The Washington herald., 1906-11-01

Paris. Oct. sl.-The first Of the CasteI-
laEe lawsuits. 80 long and often post
poned. came up for trial IN the Palace OF
Justice to-day. T. rot only drew q croWd.
which included many women. bu, fur
nished much sensational matter regaTdine
the private lie of Count B5ni de- Castel-
lane
Tie case az bar was Countess Auna-s
action for absolute divorce. Her lawyer.
&aitre Cruppi refrained from mention
ing tho names Of The women inculpated
III the serious charges brought against
Count Castciiane. but otherwise he die
not minCe matters or words.
The hearing was ia open court. and II rs
( expected that all the hearings viii be
open Maitre Cruppi occupied four hours
in his opening address to-day. and then
did not finish. Consequently the trial
promises 10 BE- q long oue. II is under
stood that the lawyers have agreed not
: to mention the names Of the persons in
/ volved in The charges on each side, in
either Of the countersuits If they can
avoid it, bur as the lawyers know JUST
WHO these individuals are, il viii not D.
/ regarded as strange If one OF them some
day should speak the real name instead
Of referring To him or her 10y tire letter
/ Of the alphabet Maiire Cruppi alone
to-day referred 20 eleven o. twelve women
Of the TWO worlds as Mines. A, C., or X.
Reception 10 POrtugaPs King.
Aside from the scandal. when drew tha
curious D. court. MalIe Cruppi's' raveia-
! lions of the exfont to which Count Ca
+ telianc had broken into mis- wife's fortt,r,.
4 aroused the sharpest attention. alaisre
/ CrupPi. in q dramatic opening. pictured
+ the events that led the countess 10 seek
divorce. He told Of the sudden loss of
4 her ideals, and of the wasting OF her for
tune 10y her husband. He described IT,,
/ reception given in honor or the king 81
I Portugal On December 10. la5. bv
( Countess Anna in her palace in t7
Champs Elysee. and said shlt d. ueNr
/ day t4le countess appealed 70 the courts
I tor q divorce. bctause sae cs5lff n,
+ lonser stand the atmosphere OF lies an6
T Of ruin N which she was living TIe si~r
emphasized The names Of Gesrge ar.f
I Helen Gould saying. that because OF rhs
+ prominent position they were 10 occup,
+ in the case be wanted their importar.r-
! 10 b. understood
Count Got Scant Pin Money.
Maitre Cruppi said that The question
! Of money arose between tho Castellanes
I even in the apartment they occupisd after
+ their marriage. before their palace was
I built. Count CasIellane claimed 70 pos
sess sS9990. but he had never produced il.
Countess Anna, az the time Of her mar
riage, had an income Of 40oa009 francs.
/ but she was never able 20 dispose Of her
+ Own means. she never had pocket money
/ Of her own even. having been allowed
only 5oJ OF fo0 fancS monthly for her
/ personal expenses during the eight years
J OF her married life. Some time since she
asked for a thousand francs monthly for
her personal expenses. but her husband
told her he could not afford to let her
have that much.
/ One Of the counts traits was to make
lavish purchases of curios at extravagant
prices and then selling them for anything
he could get for them
struck Wife Soon After wedding.
Three months after her wedding Count
ess Anna confessed her wretchedness to
her maid, who had seen the count push
her against a door. but the plaintiff did
not rely on the testimony OF maids. Tho
countess had even early in her married
life been driven to tell her friends that
she had been frequently struck by her
husband
Maitre Cruppi read letter that had
been written TO Countess Anna by Mrs.
Stelllngtou Drake, in which she said.
After three months of married life you
confessed 10 me the frequent brutalities
OF your husband, and that yoU could have
peace hy yielding TO him your entire in
come. which you since have done"
Continuing, Maitre Cruppi declared that
Count Boni had bought the Trianou
ground in his own name with his wife's
money. The story that Countess Anna
wanted to return to the United States
With her soa Was untrue, as she proposed
10 raise them as Frenchmen
Count Puts Dummy in Bed.
Coming 10 the inhdeliues charged.
Maitre Cruppi said that Countess Anna
came upon the nrkt proof in 1895 when
she found a madriga. which her husband
had written to one Of MS women friends.
he slapped her for having read it.
One incident effectively related bv
Mnitrc Cruppi put the court In qui vive.
lie said that one evening, when suspicion
stirred her anguished heart, Countess
Anna. in order TO be- assured that her hus-
band had gone to bed, went 20 his bed
-'N''-'f 49, -,atS ApAlltAr +-NA ltA ELEUaEQ.
but dummy figure in the bed
In 1888 the countess put her Jewels in "a
casket, to which she and her husband had
hcyS. she found there correspondence
from Madame A., whose handwriting sha
knew. Madame had written to Count BoDi
that they would soon be In .'fheir own
home" again adding, ! kiss thee in The
neck, in the soft spot, nay beloved"
Countess Anna seized the letters and
sought q lawyer. The letters were mt I'm
evidence.
Some of RORi's Gallant Adventures.
Count Boni had apartments in Rue Bois
sere, Rue General Fol, Rue Rochefocarld.
the Place Iona, and IT Neuilly under the
name OF Pascalor, the name OF one of hi,,
secretaries. Maitre Crupp. declared that
Count Boni was as successful in society
with the half world, and that Madame
Y, whose husband was to be feared.
used 10 pin Il handkerchief TO a curtaio
when il was safe for Count Boni 10 erter
the house. In eases Of mischance there.
a maid had snluggled Count Boni down
the back stairs. Society. people had seen
this delicate operation, and ii the opro-
CONTINUED on THIRD PAGE.