Evening star., 1927-08-23
CHAPLIN WILL PAY
MILLION IN DIVORCE
Film Comedians Bills In
crease as Various Debts
Are Counted Up.

ny lne Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, August 23.-Char-
lie Chaplin's price of domestic peace
today provided a wealth of figures for
the conjecture and gossip of the-movie'
going and newspaper-readin worlds
that know of the film jester and his
marital difficulties.
Sixty.two minutes in court yester-
day, in which the CRAVING comedian 5
young wife, Lita Grey Chaplin, won in
perfunctory fashion an interlocutory
decree of divorce, probably cost the
actor in excess of a million dollars.
His wife, according to the property
settlement introduced at the outset of
the court hearing. and which erased
from the trial sensational charges
concerning prominent motion picture
actresses" which spiced her divorce
complaint. will receive 1926. 900 of the
n1illion-dollar total. To the small sons.
placed in the wife's custody, goes a
trust fund of 100000.
Total Nears Million.
Other items included 10000 as Mrs.
Chaplin's expenses since the separa-
ton last November, S22 900 estimated
receivers fees, 100000 to be paid for
the Chaplin boys support during the
next five years while the trust fund
is being provided, $1,000 in interest
to Mrs. Chaplin on delayed payments
and the 1000 already paid in tenn
porary alimony.
These, with miscellaneous items,
swell the total to $3.50. 900, not count
Ing the comedians attorneys fees and
the cost of preparing for the trial
Since out of the wife's S625 900 comes
almost 100000 in attorneys fees, the
actors quintet of counsel is expected
to receive no less amount.
In the cutting of the legal melon
the firm of Young & Young. which
withdrew only recently from the case
and precipitated a brief but bitter
court scene, with their fees as the
crux of the affair. will receive $36. 500
A like amount will go to Edwin 7.
McMurray of San Francisco. Mrs
Chaplin's uncle as well as counsel
The firm of Lee & Lee, which sue
ceeded the Youngs, will receive $4,000,
and George Beebe, who withdrew as
counsel for the wife prior to the
filing Of the complaint, will receive
$4,000.
Receivers Bill.
Another possible cut into the
$625 900 was seen in the $4,000 bill
offered by the receivers placed over
the Chaplin properties on the wife's
request soon after the author had
left for New York. The comedian has
agreed to pay only a part of this sum.
Under the terms of the property
settlement Mrs. Chaplin will receive
$685. 900 at once, 100000 September
], 1928, another 100000 a year later
and the closing $4,000 the following
year The principal of the 100000
trust fund will go to the children
when the younger reaches 35.
The million-dollar prize paid by
Chaplin for domestic freedom does
not include the loss of years work
on his unfinished picture, THE
Circus" a factor that would run into
huge sums in delayed receipts and
production costs in gathering his cast
together again.
The divorce trial itself. after the
months of legal pickering between at
torneys and numerous threatening
gestures on the part of Mrs. Chaplin's
counsel limiting at the prominence of
the film actresses involved. was tame
affair.
Within few seconds after the
opening of the trial McMurray had
announced the settlement and had
called his niece to the witness stand.
Questions and answers carried charges
of neglect to herself and the two chill
dren. penuriousness and cruelty. The
wife told of the party at which her
husband had demanded that she or
der the guests from the house, leading
to the final break, and Mrs. Chaplin's
fight from the Beverly Hills mansion
to the cottage of her grandparents.
Hearing Soon Ends.
Her mother ard two girl friends fol-
lowed Mrs. Chaplin to the stand, each
offering but few words of corrob-
orative testimony.
Chaplin, who was not in court, was
championed by Gavin McNab of San
Francisco, one of his counsel. Chap
lin, in providing for his wife and chill
dren in the property settlement, had
done more than the law would have
demanded, McNab said.
Under the conditions now existing,
Mr.. Chaplin feels it his further duty
to relieve her of any shame possibly
attaching. and the cross complaint
filed by him therefore is dismissed"
McNab said.