The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-01 00:00:00

THE CHARGE OF ANNOYING
LADIES.

At the Westminster Police-court, on Monday, Ed-
ward Rowdon, of 92, Jermyn-street, Piccadilly, said
to be in the Commission of the Peace, was brought up
in custody, on remand, on the charge of annoying
and obstructing Lady Mary Conyers and her daughter,
the Hon. Violet Evelyn Lane-Fox.
Mr. George Lewis prosecuted, and Mr. Montagu
Williams defended.
The case excited great interest. In the autumn of
1883 Lady Conyers was in Homburg with her
daughter. The defendant stopped at the same hotel,
and did all in his power to cultivate their acquain-
tance, although it was made evident to him that his
society was objectionable. He followed the ladies to
Paris, and thence to London, annoying them with his
importunities, and by correspondence, which was
ignored. The friends of Lady Conyers then warned
him that any further persecution would result in an
appeal to a court of justice, but the admonition had
no effect, and during the last few months the annoy-
ance continued, her ladyship and her daughter being
followed in the park, to receptions in aristocratic
salons, where defendant had no invitation to be present,
in the streets, and even when out driving. The sum-
mons charged a specific offence on the afternoon of
the list inst. Lady Conyers was in the park, when a
park keeper opportunely interfered. As it was, she
was compelled to raise her parasol to protect herself,
his gesture suggesting that he would lay hands on her.
On the last occasion when the case was before the
court an apology was offered, but it was refused, and
Mr. Partridge stigmatising the conduct of the defen-
dant as abominable, remanded him to prison for a
week, stating that he was somewhat inclined to com-
mit him for trial.
Mr. Lewis said he had no additional evidence
to offer. Since the remand the friends and
advisers of Lady Conyers had thought the matter
over seriously, and they had to press their request
that the defendant should be called upon to find very
substantial sureties to keep the peace. The defen-
dant's own recognisance would be absolutely worthless,
as he was a bankrupt at the present moment.
Mr. M. Williams submitted that the defendant had
not committed any offence which could be taken cog-
nisance of in this court. He did not think the magis-
trate could call on the defendant to find sureties.
Another objection was that, strictly speaking, the
offence charged took place outside the jurisdiction of
this court.
Mr. Partridge said he could not accept counsel's
view of this matter. A technical assault had been
committed, and Lady Conyers was obliged to protect
herself with her parasol. It was not absolutely
i necessary that complainant should be struck. If there
was evidence to show that there had been an attempt
at a breach of the peace it would give the magistrate
jurisdiction.
, Mr. M. Williams stated that his client wished to
express his great regret for his conduct, and to
promise never to repeat the annoyance. He would
enter into his recognisances, but calling on him to
find sureties would be tantamount to sending him to
' prison.
Mr. Lewis remarked that, considering his out-
rageous conduct, even that punishment would not be
too severe. The man had been warned over and over
again.
Mr. Partridge said on a former occasion he dis-
tinctly stated that tie should not trust to the defen-
dant's promises. It seemed that this was not the only
case which might be charged against the accused. He
had received a letter, dated the 23rd inst., from a per-
son of some position at Emms, and he would read an
extract from it as follows: "Sir,—ln the English news
papers, which have reached me, I see that a person
named Rowdon has been brought before you on a
charge of annoying Lady Mary Conyers.
I am not able to obtain the addresses of
the complainants and their friends, so I take
the liberty of writing to you, in order to point
out that it is not the first time that this man has been
the cause of most serious annoyance to a lady. For
two years he pestered a lady of my acquaintance in
the same manner as he has behaved to Lady Conyers.
No amount of argument seemed to produce any effect
on him; and when threatened with legal proceedings,
or chastisement, he would offer his very great regret
and resume his course of conduct shortly afterwards.
/Not only di c: he behave in this manner to the lady,
but he also watched my house, and followed me and
my relatives to the railway stations, as if in the hope
of finding out where the lady was going to, and on
one occasion he followed her into the country, and
obtained admission into her house. I beg that you
will not accept his promises, as they are worth
nothing?' The last part of the letter Mr. Partridge
did not read, the lady in question not liking her name
to be mentioned.

Mr. Williams offered no observations in reply to
the extract read.

Mr. Partridge then said he certainly should Lot
trust to the defendant's word. He should call on
him to find heavy sureties to keep the peace for six
months—his own recognisances in £l6OO, and two
sureties in £5OO each, with notice to the police. It
was intolerable, he said, that any female should be
annoyed, pestered, and importuned in the streets by a
stranger, and he hoped that some clause would be
inserted in the Criminal Law Amendment Bill espe-
cially to meet cases of this kind.
Later in the day Mr. Jonas, solicitor, applied to
the magistrate to fix the amount of sureties for an
appeal to the sessions.
Mr. Partridge said the term of imprisonment was
for failing to comply with an order. Under the 19th
section of the Summary Jurisdiction Act there could
be no appeal to sessions, but under the 33rd section
his decision could be challenged as erroneous in point
of law, and the defendant could apply to him to
state a special case by giving notice in writing. If
the conviction was appealed against, the sureties
would be two in £5OO, as well as defendant's personal
recognisance of £lOOO. He (the magistrate) would
be glad to offer any facilities for a case to be
stated.
Mr. Jonas"said he would consult counsel on the
legal points raised.