-
ney for the countess, began as soon
as the couple arrived in France, and
led Immediately to ill-treatment and
abuse and soon to blows.
The countess was struck by her
husband, according to her lawyer,
| the frst time four months after the
marriage. This was the result of a
quarrel In connection with dinner
given by an American, to which the
count was not invited.
Intrigues and amours carried on
under the countess very eyes were
not long delayed. Maitre CruppI do
| tailed liaisons with four society wom-
en-, designating them as Nine. A,
| Ii nn1
ferring to the counts "affaires deml-
mondaines," the lawyer told the
story in plain, unvarnished fashion.
He made no attempt at rhetoric, but
marshaled the documents from a big
| portfolio before him. He read unex-
letters and gave the depositions of
servants and others, proving infidel-
ity.
Only when Maitre Cruppi reached
some particularly outrageous incident
of the counts conduct, did his voice,
vibrating with passion, rise until it
penetrated the furthermost recesses
of the great hall, and at other times
it would soften as he spoke of the
humil.ated wife under such circum-
stances trying to bear up In the face
of the world. AS he spoke of the
counts efforts to prolong the case
with the view of securing forgiveness
and reconciliation, the lawyer fairly
shouted: mo, No! forgiveness is
now out of the question"
Neither Maitre Bonnet of counsel
for the count nor Maltre Millerand,
counsel for the creditors of the count,
attempted to interrupt Maitre Crup-
pi They sat through the speech
with seeming unconcern, occasional
| ly taking a few notes. The judges
appeared to be keenly interested In
the proceedings.
The general impression is that
overwhelming evidence has been of
fered and that the decree of divorce
| will be granted without the painful
ordeal of taking the testimony of
witnesses. Maitre Cruppi plainly in
timated that Count Boni, however,
would try to prolong the hearing for
the purpose of forcing a reconcilia-
ton through the scandal In America,
where the details of the proceedings
can be freely published. Count Boni
knows that he Is perfectly immune
here on that score, as there is a law
In France which makes the publica-
tion of divorce proceedings a crimi-
nal offence.