The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-14
DIVORCE CASE
OF COUNT B0N|
Cast OFF Husband Of Anna Gould Has
Been Before the Vatican
Courts For Six
Years.
SENSATION MAY FOLLOW
His Lawyer Hints at Something Al
most scandaIous When He
Makes the Next
Move.
ley Henry Wood, Rome correspond
ent of the United Press.

ent of the United Press.]
ROME, Sept. 13.-Fresh sensations,
iii not positive scandals, are being
promised when the vatican tribunal
of the Rota rehears in November the
divorce case of Count Boni de Cas-
tellane against the Duchess of Tally
rand, formerly Anna Gould.
The case has not been in the vati-
can for nearly six years and the end
is not believed to be anywhere near
in sight. Already, however, 1t has
reached stage where 1t has assured
for itself the distinction of being the
most famous, the most bitterly con-
tested, and the longest drawn-out
divorce case in the centuries old an
nails of the pontif1cial tribunals, and
| If Boni succeeds in doing nothing
else, he will at least have succeeded
| in establishing for himself a perman-
ent page in vatican history.
For the moment, however, Boni is
known to be very hopeful of a speedy
settlement of the case in his favor,
although his hopes are not being
shared by anyone who knows well the
vatican tribunals. At least three vic
tories have been won by him in the
case within the present year and to
an uninitiated observer, these might
appear to be very indicative. BY the
Vatican experts, however, little i'm
lportance is attached to them.
/ In February Count Boni was sue.
cessful in having the Rota reverse its
4 first decision, which had declared
that the marriage bond could not be
annulled. His momentary elation al
that time, however, was quickly cool
ed by the appeal of the attorneys fol
1.-THE Duchess of Tallyrand. They al
LEGGED that their client had not beer
notified of the rehearing in the case
land SO had not been able to presen
|evidence to combat the new witnesses
which Count Boni had presented.
This appeal was made to the trib
unal of the Apostolic Signature, which
is the highest of the pontificial court!
and from which there Is no appea
save to the person himself of hi
holiness. With an alacrity almos
unprecedented in the annals Of tina
court, the Apostolic Signature heart
the appeal within very few month.
land in July handed down decision
sustaining the contention of thu
duchess, annulling the decision tina
had been rendered in Count Boni'!
favor and remanding the case to the
Rotal tribunal for retrial
This on the mere surface would
seem to have been all victory fol
the duchess, were it not for the rath
er startlingly short time in which
Count Boni had succeeded in getting
this most dignifed and exalted trib
unal in the world to pass upon the
case This little victory, and which
was his second for the year, wa:
quickly followed by third when the
same Count Boni succeeded in get
ting from the same exalted court al
order STIMULATING that the Rota mus
rehear the case on November IA.
The ability of Boni to secure this
rapid action is interpreted generally
lin vatican circles as Indicating tina,
his position with the vatican trib
unals is most favorable one. 1t is
seldom If ever that the Rota gets
around to the rehearing of a case in
less than year and with this ex
ception having been made 1t is known
that there must have been a decided
reason and decidedly strong influence
for the haste that has been granted
To his friends here at Rome, Count
Boni has let it be known that If the
case cannot be definitely settled with
in the next few months, it is very i'm
lportant to his interest that at least
lone decision in his favor be perman
emily spread on the vatican records
Next spring, the count, who Is {
deputy In the French parliament, mus
lgo before his constituents for re
ELECTION. This constituency is largel,
catholic and unless the count car
present himself backed by the sane
ton of the vatican tribunals in the
divorce from his wife. his position
would be such that failure of re-elec
ton would be almost certain.
Because of the interests thus al