The sun., 1912-08-05
WIDOWS IN FRANCE SUE
FOR BIG ESTATES HERE
Brothers Who Became Rich in
silk Manufacture Got
Divorces in Jersey.

UN OTceS Ill JcrSct.
Testimony just filed in the New Jersey
Court of Chancery reveals the compli-
Gated matrimonial affairs of two brothers
who left their wives in Lyons. France.
more than forty years ago and came to
this country to make their fortunes in
the silk manufa curing business. Both
divorced their French wives on the
ground of desertion and married Ameri-
, can women.
The brothers established the prosperous
firm of Givcrnaud Bros, with silk
mills in West Hoboken. North Bergen.
Hackensack. Allentown, Pa, and East
Norwich, Conn.
Ia rthrlemy Louis. the elder Of the two.
died in Los Angeles. Cal. on January ..
! 1905, leaving an estate valued at S4oU.O0O.
His American wife had died before him.
and he left the bulk OF his property to his
son by her, Charles l.. Givernaud. The
other brother Et;enne. died ON July IL
| the same year survived by his wife,
| but no children.
| Subsequent to the death of the broth
ers four suits were brought in the New
Jersey Court OF Ch1ncery. two against
the tate of each brother. In each case
on, suit was to annul the divorce obtained
J in New Jersey from the wife in Lyons.
France. and the other was by the French
wife and her children 10 have the will
set aside on the ground that the divorce
! in each case was obtained by fraud.
The suits involving Louis Givernautl
are to be tried soon and the testimony
I just filed was taken by commission in
/ Lyon, in the sui, of Mime. Jeanne Marie
| Josephine Give7laud to sat aside tho
! divorce Obtained from her on February
). 1872. in New Jersey. Nine. Givernaud
| i one Of the witnesses and the others are
! her daughter, Noemi Josephine Marie
Cienin, now IA widow, and her son. Joseph
| Tho history O! the case as related in the
pa pers filed by Maurice Leon. counsel for
! Nine. Givernaud and her children. begins
with their marriage in Lyons in 1876,
when both were about 30 years old. The
husband left Lyons in 1866 after his wife
had obtained decree of separation OF
the ground Of desertion and a Judgment
against her husband for 1900 francs
the amount of dowry she gave her hus
band upon their marriage.
left LYONS in 1885 with another brother
they came 10 New York and started sill
manufacturing in Hoboken. On Septem
her Is. 1871. Louis Givernaud filed a pc
;tion in New Jersey asking for divorcs
on the ground that his wife had desert et
him. The witnesses were his two brothers
| The testimony Of GivPrraud in that cas'
was tnnt he had lived with his wife unIi
1854, and in that yeer went TO Londor
on IA business trip. When he returned h'
said his wife had taken all the furnitur'
| from the house except u msttreS.., lt'
I ri,d 10 induce his wife to retur To him
no .aid. bur she refused and also kept he
chidren away from him. He said he KEEP
| a big house ready to receive her. ant
that when he lsft Lyons TO come to Amer
ca he couldn't send word to her thet III
was going because ne diuh KNOW "her'
she WAS. E. ~,
In Louis Givernaud's suit tho paper
! were ordered served on Nine. Givernaut
hy mailing them to Lyons. Nine. Giver
maud insists that she never received wort
of tho suit or of tine decree against her
When asked if she left her husband. Mime
C;iyernaud said: 1T is false II IL he VIII
left me, removing everything
When asked if she didn't try to fint
where her husband had gone. Nine
Givernaud said
have reasons to disquiet myself abou
that which he did. since ] could donothing
IF had had that which he had takei
away from me, ! should have been abb
70 do something for the chi ldren. A
bottom, l rather liked not to know any
thing. Behold my r;% srias ,honslb that she nevs
heard even by rumor that her husbano
, had another wife and that !e was meet
l inc with succers in America. Her daugh
ter testified that for few years before
, his death her father sent her 500 francs
month because of the unfortunate
condition she was III aiter t"e u""'" VI "a"
Louis t;ivernaud's will. which his Frencl
V widow seeks to break. leaves the hun
= of his estate in trust for his SON .'har,e
l.. Givernaud, besides giving sio'Wo 10 IN
. wife and 1900 each to the French chill
= dren "of my former wife" u the sor
e and hi. wife leave no heirs the estaf'
is to ba divided between the Italia!
Benevolent Institute and the FIene!
Benevoent Society, both on New ork'
Mine. lhvernaud contends fhat ne
I'm, haud was a resident Of New ior
when he died and that she is entitlt'
10 n third OF he estate under IN" NoI
York law She asks the other two, thlr'i
!" for her children under the French CIV
4 cod.. which would entitle them eac'
- TO a third of the estate
- E,irnue Giyernaud'S estate amount.'
!" 10 about 81 .nN. .OUD, and the suit to set IN
L will aside was brought by his daughter
u Mrs. Eigrnie Walls of Lyons, on q
a GROUND that il was brought about by IN
n fraud of hi, American wife, barbar
Mines Givcrnaud, who was employe
o. II, I'm. I,,vrr,,a,,d mills when she was ma
,n rioi
=. The widow. Nine Noemi Givernai'
q, sued 10 ..i aside the divorce decree" M
,r mIshnnd got ~ New JERSEY ~ 1910 Ain'
:" Noon, G.vrrrnid contends that in M
care she vas not served WIN w" pap"
A. and knew nothing about the decree uni
hong afterward