The Washington herald., 1914-03-22
TO We'd?
SHE HAS A COPY!
But Comtesse de Lesdain Had
to Travel $4,000 Miles
to Get 1t.
N W SHE'LL SUE COMTE
Former Chicago Girl Went from Lon
don to Pekin. China. for
Proof of Marriage.
N W SHE'LL SUE COMTE
al Cable to The Washington Herald.

Special Cable to The Washington Herald.
| London, March Zl.-Comtesse de Les
dsin. who before her romantic marriage
to the French nobieman. Comte de Les
dain. In Pekin in 1904. was Mabel Nettie
Bailey, daughter of the late John n.
Bailey. a weIl-known real estate man in
| Chicago. has arrived In London after a
| tourney to Pekin and return. some 24O00
miles. undertaken for the sole purpose
of obtaining a copy of her marriage GER
tifcate which she reCsIires in connection
| with the legal proceedings she is about
| to begin again her husband. who is Q
member OF a prominent French family
The exact nature OF the proceedings
which will be brought in Paris has not
vet been determined by the Comtesse, but
they will center around the fact, accord
ing to the comtesse. that her husband
has bigamously married Miss Bruning.
the daughter of a well-known London
family.
The Comtesse who Is a charming and
petite lady, gave TO The Herald corre-
spondent a brief history of the events
which have led to the present situation.
7 was married to COmte de Lesdain
in Pekin in 1904 while he was an attache
OF the French Embassy there she said.
AT that time I had been a member Of
party engaged in missionary work. I had
met the Comte some months before in
Japan.
After our marriage he obtained four
years leave of absence from the French
diplomatic service and we started on a
honeymoon trip from Pekin to India.
which journey lasted about seventeen
months II was made under the most
adventurous and thrilling conditions. We
Travelled mainly by mule and camel. and
during most of the time / wore mems
clothes.
We reached DarjeelinG. India. about
the end OF 1876. and there. on February
y. 1896. my little girl was born.
My husband became greatly interested
in manganese mining while in India and
in the following May / went to America
to visit my mother. who then was living
in New Orleans. The Comte did not ac-
company ne for business reasons.
AFTER five months in America l return
ed to India and rejoined the Comte. We
remained in India until August. 1907. when
the Comte and / went TO Paris to visit
his relatives. We STAYED in Paris until
the following December. when l again
went to the United States while he went
to South America in connection with his
mining interests.
Suddenly stops Writing.
We corresponded regularly for six or
seven months. Then he stopped writing
to me and I heard nothing more OF him
until 1911. when learned he was in Paris.
Immediately returned TO Europe and
met him in London. when. to my great
surprise and horror. he told me he had
married again.
Il asked him how that could be, in view
of the fact that he had married me. He
replied that our marriage was not really
p marriage, and that had no proof of it.
This. unfortunately, was true, for al
though our marriage took place in the
French legation in Pckin. my husband
took charge of the certificate, which 1
never saw again.
He laughed at me and my sorrow.
However. ] determined TO get a copy OF
the marriage certificate. and ! wrote to
the French Minister in Pckin for il. Al
though wrote repeatedly. my letters re-
maincd unanswered. Then l came to
that my husband had used
with the legation officials not
TO answer my letters.
Determined TO get my proof. ! went to
Pekin a few months ago and here is the
result. II was as ] had feared. My hus-
band had persuaded the French Minister
in Pekin not to send me a copy of the
certificate, but when l arrived on the
scene the Minister changed his tone i'm
shows Copy of License.
Here the Comtesse produced a copy of a
marriage certificate signed by the French
Minister in Pekin. to the effect that 'tJac-
Iues Gustave Joseph Bouly de Lesdain,
hereditary Comtc of Saint Empire Ger
manic of the French Legation in China
vas duly married according to the laws
II France and the Roman Catholic
'hurch to Mabel Carmenita Nettie
Sailey."
Besides this paper the Comtessc has the
firth certificate of her daughter, in which
he Count is given as the father.
The extraordinary feature of the situa-
ion is that the Comtesse this week
howed to the parents Of Miss Brsning.
he Comtes second WIFE" the proofs of
er marriage to the Comte. The Brunngs
re anxious to get in touch with their
laughter. but do not know where she and
he Cont" arc. They do know, however.
hat their daughter recently became a
mother. At present the ComtcsSe is un-
ccided whether she will sue for divorce
r merely for a separation. as there seems
D bc no doubt about the validity of her
marriage in France. She is inclined to
nc for separation only. as this will leave
nc Comtc open to prosecution for bigamy
hon found.
The Comtcssc's little daughter is now in
rhool in America. where she is being
'okcd after by the Comtcsscs mother.
no has become the wife OF Edward
mcTson. OF Los Angeles.
The Comtessc's adventures during her
oncymoon trip arc set forth in a book
Prom Pckin to Likkcn.' In a preface
ohn Murray SAYS, Tho journey per-
'rmed by the Comte and Comtesse dc
esdain is a remarkable ono. all the
ore so from its having been their we'd
ng tour. That a lady of nineteen should
ave faced and sustained the hardships
travel in the wild region described in
ese pages can hardly fail to arouse ad-
iration in the mind of the reader"
1iahafae aenc