Du Pont, 1878-1911

Contents: Letters, divorce papers.

Because he married May du Pont, Saulsbury had significant interaction with the du Pont family, even though the relationship was often strained. His involvement was usually of a business or political nature and the relevant papers can be found in the appropriate subseries. In this subseries, Saulsbury's limited personal involvement with the du Pont family is documented.

May du Pont, daughter of Victor du Pont, probably met Saulsbury when he was working in her father's law firm. At that time, she was married to her first husband, her cousin William du Pont. Reportedly, the marriage was unhappy for both of them, and William sought a divorce. During the divorce process, William moved to South Dakota and established residency to obtain a quicker decision. Saulsbury provided legal assistance for May. An investigator was hired to confirm rumors that William was having an affair with a Mrs. Zinn, and the first file contains his regular reports to Saulsbury as well as a collection of photos of Mrs. Zinn. Eventually, both William and Mrs. Zinn obtained favorable divorces and married. This subseries contains legal documents from both the du Pont and the Zinn divorces.

A final file relates to the anonymous and very threatening letter Amy du Pont received regarding the behavior of her friend Mrs. B. G. du Pont. Saulsbury, although not generally on good terms with the du Pont family, agreed to help locate the author. The file contains the letters threatening Amy and her friend and letters by Saulsbury and law enforcement about the case.