The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-01
CASTELLANE'S MlSDEEDs TOLD
TRIAL OF ANNA GOULD'S SUIT
FOR DIVORCE BEGINS.
Counsel says n Could Ma Lonwcr Live In
an Atmosphere efiies and Ruin Count
Beat Her and Appropriated Her Entire
IncOms-A Dozen women in the Case.
Special coNs Despatch 10 the sun.

AEN@s @AFN INV EAsa
Income-A Dozen women in the Case.
Special coMs Despatch 10 THE sun.
PARIS, Oct. sl.-The first Of the Castel-
lane law suits, 50 long and often postponed
came up for trial in the Palace of Justice
to-day. IL not only drew a crowd, which
included many women, but furnished much
sensational matter regarding the private
life OF Count Boni de Castellane.
The case at bar was Countess Anna
action for absolute divorce. Her lawyer,
Maitre Cruppi, RETAINED from mentioning
the names Of the women inculpated in the
serious charges brought against u
Castellane, but otherwise he did not mlnce
matters or words. The hea ring was in
open court and it Is expected that all the
sessions will be open. Maitre Cruppi Occu-
PIED four hours in his opening address
to-day and then did not finish. CoEse-
quently the trial promises to be a hing
one.
1t ia understood that the lawyers have
agreed not to mention the names Of the
persons involved in the charges on either
side in either of the counter snits IL they
can avoid it. but as the lawyers know just
who these individuals are it will not be re-
garded as strange IL one of them some day
speaks the real name instead Of referring
% him or her by a letter Of the alphabet.
Maitre Cruppi alone to-day referred to
eleven or twelve women of the two worlds
as Mines. A.. c., or Y.
Aside from the salacious scandal. which
drew the curious to court, Maitre Cruppi's
revelations of the extent to which Count
Castsllane had broken into his wife's
fortune aroused the sharpest attention.
Maitre Cruppi in a dramatic opening pic
tured the events that led the Countess to
seek divorce. He told of the sudden loss
of her ideals and Of the wasting OF her
fortune by her husband. He described the
reception given in honor OF the King OF
Portugal on December IS, 1905, by Countess
Anna in her palace in the Champs Elysee,
and said that the next day the Countess
appealed TO the courts for a divorce be-
cause she could no longer stand the atmoe-
phere of lies and ruin in which she was
living.
He also emphasized the names OF George
and Helen Gould, saying that because OF
the prominent position they were to occuW
in the case he wanted their importance to
be understood.
Maitre Cruppi said that the question OF
money arose bet ween the Castellanes even
in the apartment they occupied after their
marriage before their palace was built.
Count Castellane q serted that he pos
sessed go, 900, but he had never produced it.
Countess Anna at the time OF her marriage
had an income Of 1000, 900 francs, but she
was never able to dispose of her own means.
She never bad pocket money Of her own
even, her allowance being only 300 or 400
francs monthly for her personal expenses
during the eight years Of her married life.
Some time since she asked for a Thousand
francs monthly for her personal expenses,
hut her husband told her he could not af-
ford to let her lave that much. One OF the
Counts traits wa to make lavish pur-
chases OF curios at extravagant prices and
then sell them for anything he could get for
them.
Three months after her wedding 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. The Countess
had even in the early days OF her married
life been driven to tell her friends that she
Lad been frequently struck by her husband.
Maitre Cruppi read a letter that had been
written to Countess Anna by Mrs. Stelling-
ton Drake, in which she said:
After three months OF marriage you
confessed to me the frequent brutalities
Of your husband, and that you could have
peace by yielding to him your entire in
come, which you since have done"
Continuing, Maitre Cruppi declared that
Count Boni had bought the Trianon ground
in his own name with his wife's money.
The story that Countess Anna wanted to
return to the United States with her chill
dren was untrue. as she proposed to raise
them as Frenchmen.
Coming to the infidelities charged, Maitre
Cruppi said that Countess Anna came upon
the first proof in 1899, when she found a
madrigal her husband had written tn one
Of his women friends. He slapped her for
having read it. One incident effectively
related by Maftre Cruppi put the court room
on the qui vive. He said that one evening
when suspicion stirred her anguished heart
Countess Anna was treasured by learning
that her husband had zone to bed. She
went 10 MS DeurOOn, Wuere sne tounuS not
her husband, but a dummy figure in the
bed. Again in 1893 the Countess put her
Jewels in a casket to which she and her
husband had keys. She found there CORE
spondence from Madame A., whose hand
writing she knew. Madame had written TO
Count Boni that they would 500 be in
their own home" again, adding.
Il kiss thee in the neck, in the soft spot,
my bsloved."
Countess Anna seized the letters and
sought a lawyer. The letters were put in
evidence.
Count Boni had apartments in Rue
Boissere, Rue General Fol, Rue Roche
fouoauld, the Place d'Isna. and at Neuilly
under the name OF Pascal, or the mann OF
one OF his secretaries. !
Maitre Cruppi declared that Count BonI
was as successful In society IA with the
demi-monds, and that Madame X, whose
husband was TO be feared, used to pin a
handkerchief to'a curtain when It was safe
for Count Boni to enter the house. In
cases OF misohanoe there q maid had snug
gled Count Boni down the back stairs.
- Al