The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-08
HIS WIFE IN PARIS
ANNOYED SHONTS
SO MADAME SCHMIDT SAYS, AND
SHE WAS CONFIDENTIAL AID
WISER IN FAMILY.
THEIR DUKE COST MONEY


SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, July "A
new tale of how the recent estr1ngc-
ment between Theodore p Shonts, New
iprk's TRACTION nagndte ana former
chairman Of the lsthmian canal COM
mission and his wife. Harriet Amelia
Shonts one Of Americas society read
trs. was brought about WAS revealed
tc- dav Ivy Madame Charlotte Zuuder-
ran Schmidt. who sat al the family
councils of the Shonts ana banded the
finances that kept the late Duke de
Chaulnes and his Hungarian cliatea7i
out of the clutches Of the European
money lenders
Madame Schmidt now occupies a
confidential position in 4 t,nrring e. me
inillionaire's home. II Is position
similar TO the one she held with tn"
Shonts family. She has also served
In like capacity To Mrs. e. w. Morse.
the former New York ice king and
IN prominent titled English families
Madame schmidt related the story to
an International News Service repre-
sentative here today
Madame Takes Service.
Il took service in the Shonts family
THAI is, with Mrs. Shonts and her
daughter, the duchess, right after her
marriage to- the duke" said Madame
Schmidt we took apartments at 2S3
Avenue de Hoche. Paris
Mrs. Shonts was dearly in love with
Paris ana was devot<a to her soti-ln-
iaW. the duke, whose family il one Of
tn eldest In France.
Most Of my work WAS Of a secretarlal
raturc. answering Mrs. Shonts' cor
respondence and caring for the IT.
nunCeS. OF course. Mr.. Shunts' letters
came frequently, always accompanied
by checks. He would Inquire of Mrs.
!Shohts in all of his letters. Why don't
you come hoIne?' Then he would say.
Spend our Americ3n earned dollars ia
America. You are being held mp by
everybody il. France and every body is
cheating YOU and You are being held
up, and robbed by every one.
Mrs. shonts Not Worried.
Mr.. Shonts opportunities never
seemed 10 worry my mistress. The
large checks pleased her Very much
and just as often as the chez ks came
she would exclaim. Mine Is an ideal
husband. He loves me
Margaret Shonts, the duchess SIS
ter. seldom came TO visit her sister
or mother in Paris. When she did
come 1t was evident she had taken
arms with her father and wanted Mrs.
.Shents to come back to America. Mr.
Shonts said Margaret was the only
one that treated him right. There
was no installing MIR. Shonts' opposi-
ton to the duke. His letters revealed
that
1t has always been stated that the
duke owned three ohateauX. That is
q mistake He owned one In DoE~
Pierre Hungary. Ii was an ideal place
in point OF location. but that was all
Mrs. Shonts and her daughter went
there from Paris. expecting TO find
it fitted up in royal fashion. They
found u devoid OF furniture. The
furniture that had been in the place
was very valua ole and had been the
property of the dukes forefathers. It
was finally found In the storage vaults
of the money lenders Of Paris and
Hungary. II had Ncen pawned for a
considerable sum.
Took Goods Out OF Pawn
THE duchess and her mother de-
termined 10 recover possession OF the
furniture and they did. at great cost
Mr.. Shonts was greatly displeased at
this. He wrote to his wife that they
Were being flimfammed. and were
paying twice the real value of the
stuff
After the death OF her husband
the duchess announced to the public
that she would settle ali of her hus-
band debts. Scores OF creditors put
In their claims and We're paid. In
fact. some OF the creditors who had
no right were paid, and Mr. Shonts
had to pay genuine creditors. Many
of the bills were in this way paid
twice. MIR. Shonts warned her OF the
tricks of these creditors.
Mir, Snonts tound, n,0aa &. t,ofn.~
plain of about Mrs Shonts' admins
itratfon Of her household. He found
fault with Mrs. -fshents'- practice of
leaving money about the house 10 test
the honesty OF the servants The
money was always taken and the SER
wants were always leaving the house,
having Iiann dnnhiN. mid fnr IN al =