The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-08-12
SPENT ALL OF GLADYS DOWRY
HUNGARIAN COUNT SQUANDER-
ED SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.
Now a Divorce From Szechenyi Is
the Rumor That Comes Back
Home From budapest.


the Times says that the Countess
Laszle Szechenyi, formerly Miss
Gladys Vanderbilt, youngest daugh-
ter of the late Cornelius Vanderbilt,
of New York, is on the point of de-
handing a divorce from her hus-
band, according to a telegram from
Budapest.
The Countess reason for this step,
ii is stated, is that the Count lost al
most all his wife's dowrey on the
Bourse and in other gambling specu-
lations. 1t is alleged that be has
spent 100000 since his marriage
in New York on January q. 1908.
Last February the Count received
deputation of Albanian chiefs, who
offered the throne of the new Alba
MIA to him, but the Countess abso-
lutely refused to entertain the idea.
A New York lawyer who has long
been connected with the Vanderbilt
interests said that he had heard
nothing of any contemplated action
by the Countess Szechyeni against
her husband, and he discredited TIE
report
Miss Gladys Moore Vanderbilt and
Count Szechenyi were married on
January 81, 1908, at the Vanderbilt
home. More than 400 relatives and
friends of the two families witnessed
the ceremony The bride was then
81 years of age and her husband
was 2S years old. He gave his oc-
cupation on the marriage certificate
as Landowner. Royal Chamberlain,
Hungary" Shortly before the mar
rage Miss Vanderbilt came into legal
possession of 100000 as her
share of her fathers $6O,O0O,000 es-
tate.
Rumors as to the wealth of Count
Szechenyi put it at millions, but it
was said that these reports were ex-
aggerated. The Count, son of the
famous patriot, Count Istvan Szech-
enyi, who was known in Hungary as
1.-THE greatest Hungarian" was a
Count Chamberlain and a lieutenant
in the reserves. He had a castle at
Kemia Oermezo, Upper Hungary,
where he entertained lavishly.
In February, 1908, 1t was reported
from Budapest that 100000 had
been deposited in the Hungarian
Discount and Exchange bank of that
city in the name of the Count and
Countess. The money came from a
New York bank, where much of the
Vanderbilt wealth was known to lie
in trust, according to the report. This
deposit was interpreted as the first
tangible evidence of a prenuptial
settlement 1t had been understood
that an arrangement had been eff
fected whereby the Count was to
have only the income from that
amount for actual expenses.
After the money was deposited,
however, rumors began to come
from Budapest, Vienna and London
concerning the Counts financial
losses. In May of this year bank
ruptcy proceedings were brought in
the Hungarian courts against three
of the most prominent members OF
the Hungarian nobility. The vast
fortunes of these men had been
swallowed up, and 1t was thought
at the time that 100000 or $4,-
COOS goo Of Count Szechenyi's money
had also been lost. At about the
same time Count and Countess
szechenyi left Budapest. Most Of
the Counts money, it was said, had
been lost through a land speculation
of a risky kind.
The Balkan war, it was thought,
was responsible for the failure of
the venture, 1t was said that the
Counts personal losses were $1,000
600 and that he had also sunk ST.
600, 900 of mis- wife's money. Other
money was, it was stated, lost in a
coal mining venture capitalized at
500, 100000. Count Szechenyi,
with number of friends, was said
to have invested $4,000, 600 in this.
According 10 cabled reports this
venture was more in the nature OF
swindle than the real estate vent
,ure.
The Count, according 20 one re-
port, desired to become the Wander
bit of Hungary" and on the Buda-
pest stock exchange he tried by Wall
street methods to gain control of big
industrial and transportation cor
porations. He was, it is tdded, fairly
successful during the first few years
after his marriage, but met with dis
aster after the Balkan war had be-
gun. As late as April of this year II
was reported that the Count had ac-
quired an invention from an Ameri-
can which he expected to exploit.