The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-02-07

London, February 5.-Sir Birrel
Barnes, president of the divorce
court, today granted the countess of
Yarmouth, who was Miss Alice Thaw
of Pittsburg, decree nullifying her
marriage to the earl of Yarmouth.
The case was heard in private. At
the time fixed for the commencement
of the proceedings every one not
actually engaged on the case was
excluded 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 were eXamin-
ed They were the countess of Var
mouth herself, her maid, a doctor
lappointed by the court, and an Ame-
riean lawyer who proved the mar
riage. The countess gave evidence
in support of her allegation that the
marriage had meyer been consumma-
| ted and the maid testified that the
iearl and countess had not been liv-
flng as man and wife. According to
the evidence of the doctor, the earl
of Yarmouth was capable of consum-
mating the. marriage, but counsel for
the plaintiff contended that this did
not affect the allegation that the
marriage had not been consummated
and he pointed out to the Judge that
it was within the discretion of the
court to annul the marriage if it was
proved that it had not been consum-
mated.
The earl's lawyer satisfied him
self with pointing out that the evi-
dence of the doctor removed any
stigma placed upon the earl by the
evidence of the plaintiff, and that
there were no grounds upon which
the countess could have sued for
divorce.
The judge pronounced his decree
annulling the marriage without COM
ment.
In the ordinary course of events
it will be made absolute in six
months
No mention was made of the mar
riage settlement, and it was learned
from an authoritative source that
contrary to certain published state
ments the question of revising the
settlement has not been discussed.
The change from the previous de-
termination of the Yarmouths to
contest the case is said to have been
influenced by the evidence given re-
Gently in New York at 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 well as the YER
dict of the jury that Harry Thaw
was insane when he committed the
crime.
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 is said, were such that
he could not give his wife the place
in society which she had right to
expect. She supplied large sums of
money to defray her husbands eX-
travagances, and her friends say that
she has conducted herself with dig
nifty throughout her troubles.
The fact that the countess had de-
! cidediy definitely to seek an annul-
I ment of her marriage was made
! known here January 3, when she ap-
, piled TO the divorce court for de-
| cree
| 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
! the British nobility. The Marchion-
ess of Hertford stood by her daugh-
ter-in-law throughout her troubles,
and exerted herself to reconcile the
couple, but in vain
! Alice Cornelia Thaw, daughter OF
the late William Thaw of Pittsburg
was married to George Francis AL
exander Seymour, earl of Yarmouth
at Calvary church, Pittsburg, April
27, 1903. The marriage followed a
rather brief courtship and stopped
the eaTl's stage career, which had
begun in private society theatricals
at Newport
The wedding of the earl of Var.
mouth and Miss Thaw was a notable
happening in Pittsburg. Mrs. Geo
Lauder Carnegie was matron of hon
or, and Lord Edward Seymour, bro
ther OF the bridegroom, was besi
man. A number Of the eari's rela
fiyeS ca me over for the aeremoaY