The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-29
'AS1OREvIDENCElN
Papers Will Be Sealed and Not
Made Public.
Details of Case EnWrapped in
Mystery.
WOMAN IN THE CASE.
She Is Known as Belle of
Sheepshead Bay"
Has Been Twice Married and
Each Time Divorced.
WOMAN IN THE CASE.

New York, Oct. 29.-Testinaony in the
reported suit which Mrs. John Jacob
Astor has brought against her husband,
Colonel Aston, is practically concluded
and it was stated today that the papers
in the case would be submitted by Ref
cree Charles H. Young to Justice Mills
OF the supreme court in Duchess county
and filed with the clerk of the court in
Poughkeepsie.
1t is said that after Justice Mills has
approved the papers they will be sealed
and their contents kept from the public.
Counsel in the case will neither deny
nor affirm the report that the suit is
not one of separation, but of absolute
divorce.
Woman in the Case.
In connection with the suit of Mrs.
John j. Astor for divorce or separation
from her husband gossip today asso-
|ciated the name of Colonel Astor with
that of the former Belle of Sleeps
head Bay" She was Roberta Menges,
daughter Of Morris Menges, thurman,
but since her days of belleship in the
resort by the sea she has had q check
cred matrimonial career.
It began with an elopement with Hal
sey Corwin in 1901. Her father had Cor
win arrested, charging him with abb
duction on the ground that the girl was
only IT,
Corwin was a son of the late Halsey
Corwin, city treasurer of Brooklyn, I'M
der Mayor Schieren. The marriage of
young COrWin and Roberta MelgeS oc-
Cured on February 20. 1902, when the
girl had a spirited quarrel with her
father and was disinherited.
In April, 1905, Mrs. Corwin again fig
ured conspicuously in the papers. She
took a handsome cottage at Newport,
where Colonel John Jacob Astor was a
frequent visitor. Mrs. Corwin was seen
often riding with the millionaire on Surf
avenue, in his automobile.
Exclusive Natives Shocked.
The circumstances caused consider
able comment among the exclusive ma
tives.
The affair ended in Mrs. Corwin
abruptly leaving Newport, when she is
said to have been requested to vacate
her cottage.
boasted diamonds and rubies of the
first water, which brought her once
| more into notoriety.
In 1906 Mrs. Elizabeth McVitty
and Alfred King were hailed to court
nv Mrs. Corwin, who declared they
were responsible for the theft of her
diamonds and rubiesrr valued at $780,.
f000. ----.-----=-.-.---------.,.-s
| Mrs. Mcvitty and King were dis
charged after King accused Mrs. Cor
win of having knowledge of the where
abouts of the jewels. King said the
| Jewels had been given Mrs. Corwin by
one she called COLONEL" and that they
had been s'lost'' on another occasion
| in England, when a certain New York
millionaire redeemed them with a re-
ward of $4,000.
King further said Mrs. Corwin had
| complaiend to him that her husband
| threatened to sue for divorce, mem
| tioning the colonel as correspond
| ent.
Mrs, Corwin was divorced from Cor
win shortly after, and while in Europe
met and married Arthur E. Hill an
| EIglishman, who fought IN the Boer
war. She was divorced from Hill last
| spring.
Friend of Mrs. Ruiz. r
! Mrs. Corwin was close friend of
| Mrs Ruth Ruiz, who killed herself in
London recently after Alfred e. van
cerbilt began to neglect her, and is one
of the clique which makes up the
1 Dorothy Russell Florence sSchenks ano
Marie DriscoH set.
| Friends of Mrs. Corwin said today
| hat they did not doubt MRS CorWlh 5
hasty trip to Paris three weeks ago
might mean that she intended to Join.
Colonel Aston on his yacht, as she has
| been a guest on similar trips for the
+ last three years.
Mrs Corwin resumed her maiden
name after her divorce from Captain
Hill.
at know nothing about my daughter,
/ except that she is in Europe at the
present time,'' said her father today.
"You know what young girls are
| They frequently come to grle1 by ans
regarding the advice of their parents
Roberta has not been under my pro-
! lection since her marriage with Halsey
/ CorWin She has been practically in
dependent the last four years, hence
have had no intimate knowledge of her
assoc iates or her affairs
/