Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-02
THE VANDERB|LTS SEPARATE
HUSBAND SAILS FOR EUROPE
AS PAPERS ARE FILED.
Head of Noted Family and Heir to
Sixty Millions Defendant in
Suit for Separation.

NEW YORK. April o--Within an hour
after he had sailed for Europe yesterday
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was made the
defendant in suit filed with the
preme court by his wife, Ellen French
Vanderbilt. The nature OF the action was
not Immediately disclosed, and counsel for
the plaintiff refused last night TO say
whether Mrs Vanderbilt seeks divorce
legal separation from her husband.
Justice OGorman. before whom the pro-
ceedings were instituted. appointed David
Mcclure. local attorney, as referee TO
hear testimony and to report findings and
recommendations to the court.
Had secrecy for the time being been
wished the action of counsel could not
have been better timed. The offices OF
the county clerk are closed at o'clock
in the afternoon. Only q few moments
before that hour the comparing clerk ie-
ceived the papers. BY the time he was
through with them it was too late for
the papers to be officially recorded yester-
day.
They were placed in a safe and were
formally entered this morning.
Mrs Vanderbilt was Ellen French
daughter of the late Francis Ormond
French. president Of the Manhattan Trust
Company and director of many railroads.
Her mother has been abroad for several
of her granddaughter. Miss Pauline Lee
roy French and Samuel Wagstaff. to take
place at Newport May ). Ellen. or. as
she was more generally known. Elsie
French was married TO Alfred Wander
bilt January II. 1901. y year later their
only child. William Henry. was born.
Inherited 100000, 900.
Mr. Vanderbilt as the second son o:
the late Cornelius Vanderbilt inherited
something like $50 O00,OOo. He has been
regarded as the head of the family s ince
the estrangement which followed The
marriage of Cornelius. the eldest son, to
Miss Grace Wilson. During the past
wear or so Mr. Vanderbilt has spent much
| of his time abroad. But recently he re
| turned from London. where he plans To
| drive the coach Venture as public coach
| this spring between London and Brighton.
| Later he is to be one of the judges at the
| international horse show at London,
where his horses won many trophies last
year.
| Mr. Vanderbilt sailed at :':l1 O'Clock
! yesterday afternoon on the Cunard liner
| Mauretania. upon which his cousin. the
| Duchess of Marlborough. was also IL pas
senger The duchess has been the guest
| lately of her mother. Mrs. o. II. p. Bel
| mont Just before the Mauretania left her
1 pier Mr. Vanderbilt declined To discuss
| the report that separation from his wife
was imminent. Half an hour later Mrs.
Wander bits attorneys appeared before
Justice C.Gorman.
Declines to Discuss Affairs.
| Mr. Vanderbilt arrived at the pier yes
| terday few minutes before the steam
| ing of the Mauretania to avoid report ers
| who sought information concerning his
widely discussed domestic difficulties.
Among those awaiting him i'll his cabin
were Worthington Whitehouse and W.
| *. Vanderbilt. il. Mr.. Vanderbilt oc-
| cupied one of the imperial suites When
questioned concerning his plans lie said
| Concerning my personal affairs | can
say nothing. shall start my season with
the coach Venture May H."
| Widening for Il long time, the final
breach between Nh. and Mrs. Vanderbilt
| came IA week ago Tuesday, when Mrs.
Vanderbilt had her belongings packed and
| removed from the Alfred Vanderbilt resi-
dence. Oakland Farm. in Portsmouth, I,
! suburb of Newport. Accompanied by her
six-ycar-od son, William Vanderbilt and
! her niece, Miss Pauline Leroy French,
! Mrs. Vanderbilt went to the home of her
! brother, Amos Tuck French. at Tuxedo
| Park. Miss Pauline French is to be mar
| ried in Newport to Samuel WagStaf Nav
).
! There was little or no attempt TO con-
ceal from the public that Mrs. Wander
| bits leaving Oakland farm was the be-
cuties of herself and husband For d long
time the couple had lived virtually apart.
1 Reports of their infelicities had been uv-
| ing thick in the social set to W hich they
| belonged. Almost simultaneously with the
| departure of Mrs. Vanderbilt from Oak
! land Farm the announcement came from
! London that her husband lad taken Il
house I'm that city for ten years.
Mrs. Vanderbilt Has Son.
. No or
yearold son of Mr.. and Mrs Alfred Van
derbflt. IS with his. mother. and 1t is said
the legal advantage of the mother in the
proceeding is so great that she will be
! able TO retain full custody of the child
Mr.. Vanderbilt was much annoyed last
| fall by the publicity attendant upon the
| eiopement of Harry S. Brenchley one of
his coachmen. with Mrs. Alfred f. Diete-
| rich wife on d young Standard Oil mil
honaire and herseif possessor of several
millions. With the publicity attending
| this il became known that Brenchley had
! used Mr.. Fanderbi!t's name in the pur-
| chase Of an cleven-thousa nd dollar auto
| mobile for the wife Of a diplomat with a
/ Spanish name.
! Brenchley's neglect To settle for this
! machine prior TO his departure for Eu-
| rope led to energetic threats on the part
| of the dealer of action toward recovery
Soon after. but before any action could
| be taken. the Young woman for whom
| Brenchley said the machine was intended
called on the dealer and paid the full
| purchase price of the machine in one
| thousand dollar bills.
| Another affair is the case of ChasIes
| Wilson. superintendent of his farm at
! Portsmouth. n Y. who is now in Eursope
! in connection with the proposed coach
/ ing venture between London and Brfgh-
| ton. Mr. Wilson had charge of Mr. Van
/ derbilSs horses shown in Europe a year
ago
Al that time a young woman well
known as actress. Florence Schcnck
f! went TO Europe 10 drive for the stable
| and in consequence broke with her fam