New-York tribune., 1911-12-04

BANCROFT DEFENDS NAME
Goes TO Munich to Refute TeStI-
mony in Wife'S Suit.
TRIAL HERE ON JANUARY z
Wealthiest Delaware Families
Interested in Counter Actions
of Young Couple.


Wilmington. Del, Dec. 5.-It was learneu
TO-DAY that John Bancroft j-. who has
sued his wife Madeleine du Pout Bancroft
for divorce or statutory grounds. l. 9"
Munich. Germany. attending the hearings
held there by a commissioner appointed bv
the Delaware court to take testimony. TIE
wife nas brought a counter suit on similar
grounds The husband names one co..
respondent. tho wife names four.
The alleged transgressiors or both sides
are said To- have been committed I'D
Munich. The commissioner will make his
~eport nere in time for the trial of boh
actions al The term Of the Superior Court,
beginning January .. A!r Bancrofts pur-
( pose IN going TO Munich Is 10 endeavor 10
~efute testimony against him. The Young
wife stays here. She is represented abroad
by q German lawve-.
/ There are millions behind the suit and
counter suit John Bancroft, jr., is the
: only son Of John Bancroft millionaire.
secretary Of the Joseph Bancroft & Sons
! COMPANY Of this city, owners of one Of
! the largest textile plants in the lnited
! states He IS a prominent Republican, a
{ former member OF the Delaware Legls-
q latrr, and r. a member Of the executive
committee Of the merican Automobile AS
: sOcia.ion. lie originally came from Chill
= Wcothe. Ohio Madeleine du Pont Bancroft
is the eldest daughter OF Alfred I. du Pont,
ulti-millonaire vice-president Of the Du
POM Powder Company.
When the case was started by the hus
band last June Mr.. du Pont rcuounced HIS
daughter and took sides with the Ban
crofts Subsequently, when his wife, step
mother of Madeleine. returned from
abroad. she upset this plan. Since then
Mr.. du Pont has been actively aiding his
child. The latter IS estranged from her
mother. Bessie Gardner du Pont, Of this
cirv. from whom Alfred T. du Pont obtained
a divorce. The present wife il q strong
friend Of the Young Mrs. Bancroft.
4 highly important witness before me
commissioner in Munich is Max Heloier'
resident of that place whom the husband
names as correspondent. He also calls
the six-months-old son Of his Wife Max
Helbler. ir. after this man. and makes
the infant a co-defendant with its mother.
Heibler was a friend Of the couple wnen
they lived in Munich, and was entertained
there BY them.
The suit and 1he counter suit will be
tried in open court. with Chief Justice
PenneviU. brother Of the Governor Of Della
ware. and Associate Justices Conrad and
Woollev as the arbirers. Under new di-
vorce law in this state all actions are tried
nubliclv with the evidence directly submit
ted 10 the judges. Attorney General John
T. Bell. OF Pennsylvania Will aid 7. Bay
ard Heisel. Of this city, in representing the
wife.
Young Bancroft viii be twenty-five years
old next March his wife Is two years his
r,nior. They eIoped from the home Of the
girls father. Alfred du Pont, near here
ON December IS, 1907. They went TO
washington. where they were married by
the Rev. Or. Mcleod. pastor Of the Pres
b,terian Church OF the Covenant Nj
bancroft az the time was a student AZ
Princeton University. His father sent the
couple 10 Freiburs, Germany, where they
lived while the bridegroom completed his
studies II Heidelberg. Then they moved 20
Munich
The oldest child. John Bancroft, 90. three
Years Old. was born in Freiburg. He is
now being cared Tor by tho husbands
parents. The wife has the infant whom her
husband makes q codefenGant and whose
paternity he disowns.