The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-05
YARMOUTHS PART
Marriage Of Alice Thaw and the
Earl Is Annulled.
Everything Regarding the Case
Is Kept Secret.
HEARING In PRIVATE.
Evidence Declared to Be Unfit
for the Public Ear.
Story Of Another International
Marriage That Failed.


president of the divorce court, today
granted the Countess Of Yarmouth. who
was Miss Alice Thaw of Pittsburg,
decree multiplying her marriage to the
Earl of Yarmouth.
The case was heard in private. AL
the time fixed for the commencement
Of the proceedings every one not act
ually engaged on the case was ex-
cluded from the court room. The case
was practically undefended and the
hearing lasted for only half an hour.
The countess attired in a fashionable
black gown was present, but the Earl
Of Yarmouth was not in court.
Only -Four Witnesses.
Only four witnesses were examined.
They were the Countess of Yarmouth
herself, her maid. a doctor appointed
by the court and an American lawyer,
who proved the marriage. The coun-
tess gave evidence in support of her al
legation that the marriage had never
been conSummated and the maid testl-
fed that the earl and the countess had
not been living as man and wife. Ac-
cording to the evidence of the doctor
the Earl of Yarmouth was capable of
consummating the marriage, but coun-
sci for the plaintiff contended that did
not affect the allegation that the mar
riage had not been conSummated and
he pointed out to the judge that 1T was
within the discretion of the court to
annul the marriage if it was proved
that it had not been consummated.
The Earl of Yarmouth did not defend
the case, his lawyer satisfying himself
with pointing out that the evidence OF
the doctor removed any stigma
placed on the earl by the evidence of
the plaintiff and that there was no
grounds on which the countess could
have sued for divorce.
The judge pronounced his decree, an
nulling the marriage without comment.
In the ordinary course of events it will
be made absolute in six months.
No mention was made of a marriage
settlement, and it was learned from an |
authoritative source that contrary tot
certain published statements, the ques- |
ton of revising the settlement has not |
been discussed by the principals or 1
their solicitors and that it is not like |
-ly to be discussed.
The brevity of the proceedings came
as surprise to everybody except those |
engaged in the case. That the hearing
should be short was arranged when the
application was made last week and
the trial set for today, counsel under |
taking not to occupy more than one
hour of the judges time. The fact
that at a council of the family of the
Earl of Yarmouth it was decided not
to defend the action of the countess
the previous intention to contest the |
case is said to have been Influenced by |
the evidence given recently in New |
York. in the trial of Harry Kendall |
Thaw, brother of the countess. for the |
murder of Stanford White with regard |
to insanity in the Thaw family as we'll |
as the verdict of the jury that Harry |
Thaw was insane when he committed /
this crime.
The papers in the case are being |
l. I'D oil ir,4n ;o,,
garding the nature of the charges has
been carefully withheld. The state
ment was made. however, that the
character of the medical evidence to
be given made public hearing mad
Visable.
1t has been we'll known for two years
past that the domestic affairs of the
Yarmouths were unhappy. The earl's
companions and his manner of living,
it was said, were such that he could
not give his wife the place in society
which she had a right to expect She
supplied large sums of money to de-
fray her husbands extravagances and |
her friends say that she has conducted |
herself with dignity throughout the
troubles resulting from this unhappv
union, and the difficulties of her
brother Harry Kendall Thaw.
The fact that the countess had de-
cided definitely to seek an annulment
of her marriage was made known
here January 3, when she applied to
the divorce court for a decree
The Hertford family the head of
which is the Marquis of Hertford.
whose heir the Earl of Yarmouth is. Is
one of the oldest and proudest of ths
British nobility. The Marchioness of
Hertford stood by her daughter-in-law
throughout her troubles and exerted
herself to reconcile the couple. but in
vain The family of the earl is much
distressed at the notoriety brought
upon 1t as a result of the action taken
the countess has made her home a.
England. ~
Story of the Marriage.
me Ear! of Yarmouth married
Alice Thaw of Pittsburg four and ONE
half years ago. They have no chill
dren. Ihroughout the first trial of
Harry X Thaw, who, by the wa1- IN
troduced the earl to his sister tba
countess sat with the other n7enobars
OF the Ihaw family in the courtroom |
The earl refused to come to America
with MS wife and reports said that ]
from London DO not saw what az
status of the countess's fortune is Of ,
though it has generally been under-
stood that the countess receives the I
income from property worth about |
million dollars.
At the time of the marriage in p;++s
burg the earl forced his brides exacT-
tors, her mother and brothers 10 sa+ !
tie upon him $4,000 a year. This was
to be paid irrespective of the s1oo
600 a year income. which went To The
countess. While the wedding e1,ests
waited in the church the earl an
nouneed that he could not agree to
the settlement which already had heen
drawn up by the lawyers, and wonId
decline to marry Miss T'haw unless his
own proposition was acceded to. His
demand was for $4,000 a wear fo,
himself, double what had been de-
termined on, and that the entire for