The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-02-03

EARL TALKS OF CONTRACT.
CLAIMS TO HAVE A DOCUMENT
SIGNED BY HIS WIFE GRANTING
HIM HER MONEY IN CASE OF
SEPARATION.

Pittsburg. Feb. 3.-AlthOugn the
Thaw family is weary of courts and H.
tigation because of the experiences OF
the last year and a half. the attorneys
for the ThaW estate and the members
of the family are planning vigorous
fight against the demand Of the Earl
OF Yarmouth that all the fortune of
his wife, who was Miss Alice ThaW,
shall be turned over TO him in the
event she secures n decree of divorce.
Mrs. William Thaw, mother OF the
Countess of Yarmouth. has been so
fully occupied with the trial Of her
son, Harry, in New York. ever since
the startling claim of the Earl was
made that she has given Little
thought to the financial troubles of
her daughter.
The lawyers for the estate left by
William Thaw, however. have taken
the matter in their own hands, and
for ten days have been planning ways
10 defeat the designs of the titled
British husband to the entire fortune
of his American wife by virtue of an
ante-nuptial agreement signed by her
The news OF this agreement was
great surprise to the Thaw family and
attorneys.
Earl Claims Contract Exists.
1t came in the form of a notice from
the lawyers for the Earl of Yarmouth
that the Earl has in his posse ssion an
agreement signed by Miss Alice Thaw
on The day before she became the
Countess OF Yarmouth providing that
in the event Of her death without chill
dren her entire fortunes shall go to
the Hartford family
This official notice. the Thaw at
tOrneyS believe, means that the Earl
does not intend to let his wife's mil
lions 80 out of the family If she
should be successful in her suit for AT
annulment of the marriage
II is also declared that this agree
ment shows at least one Of the rea-
sons for the charges made by the
Countess in her Sliit. The Countess
asserts that there has been no real
marriage and the question of heirs is
expected TO come up At the trial OF the
suit
It is the contention of the Earl. &C
cording to his lawyers, that if the
Countess withdraws from the family
the house of Hartford. which is poor,
wiz % seriously injured and it's good
If rn'rod. 1t will also be argued
IL; i>a- n" the family without
issNn ,.t1 H. der the terms of the
cd over 10 the Earl.
The Earl is said to have received
large sums from trades people and
money lenders on the strength of this
agreement and has been able 10 lead
n luxurious life since his marriage.
The lawyers for the Thaw estate.
while they ridicule the claim. admit
that 1t is a clever plan to secure set
tlement and eXtort substantial finan-
cial settlement before the Countess is
granted an ann,llmcnt OF her marriage
and allowed to leave him.
To Bare Yarmouth Skeletons.
London. Feb. 3.--Friends of the
Countess of Yarmouth, speaking for
her. declare that the contention of the
II
1'haw brought him as a dot is his be-
cause of Il pre-nuptial agreement is
outrageous, and will be vigorously
contested
The statement concerning the Earl
Of Iarmouth's position cabled here
from Pittsburg, was received with as
constituent. 1t has aroused the fight
Ing blood OF the Countess. and through
her friends she has let it be known
that should any such claim be pre-
scented in court ii will precipitate a
bitter contest in which no membe rs
Of the noble Hartford family will be
spared.
The Countess had planned an annie
able condpct of her case. but any eff
fort to exact blood-money by the Ear
will be met by revelations which she
had determined to conceal