New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-16
Cunliffe-Owen
Romance Is
Barred i'm Suit
Monte Brice Asks Damages
of British Baronet Who
Wed Song Writer'S Wife 6
Weeks After Her Divorce
Fortune Settled on Bride
Pre-Nuptial Compact Said
to Give Former Singer
in Cabaret $4,OOO,OOO

A suit for 100000 damages, filed by
"Monte" Brice, song writer, against Sir
Hugo Cunliffc- Owen, millionaire Brit
ure that the English baronet married
the former Mrs. Brce six weeks after
she obtained a divorce from her first
husband.
A pre-nuptial agreement, according
to Herman l.. Roth, who represented
Mrs Brice in the divorce action, called
for the settlement by Sir Hugo upon
his bride of $4,OOo,O00. He is reputed
to be worth ten times that sum. Be-
fore she was married to Brice the pres
ent Lady Cunliffe-O Owen was singer.
Mystery shrouds the suit brought by
Brice. The papers were served on the
Englishman as he was walking down
Fifth Avenue March last. There is
nothing in the document to indicate
the nature of the action. A friend of
Sir Hugo said yesterday there was no
doubt he would fight the case to a
finish.
Girl Rose From Obscurity
Twentyfour years ago in the little
town Of Washington, Pa, there was
born Helen Elizabeth Oliver. Her par
ents, James H. and Mary E. Oliver,
were poor, and when their daughter,
/ seventeen years later, came to New
York her whole fortune consisted of a
pretty face and figure and fairly good
the least noteworthy career in motion
picture studio Maize Oliver. as she had
come to be called, got an engagement
singing in a Broadway cabaret.
There she met Marvelle Cooper
Brice, adopted son of the late Stewart
Nelly Brce, member of a family So
cially prominent for years in New York
and Newport. He is better known as
"Monte" Brice, and is the nephew by
adoption of the Misses Helen and Mar
garet Brice, of 693 Fifth Avenue; w.
Kirkpatrick Brice, lawyer, and John
Francis Brce. "Monte's" foster father
was also his stepfather. He died in
Asbury Park, in 1910.
sort, on March 13, 1914, Maize Oliver
and "Monte" Brice were married. So
far as is known, they lived happily to-
gether until Brice accepted commits
sion in the United States Commissary
Department during the war.
Young Wife Seeks Divorce
It was in June, 1918, while Brice was
in the service of his country, that his
young wife called at the Office of Mr..
Roth ct 1880 Broadway. She told him
she wanted a divorce and did not desire
any publicity to attend it. She was ad-
vised that the suit could be filed in an
Aupstate county and heard secretly be-
fore a referee
Some days later she returned to Mr..
Roth's Office, this time accompanied by
man named Hynes. The latter
evinced curiosity concerning the cost
of divorce and was particularly in
sistcnt that it be obtained quietly.
He was assured on this point and the
word was given Mr.. Roth to go ahead.
"Monte" was served June 26, 1918,
with complaint and summons, alleging
misconduct at a New York hotel with
an unidentified woman in February
1918. On July 2 Supreme Court Justice
Young in White Plains, named J. Brad
ley Scott, of Newburgh, referee to hear
the case. The referee held hearing in
Mr.. Roth's Office July 5, f. Wright MoX-
ley representing Brice and entering a
general denial.
On July 30, 1918, the referee filed a
report and an order by Supreme Court
Justice Seeger, confirming it, in Mrs.
Brce's favor. This was filed in Gosh
en-, N. Y, where the document lay
undiscovered so far as the public was
concerned, until yesterday. On the
same date Justice Seeger granted an
interlocutory decree and on November
7, 1918, final decree, together with an
order authorizing the plaintiff to re-
sumo her maiden name of Helen Eliz
abeth Ofivel
Helen Elizabeth Oliver and Hugo Gun
the tobacco magnate and were married
in the Memorial Church there. The
! bride stated that she was a DIVORCE.