Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-02
100000 A YEAR is
SUM BON| WANTS
COUNT SUES FORMER WIFE.
PRINCESS DE SAGAN, FOR
SUPPORT OF CHILDREN.
MAKES SERIOUS cHARGEs-sAYs
HE'S SORRY HE HAD
TO SUE.


Bomi 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
yesterday. The courtroom was damned
to the doors when the hearing was
called many Americans being in the
room.
Count de Castellane occupied a
prominent place in the room.
This is the first time the French
newspapers, which are forbidden to
publish divorce proceedings in court,
have had an opportunity to ventilate
this scandal and they were represent
ed in force by reporters and artists.
From the very beginning of the pro-
ceedings it was apparent that it was
to be a war to the knife between the
adversaries 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 the three
children be confined to the care of
their grandmother, the counts mother,
and that the Princess de Sagan be
compelled to contribute 100000 annu-
ally to their support, namely, that the
moral atmosphere of the Sagan house
hold was unfit for the children.
This allegation was in three parts !:
first, the alleged scandalous conduct
of Prince Helie de Sagan in the past
second, that he had not reformed since
his marriage-M. Bonnet said he was
prepared to prove that the prince had
seen two of his former mistresses
since the date of his marriage-and
third, that the conduct of the princess
before her marriage to de Sagan had
been improper
Proceeding, M. Bonnet developed
this theme, keeping constantly to the
| fore the claim that the count was see
! ing 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 o.
shame, and whose pride and hatred
rendered settlement out of court i'm
possible
To prove that the princess had con
templated seeking a separation from
her present husband, M. Bonnet re
counted certain alleged consultations
held November between the Prince
and Princess de Sagan and the
counts lawyer. He said the princess
on this occasion admitted the difficulty
of having the children live under the
same roof with the prince, and pro
posed to turn two of them over to the
count and keep the third hersef. The
prince, at the consultation, complained
that if there was a separation his
creditors would descend upon him anG
seize his effects. Two days later. how
ever the princess publicly denied thai
a separation was contemplated, and
this ended the hope Of compromise.
NJ Bonnet declared that his client
desired to respect the dignity of his
former wife. He said that if the count
had committed a grave wrong in the
past, this had been fully expiated, anC
that he would not intervene now hai
the princess married a man of rea
sonable moral responsibility but by
her marriage to the prince she hat
forfeited her right to her children.