The San Francisco call., 1908-12-03
DE SACANS PUT
COUNT BONI ON
=
GRILL IN COURT
Counsel for Princess, Formerly
Anna Gould, Resists Suit
:. for Boys Custody
De -CasteIIane Charged With
Seeking to Raise Money and
Satisfy Vengeance
Story of Extravaganza, ImmOr-
atty and Forgery Presented
TO Defeat Action


TO Defeat Action
PARIS, Dec. 2.&The princess de Sa-
gan. who was Miss Anna Gould of New
York. had her innings in court today
in the hearing of the case brought by
her former husband, Count Boni de
Castellane, to have the three children
of the. union placed in the custody of
his mother. the marquise de Castellane.
The first hearing took place last
week and NJ. Bonnet, counsel for the
count, set forth by statement, allega-
tions and insinuation that the atmo-
sphere of the De Sagan household was
detrimental to the proper bringing up
Of the three Castellane boys.
During the afternoon hundreds Of
women. including some of the most
prominent members of French society
and the American and English colonies
in Paris. literally fought in the cor
ridors of the palace OF justice to gain
admission to the crowded courtroom.
where. the side Of the princess was
presented by NJ Clemenceau.
Counts Character Scored
Without essaying the impassioned
orat0rScsl role played by NJ Bonnet
last week. Clemenceau cooIly and clear
ly. but with cutting irony and keen
ridicule, met the accusations brought
against the princess de Sagan, whose
character he insisted was blameless.
He mercilessly scored the record and
character of the count de Castellane
and said he was wholly unfit to have
tie custody of his children.
Clemenceau charged that the real
purpose OF the count was to raise
money and satisfy his vengeance on
the prince and princess de Sagan, even
al the expense of the interests of his
children. whose minds he had contin-
uously tried to poison.
Neither prince de Sagan nor the
court was present.
:Clemenceau emphasized the fact that
The courts Of France had decided that
q second marriage did not affect the
rights Of parents with regard TO their
children. even in cases where the sec
.ond merriage was with the alleged ac-
.complice in. adultery.
De Sagan's Name Forged
Clemenceau announced that the prin-
cess formally joined with her husband
in. allegations against the count. These
deal with De Sagan's charges that the
court, in order to prevent the marriage
Of Nine Gould with the prince de
-Ssgsh,. caused forged letters and docu-
mepts purporting to have been signed
bg De Sagan to be sent to Nine. Gould.
These papers consisted of usurer's
notes, payable the day the prince was
marr3ed to Nine. Gould and three let
ters alleged to have been written by
de Sagan TO his mistress in which he
ridicuIedA Nine. Gould and spoke in
scurrilous terms Of her.
De Sagau offered to prove, with the
cooperation Of his wife. that the count
had arranged through two women,
called Nine. &C." and Nine. r." to
have. these documents shown to Nine.
Gould at her country residence.
De Sagan. while not directly accus-
ing the count Of forgery. offered to
prove by experts that these documents
: were forged by the same hand
Wife's Fortune Squandered
Counsel for the princess contended
that the testimony of the chauffeur dis
charged from the service of De Sagar
and the evidence of private detectives
was utterly unworthy of credence, and
he raked the count fore and aft when
he reached the subject of the fashion
IN which he had dissipated his wife's
fortune. spending at the rate Of sLOOo.-
600 a year for IL years.
so long as this money was forth
coming" NJ clemenceau said, "the
count considered his wife upright and
honorable"
clemenceau pleaded that the boys be
left under the affectionate care of their
mother. where they could receive ar
American education like the children OF
George J. Gould. That is, to be taught
TO work.
In spite of the large fortune these
children viii inherit" said the lawyer
for the princess, their lives should
not be idle. If they do nothing good OF
useful they viii run great risk Of
doing something bad"
Sneers for CasteIIanes
~The court should affirm the impos.
sibility of conhding these three children
to their father or grandmother-in Z
word. to relatives who would teacf
them that the ideal of man is to re.
ceive. zn allowance from his divorced
wife"
The lawyer then read series o.
letters from the tutor of the children
showing that when the count was a
home. before he was. divorced. thel
never saw him except at meals. an'
that they were then made to listen L
.unbecoming language.