Evening star., 1923-11-23
WIFE WINS DECREE
| FROM ". E. COREY
Famous Romance of Steel
Magnate and Stage Star
! Ends in Paris.
Nv tho Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, November 23-Mrs. William
Ellis Corey, wife of the American
steel manufacturer, was granted yes
terday a divorce by the tibunal Of
the Seine. Mrs. Corey's suit was based
on the grounds of desertion.
Prior to her marriage to Mr.. Corey
Mrs. Corey was Mabelle Gilman,
prominent on the American stage as
q musical comedy artist.
The romance of Mabelle Gilman and
William E. Corey, which, after en-
during nearly twenty years, ended to-
day In a Paris divorce court, was the
composite of elements, fuzed from
the American stage, American In
dustry and American society and
fashioned into the form of what ap-
proaches a fiction-like outline.
Both began lige unpretentiously,
Miss Gilman as a young girl in Cali
tornia with aspirations for fame and
fortune on the stage; Mr.. Corey as an
ambitious coal miner, struggling to
widen his mental outlook and TO en-
hance his chances in the middle west.
She became one of the Leading musi-
cal comedy actresses of her genera
ton: he one of the towering fSures
Of the steel industry.
Before he rose spectacuiarly in the
steel trade, MIR. Corey married Laura
Cook who was more interested In
her children than in improving her
social situation and in aiding her
husband to move ahead than in add
Ing to her own cultural knowleoge.
While he was gaining promotion IN
his business in Pittsburgh. Miss. Gil-
man came to New York, ana because
of her good voice and dancing, abil-
tty, easily won a place in a chorus.
Was star on broadway.
Though temperamental, Miss Gill
man was industrious and within two
part-in The Dancing Girf'--and
two years later was starred in The
Mocking Bird" After a successful
run on Broadway this sketch went on
tour, playing in Pittsburgh on a
night when Mr.. Corey had planned
to entertain business friends at the
theater.
He fell in love with the singing
dancer. He told his wife of the in
fatuation and induced her TO divorce
him, at the same time settling $1,000
900 upon her and making provision
for their children. MIR. Corey, then
president of the United States Steel
Corporation at an unprecedented
salary. followed Miss Gilman to New
York and, after sending her to Eu
rope to study for grand opera, an
nounced their engagement. They
were married in 1907 after a court
ship OF two years. Although his
marital affairs had aroused some op-
position among his associates. Mr..
Corey was such an able head OF the
Steel Corporation that he was re-
elected to the presidency just before
his marriage He never had been a
great social success, however, and the
efforts Of his second wife to be in
cluded with the 400" were not high
1y rewarded
In after years they divided their
time between the United States and
Europe. Mr. Corey eventually re-
firing from the presidency of his cor
poration. The estate, Villa Fillen-
Eendes, which he bought in France,
his wife turned over to the French
government as a hospital during the
war and served there as a nurse.
Miss Gilman appeared both on the
American and the English stage.
among her other vehicles being THE
Geisha," THE Circus Girl La
Houpee" and In Gay Paree."