GERMAN BARONS ARREST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 963, 13 March 1917, Page 11

GERMAN BARONS ARREST.

MARRIED ENGLISH HEIRESS. NOTORIETY OF HIS DEBTS. An announcement from Berne that Baron von Eckhardstcin, the well-, known German diplomat, has for a second time been arrested and imprisoned for his criticisms of Gcr-1 man policy and actions, recalls a] great matrimonial cause celebre. The baron married the only child and heiress of the late Sir John Blundell Maple, the millionaire head; of the Tottenham Court Road firm, and the sordid story of the German's attempts to extort more and more! money from her, told before Mr Jus-' tice Buckhill ami a jury, was the sensation of the summer in 1007. The baron, says a recent English exchange, who is remarkably goodlooking, and who was described at the time as the handsomest man in the diplomatic service, married Miss | Maple in 1800. It was an open secret j at the time that Sir John, who had all the old Conservative British oh-! jeclion to "foreigners," was bitterly! opposed to the match, but he was eventually persuaded to give his consent. Rumour has credited the late King Edward, then Prince of Wales, with taking a prominent part in overcoming the sturdy old gentleman's prejudices. The Prince himself attended ' the marriage, which was one of the principal events of the season, and which took place at St. Albans Cathedral, and presented the bride with a jewelled watch. But if rumour was correct, his late genial Majesty must have very soon regretted proffering his good offices, for the marriage was not a happy one, and though for some years the baroness retained her infatuation for her handsome husband, the evidence in the separation suit, which was brought by the lady in 1007, showed clearly that the baron's affection—or affectation of it —cooled off very quickly after the ceremony. It is even said that a quarrel occurred in the train on the way to London from the honeymoon, and that the bride was reduced to tears. Saving His Career. Pathetic evidence of this was given by one of the witnesses in the famous trial. The baroness had complained that "people were talking'' about them being seen together so little. "Will you give me one hour a day of your company?" she pleaded. "Not one!" replied the baron, laconically'. "I want yon to be seen walking or driving with me," was the lady's supplication, but the baron was obdurate. "Just one hour a week," asked the baroness, but not even to this would the husband consent. "No, it would spoil my career," he said. "My career," was the baron's excuse for a lot, but the baroness alleged that it was merely a subterfuge to enable him to lead his own life, and stay away till all hours of the night and morning. But the baron talked about it continually with what We would now term typical German arrogance and bombast. When, following upon some disputes, it was proposed that the little daughter of the marriage should be made a ward in Chancery,'the baron was excessively annoyed. According to Dr Williams, a prominent witness for the plaintiff, he made the extraordinary statement "that being, as he was, in the diplomatic service, such an insult to him might, owing to the strained relations existing between the foreign Powers, produce a European war." £250,000 Debts. The baroness's money and the baron's lack of it was one of the most fruitful causes for dispute, and the story told by the present Chief Secretary for Ireland, Mr Duke, K.C., who was the lady's leading counsel, was a sordid one. Sir John Maple, who was drawing from his great ■ business more than the revenue of; manv a German Principality, paid, it lis alleged, over £250,000 for various instalments of the baron's debts, besides making him an allowance first; of £IOOO a vear, and afterwards of £-1000. But when he died he left the baron just £IOOO a year. At the same time the baroness was to have £36,000 a year for five years, to be increased then to £60,000. Some share of that sum had been anticipated by the baron, for the baroness's income has, through the sum she raised for her husband's benefit after her father's death, been burdened with a permanent charge of £14,000 a year. In spite of this golden harvest i Baron von Eckhardstein treated his, wife with alternate neglect and cruelty. The bride's father had tied i the money up well, and one of the' clauses of his will was that the, baroness should be disinherited un-1 less she resided for at least 240 days '. in the year in the United Kingdom, "unless prevented by illness, or other good cause to be allowed by the trustees." This clause in particular, it was staled, infuriated the baron. Storm in a Bedroom. The baroness, in her evidence, said he was always trying to find out! what was in the will, and when he ! discovered certain things, including I this clause, he "stormed" at her in their bedroom. There was an angry ! scene when the will was read, the j baron saying he was "disgraced,"] and threatening to leave her. He | said it would have been much better, if he had married an American lady j whose father would have settled '• £50,000 a year on her. and that she'; could not understand the feelings of! a gentleman, because her father was I not a gentleman. The baron, said Mi' Duke, always showed contempt for his wife's! family. He told her she was "hour-1 gcois," and that her friends were \ ■'bounders," and that she was "a little country miss." Anxious for' reconciliation, the baroness not only I increased Ids allowance from £IOOOI to £3OOO a year, but executed a deed to leave him whatever of her pro-i perty was under her control. i>ut! that did not satisfy the baron, whose I liabilities on the Stock Exchange and elsewhere were very heavy. "Time after time," Mr Duke told! the court, "whatever pressure was j necessary was used pitilessly to ex- ] act from this lady, by violent ' language, threats of suicide, and threats to leave her, sums of £15,000, £17,000, £20,000, and at last £100,000." j "Bear" and "Bunchy." Even during the honeymoon, said

the baroness, he treated her with neglect, leaving her alone with her French maid, and coming home at any time up to four in the morning. Once when there was a man drunk in the next room she telephoned to her husband and lie returned in a furious temper, calling her "a d little fool."' "fie said I was hopelessly middle-class and could not understand the importance of his being out." It transpired that the baron's nickname was "Hear," while his wife was known as "Bunchy," and pathetic letters were read which were signed by the baroness in that name. A good deal of evidence was given as to the baron's amours, and on this point, on the advice of his counsel in Berlin, the baron declined to give evidence. The result of the trial was a verdict for the baroness, granting her a judicial separation and the custody of the only child. It should be explained that English courts can only grant divorce when the domicile of both parties was in this country. As the baron's domicile was in Germany, judicial separation was the utmost the baroness could claim here. Almost simultaneously the baron started a suit for divorce in Berlin on the ground of his wife's "disobedience." Those proceedings resulted in a victory for the baroness, wjio was granted a divorce and the custody of the child. Later, in 1910, the baroness was agajn married, this lime to Captain (now Major) Archibald Weigall, who ; later became, and still is, M.P. for ! Horncastle.