New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-16
A. ]. DREXELS
AGAIN In COURT
Their Separation Scheme
Did Not Work Out, Lon
don Testimony Shows.
GREAT INDIGNITIES
CHARGED BY WIFE
Husband Told Her II Was I'm.
possible TO Live in America.
She SWears.

London, Dec. 15.-The discord in the
domestic affairs of the American hank
err Anthony J. Drexe,, and his wife.
Rita Armstrong Drexel. came to the
surface to-day in the Chancery Court.
where the husband moved TO set inside
the service Of a notice Of a VII, ~.
the wife to recover money due under
separation deed, on the ground that
his domicile was France and that
therefore he was outside the jurisdic-
non Of the English courts.
The agreement under the deed of
separation, it was brought out. was
that as circumstances had arisen
which in the wite's statement made il
! absolutely necessary that they should
live apart. and The husband agreeing.
and the wife abandoning her intention
to institute divorce proceedings for
any reasons then existing. il was
agreed that they should live apart
wherever they pleased and not inter
iere with or annoy each other or bring
any action against each other. The
husband was 70 allow the wife $4,000
yearly, payable in monthly install
ments, beginning in February, 1913.
She was also to be entitled to receive
the income from a policy in a New
York company and the husband was TO
assign TO trustee five policies on his
life, aggregating 100000, which were
to 90 to the wife in case Of the hus-
bands death.
Mr.. Lawrence, counsel for Mr.. |
Drexel, said that the wife estimated |
Mr.. DreTel's income at from S25O.O00 |
to s35O,OOO. but that MIR. Drexel did !
not accept this figure.
Avoided All Clashes.
Referring TO an interview between
the husband and wife in Paris in
1910, Of which there had been con- 7
hictinc versions, Mr.. Lawrence said |
that, according to Mrs. Drexe's ac-
count, il was arranged that she con-
tinue TO live in the Grosvenor Square /.
house and "the husband should give |
her notice of his coming in order that
she might 80 away or have friends
present TO avoid repetition of scenes
Of which she was afraid"
Continuing, the attorney said that
early in the present year Mr.. Drexel
decided 20 divorce his wife and went
to the United States to see his brother
and his sister regarding il. He also told
his son-in-law, Viscount Maidstone.
According to the latter, the attorney
stated Mr.. Drexel said that he was
sick of the agreement and would force
his wife 20 divorce him by stopping
her allowance, but according to Mr..
Drexels version he told Viscount
Maidstone he had definitely made up
his mind to take divorce proceedings.
Mr.. Drexe's counsel said that his
client had right 70 regard France as
his natural residence. When he re-
turned TO Europe In 1897 with his fam
lily Mr.. Drexsl rented a furnished house
in England until the present year, but
made Paris his headquarters in 1906,
renting en- apartment there. Last Hay
Mr Drexel gave up his London house
and applied for French citizenship, and |
at the end Of July filed q suit for di
vorce in Paris.
Carson Charges Plot.
This is only part Of we'll arranged /
plot to escape English jurisdiction"
declared Sir Edward Carson, who rep
resented Mrs. Drexel
According TO an affidavit made by /
Mr. DreXe!, he stopped his wife's al
lowance when the divorce proceedings |
were undertaken, because he was told |
that was the proper course under |
French law.
Mrs. Drexel deposed that her hus-
band had repeatedly told her that he
had found Il impossible to live in !
America" and that England was "the /
only fit place TO live in"
Mrs. Drexel further deposed that
"after 1909 her married life was very /
unhappy, that her husband assaulted |
her on more than one occasion and |
treated her with great indignity."
In 1910, although she determined |
that she would not live with her hus- |
band longer, he begged her not TO
divorce him, and, eventually, says her |
affidavit, she was persuaded to drop the /
divorce proceedings begun in America.
Later she received message from her ,
husband, through her son. inviting her
to 20 10 Paris and get divorce.
The hearing was adjourned.
Anthony J. Drexel married Rita Arm
strong, daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. John
A. Armstrong, Of Baltimore, in Sep
TENDER, 1888. They made their home
in Philadelphia until after Mr.. Drexel
retired from business as member OF
the firm Of Drexel & Co., Of Philadel-
phia, in 1898. Since then they have
passed the greater part Of their time
in England.
In the fall OF 1910 Mr. Drexel leased
for a home the palatial residence at
% Grosvenor Square, London. The fol-
loving spring there were rumors that
Mrs. Drexel intended TO sue for q d.
vorce. The couple subsequently sep
arated, and a year later it was said
by their friends that the contemplated
divorce action had been dropped.
Mr. and Mrs. Drexel have five chill
dren, who are Anthony J. Drexel, IT.,
who married Miss Marjorie Gould;
Margaretta, who married Viscount
Maidstone; John Armstrong Drexel.
Mae Sarah Drexel and Louis Clappier
Norris Drexel.