Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-27
BONl DEMANDS
$4,000 A YEAR
FOR CHILDREN"
COUNT SUES FORMER WIFE, PRIN-
CESS DE SAGAN, AND ASKS GUS
TODY OF LITTLE ONES.
DECLARES PRINCE IMMORAL.
Improper Conduct of Frenchman and His
Bride Before and After Marriage
Part of Complaint
is SORRY HE HAD TO SUE.

PARIS, Nov. 25-The suit of Count
Boni de Castellane against his former
wife, who was Miss Anna Gould of
New York, and is now the wife of Prince
Helie de Sagan, for the custody of his
three children, was opened here today.
The courtroom was jammed to the doors
when the hearing was called, many
Americans being in the throng.
Count de Castellane occupied promi-
nent place i'll the room.
This is the first time the French news
papers, which are forbidden to publish
divorce proceedings in court have had
IN opportunity to ventilate this scandal
ana they were represented III force 10y re
porters and artists
Means War to Knife.
From the very beginning of the pro
ceedlnSs it was apparent that it was to
be war to the knife between the adver-
Sarles and that no one would be spared.
NJ. Bonnet, representing the count was
the first to be heard. He presented the.
general grounds upon which his client
stated that three children be confided 10
the care of their grandmother, the
coGnt mother, and that the Princess de
Sagan be compelled to contribute $50 900
annually TO their support namely, that
the moral atmosphere of the Sagan
household was unfit for the children
This allegation was in three parts:
first, the alleged scandalous conduct of
Prince Helie de Sagan in the past sec
ond, that he had not reformed since his
marriage-M. Bonnet said he was pre-
pared 10 prove that the prince had seen
two of his former miStreSses since the
GATE OF his marrlage-and third, that the
conduct Of the princess before her mar
riage to de Sagan had been improper.
Boni Sorry to Sue.
Proceeding, NJ Bonnet developed this
theme, keeping constantly to the fore
the claim that the count was seeing only
the welfare of his children. He said it
was with a sad heart that the count had
been compelled to bring suit involving
his former wife, whose alliance with De
Sagan he declared, was dragging her
into an abyss of shame, and whose
pride and hatred rendered a settlement
out of court impossible
To prove that the princess had con-
templated seeking a separation from her
present husband, NJ. Bonnet recounted
certain alleged consultations held No
vember : between the Prince and Prin-
cess de Sagan and the counts lawyer
He said the princess on this occasion ad
mitted the difficulty of having the chill
dren live under the same roof with the
prince, and proposed to turn two of them
over to the count and keep the third
herself. The prince, at the consultation,
complained that if there was a separa-
ton his creditors would descend upon
him and seize his effects. Two days.
later, however. the princess publicly de
MED that a separation was contemplate
ed, and this ended the hope of n COM
promise.
Wants to Respect Wife.
NJ Bonnet declared that his client de
sired to respect the dignity of his for
mer wife. He said that if the count had
committed Il grave wrong In the past
this had been fully eXpiated, and that
he would not intervene now had the
princess married man of reasonable
moral responsibility; but by her mar
riage to the prince she had forfeited her
right to her children.
NJ. Bonnet then entered upon an elab-
crate exposition of the grief of his client.
He described, among other things, the
humiliation to which the count, or sew
eral different occasions, had been sub
iected Once, when he brought the chill
dren back TO their bone after a visit
with him, the servants of the Princess
de SaGan. acting on their mistress or
ders. refused to allow him to pass the
gate and after his election to the cham
Der of deputies she replied to n telegram
of congratulation from one of his con-
stituents III the following words:
Il am happy that you are content
that you have elected roue instead of
a worthy"
This was before she secured her di-
vorce from the count.
Prince Once Poor Man.
Turning to the Prince de Sagan. NJ
Bonnet said that before his marriage he
was reduced to a pitiable plight. He
was bounded by his creditors and re-
nounced by his family; he had no abode
and he was living in questionable com
pany. After ridiculing de Sagans pub
lie profession of love for his future wife
counsel for the count referred to the
princess alleged improper conduct with
de Sagan before their marriage He said
she received him intimately i'll her house
on the Avenue Malakoff rode and dined
with him alone in Paris, and that while
in Italy they travelled together and care
fully concealed their wherea bouts from
the count, thus making it impossible for
him to communicate with his children.
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