Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
SUIT DISCLOSES
COUNTS ROMANCE
German Nobleman's Adopted
Daughters Husband Wins
Part of Big Estate
WIDOW WANTED his WEALTH
Woman Brought Up to Believe
She Was Heir of Foster
Father with Title
WIDOW WANTED HIS WEALTH

BERLIN, July 3O.-A romantic
drama in aristocratic circles was
brought to light by a case heard be-
fore the imperial supreme court at
LEIPZIG. In 1859 Count George Won
Voss. a member of one of the Oldest
families of the North German nobility,
married in Galicia a woman of hum
BILE origin named Debska. Their union
proved childess. The count, however,
felt deeply the absence of some being
on whom he could lavish paternal care
and affection, and in his sorrow he be-
thought him that one of his Sisters-in-
law, who was married to carpenter,
had four children for whose bringing
up too plentiful resources We're not
available
The family was approached on the
subject and eventually consented to
abandon all claim to one girl, who was
taken over by the count his own
daughter. To put the business on a
thoroughly stable legal footing from
the outset he suborned a reprobate
clergyman to issue him forged birth
certificate to the effect that the girl,
Helene by name, was, in fact, his
child, and as such she figures to this
day in the courtly calendars. When
the child was 13 years old her aunt
and adaptive mother died, and the
count took a second wife from his own
worldly station. The new countess
was initiated into the secret of Hell
ene's origin, but was threatened with
death in case she should reveal it to
another. And so the girl grew up,
fully believing herself to be the real
daughter of her foster father, and in
due time was married to a Prussian
officer, Captain lido Won Grone.
If the count had been as careful
in his latter years as he was when he
adopted the carpenters child, the true
story of the affair would probably
never have become known. But it so
happened that when he died, six years
ago, it was found that he had omitted
to make a will His widow was thus
exposed to severe temptation. If she
kept the secret of Helene's birth she
would have to yield up to her a con-
sidera BILE portion of the counts estate.
On the other hand, if she revealed the
facts she would become the sole heir.
All circumstances considered, it is not
surprising that her material interests
predominated.
One morning Countess Won Grone,
as she was called, having, in accord
ance with the German custom. taken
over her supposed fathers title, re-
ceived a letter telling her that she
had lived her whole life under a de-
lusion, and that, instead of being a
lady of noble birth and distinguished
lineage, she was only the daughter of
an obscure Galician carpenter. 1t was
further made a reprOaCh to her that
she had, during his lifetime, received
many benefactions from Count Won
VOss, and she was compelled to aban-
don all claims to his inheritance and
not to risk the exposure of her hum
BILE origin which a law suit would in
yOlve.
Countess Won Voss had, however,
reckoned without her host. Captain
GrOne, far from stunning the revela-
tions as to his wife's parentage. took
the initiative in litigation and before
the widow knew where she was she
found herself the defendant instead of
the claimant in the action. The cap
tain's case was that he had been in
duced to marry his wife by represen-
tations that she was the child and
heiress of Count Won Voss, and that
consequently a fraud had been prac-
ticed upon him. He therefore urged
that Countess Won Noss, IS her hus-
bands heir and herself q party to the
deception, should be compelled to pay
him the sum of S65,000, to which he
would naturally nave Deen eIllllltu
had his wife really been the counts
daughter. The action has now been
finally decided in the captains favor
by the imperial court, so that Frau
Won Grone WILL at any rate, suffer no
pecuniary loss through the disclosure
of the secret of her birth.
-
Have you included Hipolito Self
Regulating Roller Screens and Rever-
sible Window in your specifications?
Demonstra ton at Hipolito Screen and
Sash Co, 634-S Maple avenue.
FL i y X :. + ~: ~
Noodle, H. e. Allen, George Carlisle,
r. r. Van CleaVe.
Social Leo S. Chandler and Don w.
Carlton.
Tickets, w. G. Mohr.
Prominent society matrons will lend
their patronage to help along the sue
cess Of the production.