Evening star., 1934-10-03
|MA|D'SST0RYB BARS.
COURTROOM DOORS.
Story of Mrs. VanderbiIt's
Life Too Intimate, Judge
Decides.
BY the Associated Press.

Ting a turn has the big Vanderbilt
family fuss taken that Supreme Court
Justice John F. Carew, umpire of
the battle, Is debating whether it
would not be in the public veal to
make it a strictly private affair. A
Parisienne maid, petite and pretty,
was responsible.
The maid. Mile. Maria Caillot,
witness yesterday in the action
brought by Mrs. Gloria Morgan Van
derbilt to wrest guardianship of her
daughter. Gloria, from Mrs. Harry
Payne Whitney, the little heiress'
aunt, testified to an incident involv-
ing her employer and Lady Milford
Haven, relative of the King of Eng
land.
Justice Carew forthwith clamped
down the lid on the performance, Or
dered the court cleared of newspaper
men, and announced that because of
this testimony he would conduct the
remainder of the hearing in private
The public had jammed the court
room.
Today the case was adjourned until
Friday.
burkan ASKS fuDI1Cuy.
Nathan Burkan, counsel for Mrs.
Vanderbilt. moved swiftly. First, he
requested that the trial be kept open,
since his client had not yet been
heard by the public. Justice Carew
said he would consider.
Then Burkan announced that he
would send across the Atlantic for
Lady Milford Haven to refute Mile.
Caillot's charges.
Thus far Mrs. Vanderbilt has been
described by defense witnesses as one
who has shirked her maternal re-
SponSibilities.
To substantiate the contention OF
Mrs. Whitney that the widow of the
late Reginald c. Vanderbilt is not
fit parent for little Gloria, the heiress'
nurse and Mile Caillot have testified
that Mrs. Vanderbilt neglected the
child.
Her mistress. the maid charged,
drank often and early. even before
breakfast, was a devotee of erotic
literature, pursued merry-go-
around Of parties with a carefree
group of Partisan boulevardiers and
American expatriates, and kept her
menage awake with the blare Of or
chestras playing until or o'clock
in the morning.
Knew Madam's Moments.
The maid. to whom her mistress
was no heroine. said she could dag
nose Mrs. Vanderbilt's intoxication.
She smiled and was happy and re-
peated herself when she was drunk
Mile. Caillot said.
Little Gloria. the child who led the
Vanderbilts into the glorified version
Of tenement family Spat, is heiresS
to $4,000.O0O
Her mothers inheritance from the
Reginald Vanderbilt fortune is mere
ly 81 400 a year, it was said in Surro-
gates Court.
Mrs. Vanderbilt has not had an
opportunity to speak for the records
but out of court she has said this
about the charges made against her:
"A pack Of lies--I'n have plenty
to say!"
Her sister. Mrs. Benjamin Thaw.
expressed herself in slightly purer
prose.
Pointed piffie maliciously arrived
at" she declared.
Mrs. Vanderbilt. seated at the
counsel table with her sister. Con-
suelo, buried her face in her hand
kerchief as the maid testified yester-
day.
Burkan demanded to know whether
Miss Caillot had told any one else
of the alleged incident involving
Lady Milford Haven.
Says Counsel Was Told.
She replied she had told Herbert
c. Smyth. counsel for Mrs. Whitney.
so you told Mr.. Smyth about it
and he forgot to ask you when he
was questioning you before?'
"Oh. no 1 didn't" Smyth declared.
jumping up. But I didn't think it
proper to bring out any matter of
that sort"
Miss Caillot related vivid story of
her five years in Mrs. Vanderbilts
| menage an era of gay life in the
American colony in Paris.
Miss Caillot. her eyes flashing at
counsel and the court. was asked in
| detail. about her mistress personal
| habits.
Did you ever see Mrs. Wander
| bilt drunk" she was asked.
"Yes, sir, sometimes" Miss Caillot
| replied in precise. French-accented
| words.
"Often?'
II don't remember"
more than once?"
"Oh, yes"
MANY times?"
MANY times"
MANY, many times?"
mot many. many times, but many
times drunk"
Says Child Was Ignored.
The maid also declared that Mrs.
Vanderbilt paid no attention to her
daughter on her health.
Did you ever see Mrs. Vanderbilt