The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-03-24 00:00:00

The Ottley Case.

In the Arabes Court of Canterbury on Thurs-
day) the cue of the Bishop of Salisbury v. o.tley was
resumed before Lori P•DZIIIIC3. This came before
his Lordship upon letters of request, charting the Rev.
Thomas A. Ottley. vicar of P.rtland St. John, Dorset,
with misconduct under the Omuch Discipline Act.
It wee alleged that the ;respondent sued violent lan.
gouge toward. his wife so as to emote • scandal, that
one occ don he was Intoxicated whil it conducting
divine service, and that he was guilty of indecency In
his Mellon' with Misr! Stub Roper.
Miss Raton Hinds deposed that .be lived at No. 4,
Or mohlUderrace, Fortuoe's-well, Portland, and
from the bedroom window she oould see the windows
..1 the Vicarage and of Mr. Lano'e house. On the
afternoon of March the 3rd, lest year, about three
o'clock, she was in the bedroom, and saw
Miss It sper at a wiudow in Mr. 1,1100%, house,
tookiny up at Mr. Ottley, who was standing at the
window In his own Louse with • paper in his hand.
He went back from the window, and returned and
behoved very ledemetly ; her aunt, Miss Cox,
How Mrs. Pearce, was with her. Orms-examined :
She had not talked of what she saw except to her aunt
bed grandmother. She could not say how long Mr.
Ottley stood In the indecent posture, perhaps •
second or two, and then he turned away from the
window. The witness also explained the position of
the !Immo from some photographs.
Mrs. Pearce deposed that she wan the wife of •
commercial t lee living In L mien. She Ws, the
aunt of witems, sod her maiden name was Marla
Cox. On the 3rd of March she waa living at 4,
Greenhill-terrace, Fortune's.well, on the day she saw
Mr. Ottley act very indeceolly at his wisidow.
Crues-na mined : Mr. Ottley hail hie clothes un-
fastened when she first saw him, and he appeared to
be very excited. She saw him at the window with
his watch in his hand first, and then he went beck
into the room, and that drew her aVention. He
walked up an I down the room with a paper in his
band and his watch out. She saw Miss Riper at her
window, and when she said that nob •dy wee at the
Lane's window, she MUM 130313 of the Lano's.
Evidence was then given as to the respond..nt'e
handwriting, and Mr. Charles stated that the matter
of the handwriting In the alleged diaries had been
submitted to an expert, Mr. Inglis, but he could not
form a ju Igraeut affirmatively whether the diaries
were In Mr. Ottley's handwriting, His repott was
In favour of Mr. Ottley, enl therefore he did not
intend to coil hiss.

After son,, discussion it was arranged that Mr.
Charles should call Mr. Inglis.
1141 concluded the cam for the Bishop.
The Rev. Thorium Alfred Ottley, the respondent,
was then ruled. He stated he became acquainted
with Mies Roper sold her mother in 1874 or 18M, and
they both attended hie chorah. He hal nineohildren,
and the elleit son was not quite two years younger
than Mies Raper, and there was • great friendship
between his children and Miss Roper, who came to
his house whenever she likol—alosoot every day. He
ac.,ompanied Miss Ropsr to Lot lon to obtain •
situation for her at the tune when hi, wife wan on the
moat friendly terms with Mel Ropor. Ilis wife
applied to Mts. Roper for Miss ltaper to come as
nursery governess iou place of lii.. Simpson, but Mrs,
Raper refused. Signalling never passed between Miss
Raper awl himself from the window; it was • Glee-
hood. The document., alleged to be clop' m of a
dim! kept by Miss Raper, were not in his hand.
writing. He never saw those documents More he
I saw them at the Comne's non at Weymouth. While
he wa. at Birmingham he received two letters front
Miss Roper. He hail called on her before he left to
sign • certified.° for her grand' other, who wag •
pensioner. They did not know the prop:r date
to insert, ani he toll her to oak her grand-
father. She wrote to him enclosing the form
for him to sign, and he di I so, and r,turcied them, and
she acknowledged the remits:. The loam, were put
In and commenced "Deer Mr. Ottls_y," and oonoittded
o Eva meet 'Wanly youi, ESt." They WWI waited