Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-22

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COUNTESS FRANCESCA D'AUBLY
DE CATCHY.
TOURS, France, December 22.@Sensa-
tional incidents occurred yesterday at
the trial of the aelf-styled Count d Aul-
by de CATCHY and his American wife,
formerly Miss Francesca Lunt of Boston,
who are charged with hav: ing swindled
the Duchess Of Choiseul-Praslin out of
100000 in the sale of spurious pictures
during the life of her former husband.
Charles Hamilton Paine of Boston. The
closing moments of the trial almost de-
veloped into a riot. The courtroom was
again thronged with members Of the
fashionable set.
Countess" d'Aulby. who was called to
the witness stand after her husband had
testified, bitterly attacked the duchess
of Choiseul, designating her that viper.
that shameless woman, who tried to
wreck my home"
D'Aulby's lawyer, NJ. Bernard, attacked
the counsel for the duchess for allowing
her business agent To SIT beside IneIn
at the bar and practically direct the case
for the prosecution. This objectionable
breach of the etiquette of the French
bar. he declared. was an insult to the
dignity of the profession.
Courtroom in Uproar.
Cries of sympathy broke cut, and soon
the whole courtroom was on its feet
cheering and hooting. Judge Roberts
pounded helplessIy. but was forced to de-
clare a recess to preserve order.
After the recess NJ. Bernard sprang
another surprise. He read a letter, pur-
porting to be signed by the Duke of
band Of the former Mrs. Paine, had no
right to the title of Duke Of Choiseul,' -
that he was merely the Duke Of Praslin.
representing Junior branch Of the
house of Choiseul, and grandson of the
Duke of Praslin. 'of bloody memory"
This Duke Of Praslin married his wife
about 1910.
Countess d'Aulby. unlike her hus-
pidity. but nearly drove the aged judge
to despair by nervous lapses into foreign
words, sometimes English, especially
when the name of the duchess was men,
toned. She exclaimed in anger. speak
ing with reference to the plaintiff: Il
didn't know her relations with my hus-
band until later. but if I had known
would have driven her out like the
shameless viper she was"
Married Him For Love.
The witness said that she had met
d'Aulby in New York, and had married
him for love. being especially drawn to
him by reason Of his musical abilities.
She never mixed in her husbands busi-
ness affairs. and only knew as a fact
that he had sold pictures to Mrs. Paine.
She refused to answer questions Of the
opposing counsel which were calculated
to show that she had cOnspired to
heighten the plaintiffs interest in the pic
lures. saying that persons SO alleging
We're liars in the first degree
To complete the day, Roger Miles, a
Partisan expert, who examined the paint
ings purchased by Mrs. Paine. testified
that some of them were deplorable copies,
others passa5le. but that none was what
the catalogue pretended. He admitted,
however. that they might deceive the or
binary amateur.
American Experts Judges.
Those In attendance upon the trial
hugely enjoyed the marked confidence
of the accused pair. D'Aulby, gay and
debonair. folded his arms as he faced
the judge and counsel, and blithely re-
sponded to their questions. insisting that
he believed that he had a right to the
title of count. He declared that he had
never claimed that the pictures sold to
the Paines were genuine masterpieces,
but had allowed them to be authenticated
by American experts and by American
newspapers, which had suggested that
the works in question be exhibited at
the Metropolitan Museum in New York
city. He added that even the late E. HI.
Hartman had been interested in his
offerings. and had manifested a desire to
deal with him.
D'Aulby said that among the New York
experts who had praised his pictures was
ho 1oSo ~
was president of the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Art and who the witness said,
was especially delighted over his Correg-
gio, 'Sommeil D. Antilope," for which Mr..
claimed. was the original. the picture i'm
the Louvre being only copy, he said.
Subsequently. when pinned down. the de-
PENDANT admitted. amid the hilarity or
the spectators. that the only other ex
perts who had passed upon his wares
were unfortunately also dead
D'Aulby said Mr.. Paine bought one pic
ture signed ''COrot'' for 400 francs. Mrs.
Paine liked it SO much that she hung it
in her bedroom. She agreed to pay 5000
francs for it. but the money was never
paid. D'Aulby declared that he had re-
fused 10000 francs for the Titan, We
nus which Mr. Marquand valued at
10000 francs D'Aulby valued the Mu-
rillo at 100000 francs.
Denounced as Liars.
The count insisted that he had received
a letter from Paine just before he sailed
for America and shortly prior to his
death in Boston. following the sensa-
tional letter incident" reaffirming the
writer's option to buy d'Aulby's pictures
Growing excited. dAulby shouted
Those who say that he never wrote this
letter are liars"'
Judge Roberts interposed. What do
YOU call yourself?'