The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-08-12 00:00:00

TAN KIM IN 00CHT.

The London col ~spondent of the itheifteid Indepes-
alba gives an interesting description of the scene in
court during the hearing of the case :

It is • long time mime any case commanded snch
absorbing attention as that in which Mr. and Mrs.
Hall figure. During the days when Mrs. Hall was in
the box the vast space of Westminster-hall, into which
the inconvenient little Divorce-court leads, was
literally crammed with people waiting to see the
principal actors in the miserable tragicomedy, and •
large force of extra policemen was memory to keep
open lanes in the crowd.

Of course the chief attraction was Mrs. Hall, who,
to do her justice, was by no means disconcerted by the
popular attention. In the witnew box she proved
.1-self perfect mistress of the situation, dominating
everybody from the judge on the bench to the jury in
the box, and showing a strong disposition to hold con-
fidential conversation with the members of the latter.
As for poor Sir Henry James, he had no chance with
her. He lost his temper very early in the cross-exami.
nation, and never regained it. He has a habit, when
he finds • difficult witness, of suddenly stopping his
cmes-examination, resuming his seat, and inn-king
haughtily at the judge as if he would say, "tinier
your lordship interposes and informs this thatwitness
lan. Sir Henry James, ex-Attorney-General, and am
to be treated with respect, I shall not proceed further
with the croes-exernination."

This little trick, though the unfortunate client who
pays Sir Henry James a heavy fee may have some rea-
son to carnelian of it, has often proved useful in en-
abling &curiously over-estimated advocate to withdraw
from an encounter in which he in getting the worst of
It. But when Sir Henry, fuming and frowning
haughtily resumed his seat because Mrs. Hall would
not give him a particular answer he wanted, Mrs. Hull
only put her head on one side, and looking at the Irate
counsel, said in her brink chirpy manner, "Well."
Then the crowded court burst into a roar of laughter,
and Sir Henry had the good sense to get up and con-
tinue his croas-examination.

Mrs. Hall Is one of those witnesses who are the
terror of a well-regulated court. The only time Sir
Henry James rosily hit her was when he observed that
she was "always wanting to make speeches in the
witness-box." She is turned 50, but still pawner
considerable attractions. She appeared In the witnem.
box well dreamed, and when in repose evidently
exercises considerable charm of meaner in the
witsenvirbox a naturally nervous temperament was
strung to the higiwort pitch, and her mastoid unmet
made her a little wearhosne. Not far from her, whilst
she was under examination, sat a tall lady about forty
yearn of age, with a thin face. To see Mr.. Hall's
attitude towards this stranger was sufficient to indicate
that this was the Mary Wyatt of the much-read
correspondence. The witnese in the box seemed to
feel her ',Terence, though not once through the
day did she permit her bright restless eyes to fall upon
her. As far as her relative position towarde the bench
permitted, she turned her shoulder towards Mire
Wyatt. But when she mentioned the name, an she
Incessantly did, with or without reason, you could see
that she was talking at her alleged rival, and could
not fail to note how every nerve in her frail body
seemed to tingle with the consciousness that her enemy
was in the same room with her, and that every bathed
dart went home. As for the Rev. Newman Hall, he
sat through it all with stiff back and sallow face, the
latter turned for the most pert towards the slight,
nervous woman in the witnem-box, •4 dee told a story
which, whatever we may think of its principal &Biwa-
dons, is • vtgmiserable and discreditable one. With
respect to Min WYatt's attendances in court it is
only fair to add that she had been subpoenaed In. It
had been intended to tall her as a 'rites= In case the
countercharge against Mr. Hall was persevered la.
When it was withdrawn, the for Mho Wyan •
attendaaoe cowed, and on Way she bed dis-
appeared from the apeae.