SCANDAL OF A SHAM MARRIAGE.

Evening Star, Issue 13003, 24 December 1906, Page 7

SCANDAL OF A SHAM MARRIAGE.

AUSTRIAN BARON AND BERLIN ACTRESS. The Vienna correspondent cf the ' Morning Leader' states that the - Ziet' published the scandalous story of a sham marriage contracted in London last May between Brj-cn Liebenberg. of Vienna, and Fraulein Marie Suber, at one time a wellknown Berlin actress. Tho object of the marriage was to enable the lady to obtain a title, and thus become of more suitable rank to marry Prince Joachim Albrecht of Prussia, the Kaiser's cousin, who was greatly attached to her. Baron Liebenberg is the scion of an old noble family, but poor, and he held a humble municipal position in Vienna. Last winter a certain Herr Lange, of Berlin, came to Vienna in search of an Austrian nobleman, who. for 30,000 marks, would bo ready to marry a lady and at once desert her, and then so conduct himself that divorce proceedings might be taken against him. The Baron availed himself of this chance cf making money, sought Herr Lange, and declared his readiness to marry- tho lady on these conditions. Herr Lange promised the baron 30,000 marks and his travelling expanses. The wedding, he informed him, would take place in London, where he would learn tho lady's name. —Married at a Registry Office. — T-uist April Herr Lange instructed Baron Liebenber; to proceed to London, which he did, spending the prescribed fortnight's residence in a boarding-house. On May 5, Herr Lange arrived in London, and on May 9 Large and the bnron went to a registry office, where the wedding took place. Here (he baron saw Fiau'.ein Salter for the first and last time. Besides Herr Large, a Mr Roos acted as v.itncrs. After the ceremony Fraulein Sulzer —or Baroness Liebenberg as she then was—who was accompanied by a man named Mayer, said to be her secretary, thanked the barcn for his kindness and great service, took the marriage certificate, and with a simple "Good-bye," drove off t.i her hotel with the secretary. The baron row expected the reward, and was greatly disappointed at not receiving it. it was Duly when he threatened to make a scandal »n<i went so far as. to engage a solicitor thai he was paid a thousand marks, and was promised the remainder later in Ber—Proceedings for Divorce.— After staying another fortnight in London, the b.-iron got a. letter from Herr Lange making an apnointment to meet him at Frankfort on May 26. They met, and next day both went to Mayence, where the baron committed adultery, after-w.-irds proceeding with I-ange to a lawyer's, Br Wolf, to ask him to take the neoessary Bteps for divorce. Then Baron Liebenberg returned to Vienna. He has not yet received the balance of the money, but negotiations are soing on bewecu his own and his wile's lawyers. The divorce proceedings, too, are not yet ended. It is asserted by tho baron that he was unawnje •M£-the_-fcime o£_his_^arrijjgp_ _ to..;ErauleHi,

Sulzer that it was her intention to marry Prince Joachim. —The Official Denial.— Router's Agency was later asked officially to state that there was no truth whatever in the reports published by tho German newspapers that Prince Joachim Albrecht of Prussia was about to many Baroness von Liebenberg, formerly of the stage. This "official denial" forms another step in the amazing Royal romance.