The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-01-12
REPULS|vE, SAYS JUDGE
Of BANCROFT DIVORCE
Court Refuses to Let Public Hear
Husbands Charges Against
du Points Daughter.
DENIES BABY'S PATERNITY
Accuses Young Wife Of Intimacy With
Man in Munich Witnesses for Hus-
band Brought From Germany.

NIININOION, W Del', Jan. lls--h uNOTCN
case which Chief Justice Pennewill. one
of the trial Judges described a. repulsive,
began in the Superior Court here to-day.
John Bancroft. Jr.. asks freedom from
his wife. Madeline Dupont Bancroft.
! II ia the general rule Of the court TO
hear all divorces actions openly, but
Justice Pennewill read an opinion. when
court assembled and said that the case
would be tried in chambers Associate
Judges Conrad and Woolley conurrred
, The judges are trying the case without
jury
The Chief Justice said that the secret
hearing was decided upon because Of
, I'll" "repulsive nature Of the testimony -
and also because there ia at issue "the
egitimacy Of an innocent child"
John Bancroft. Jr. was the first wit
meas. He admitted the parenatge of the
, first child, Johnl Bancroft 3rd. born III
Paris in May 1905. five months after his
marriage. He and his wife. he said
lived in Paris under the name of Harris
He said he left Munich in May. 1910.
and was joined by his wife in Wilmington
the latter part of last August.
The child which he dsowns and in MS
I'slllbl thIlS lNdN f1tIDfl, bft, dlltr tne
correspondent in Munich. was born last
April
Pauline Bancroft Chadwick of New
\ oik, sister of the young husband. was
| on the stand when the hearing ended for
the da" at O'Clock this afternoon She
endeavur-d To produce a letter written
Icy the defendant wife in which the latter
, j. said to have made damaging admis-
slons The wife'- lawyers objected To it,
admission This Will he argued when court
r.as-embe. tomorrow
{ The husband and wife being children
| of mllhunaire- tn" courtroom was filed
with curious throng when the court
met The husbands parents and several
/ relatives were present. 4 dozen doctors
wer. also there EIhev We're subppnaed
/ by both sides. tat none testified to-day
Madelu. Dupont Bancroft was absent
! /; was announced that she was III She
will evidently not appear until her attor-
| nevs are ready 10 put her on the stand
/ Before tn. court room was cleared a
q -cor" of lawyers and numerous court
! attaches heIng allowed To- remain Paxson
/ peet-r. a philadelphia LAWYER. was per
inittei 20 a,d | Bayard Heisel LAWYER
! for tn. wife Charles 'Ihaideus Terry
Of New York was also allowed to help
j HarVev Nhiteman counsel fcr Ban
croft Non. Of the Dupont family was
| prcsen'
When the doors were closed and guards
! placed AZ all entrances John Bancroft Jr
was called He testified to his marrIag.
! in Washington hv IN" Rev pr Mcleod a
! PRESBYTERIAN clergyman on D.A emher ~
1877 He and his wife he said "wer. then
hoth about 20 He told Of taxing her TO
freibcrg, Germany, soon afterward 10
learn the German language Subse-
qucnty they went 10 Munich He on
tered Heidelberg University {" study
chemistry and engineering
Bancroft eloped 10 Washington with
Madeleine du Pont. eldcs, dalgh'e" of
| Alfred | du Pont from Wilmington
Tho bridegroom vas then a student a
lie said MS son John Bancroft, sd. was
horn IN Paris All through hls "videnc.
hc referred to the child a. Hans II.
told of his life in Munich II. left there
! m MAY. 1910 he said. and caT. To VIII
miugton The latter part of last AuEus'
! he said his wife Camc from Germany and
/ Ioned him here They lived ,oEc' her
until the middle Of last April, when after
tho birth oi the Child, which b" disown",
he "tl h"r
Hcihler. the alleged father of the htle
one Neither did he say while on the
stand that he disown"d m" infant
On cross examination be admitted he
and his wife had lived IN Paris under 'l"
assumed name of Harris AZ the time OF
tn" birth of John Bancroft al in May.
1905 This was five months after the
marriage
l. was announced during the hearing
that the husband will he recalled This
will also apply to other witnesses who
testified to-day II was on this account
evidently that Bancroft was not more
rigidly Cross-eXamned
state senator Charles K MllleS Of
Wilmington. a millionaire neIghbor Of
the B1ncrof's. AMI John Bancroft the
father, corroborated the movements of
young Bancroft in Germany as narrated
by him, They both accompanied him To
this country. they said in May, 1910.
Selene I.amparte of Munich. maid
and companion of young Mrs, Bancroft.
who came 10 Wilmington with her the
latter part Of last August. said she fire.
quently saw her with Max Heihler, the
correspondent
\. this juncture Or Marion Dexter.
professor of German at the University
Of Pennsylvania, was called upon as
interpreter. He Interpreted the evidence
of Ernest Stossel and his wife Matilda.
ho III of Munich They could not speak
English. Ernest Stossel a clerk sa id
Mrs. Bancroft visited his home and
brought little Hans" 'meaning John
Bancroft 3D. along during the summer Of
1910,
He said he saw Mrs Bancroft and
Max Heibler together great deal They
took many trips together TO the noun
tains," he said, Mrs. Stosse, testified
similarly
Mrs. Pauline Bancroft Chadwick Of
New York Bancroft's sister. was the
last and most important witness Of the
day She was on the stand when the
court adjourned.
She told of conversations she had
with Madeline" She asked the young
wife she said when she expected an
accouchement The latter replied In
April" To this the witness said she
replied That is impossible"