The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-11 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

THE COLIN CAMPBELL DIVORCE

SUITS.
REPUDIATION OF EVIDENCE.
Saturday was the seventh day's hearing before Mr.
Justice Butt and a jury of the consolidated suits, in
which Lady Colin Campbell petitions for the dissolu-
tion of her marriage on the ground of her husband's
adultery with Mary Watson. and Lord Colin Camp-
bell claims a divorce because of his wife's adultery
with the Duke of Marlborough, Captain Shaw,
General Butler, and Mr. Thomas Bird. All the
parties deny the charges made against them.
Sir Charles Russell, Q.C., Mr. Inderwick, Q.C., and
1 Mr. Charles Mathews appeared for Lady Colin Camp-
bell; Mr. Finlay, Q.C. Mr. Lockwood, Q.C., and
Mr. Searle for Lord Cohn Campbell; the Attorney-
General, Q.C., and Mr. Lewis Coward for the Duke of
Marlborough; Mr. Gully, Q.C., and Mr. C. Strong
for Captain Shaw; Mr. Murphy, Q.C., and Mr. Syn-
-1 nott for General Butler; and the Solicitor-General,
Q.C., and Mr. T. Terrell for Mr. Thomas Bird.
, At the sitting of the Court on Saturday,
Mr. Finlay said that on the part of Lord Colin
Campbell he wished to make a short statement in re-
ference to the last portion of the evidence of the nurse
Elizabeth Wright.
Sir C. Russell objected on the ground that the
proper time for making such a statement would be
when Mr. Finlay was making his speech on the evi-
dence.
After some discussion on the point of order.
Mr. Justice Butt said that if Mr. Finlay claimed
to make his statement at that moment on the ground
that in the exercise of his discretion, as counsel, it
ought at once to be made, he would allow it. .
Mr. Finlay said that the witness to wnom be re-
ferred drew an inference as to the nature of Lady
Colin's illness before cohabitation with her husband
which took Lord Colin and his advisers by ses.prise ;
and Lord Colin thought it his duty, as a gentleman,
to at once repudiate the witness's inference.
George Baker, in examination by Mr. Finlay, said
he was groom to Sir Charles Forster, and lived in
Queen-Anne's-mews. In June and July, 1883, he
was in the habit of being about the entrance of the
mews, and on several occasions he observed a lady
come out of No- 44, Queen Anne's-gate, which was
the house of Lord Blandford. That was some time
in the afternoon. He had seen her go in or come out
about six or seven times. She used to come in a
hansom cab. The witness identified Lady Colin
Campbell as the lady to whom he spoke. The lady
usually, but not always, had a collie dog with her.
In cross-examination by Sir C. Russell, the witness
said he was stilt in the service of Sir Charles Forster,
and had been for the last ten years. When the lady
drove up she had nobody in the cab with her except
the collie dog. The first time she drove up a gentle-
man who was passing asked witness whether he knew
the lady, and then told him that she was
Lady Cohn Campbell. Sabsequently a gentle-
man came to him and asked him whether he had
seen any lady go in and out 44. Witness replied that
he had only seen the one lady. On this occasion the
name ot the lady was not mentioned. The same
person °erne to him again about this matter in a week
after. He was a detective, and witness had seen him
in the corridor of the Court since this case had begun.
He was not like the gentleman wbo first told him that
Lady Colin Campbell was the lady who was going
into 44. The detective caine to hiss about July, 1884.
His name wai Gibbs. The detective took him to Mr.
Humphreys, and he made a statement, which was
taken down in writing and read over to him. On
cross-examination by the Attorney-General, the
witness said he had nothing to fix the date, but he
was positive that June and July, 1883, were the
months in which he saw the lady go in and out of 44,
Queen Anne's-gate. In re-examination by Mr. Finlay,
the witness stated that his master was the Chairman
of the Private Bill Committee of the House of
Commore. Witness had no doubt whatever that the
lady was Lady Colin.
Frederick Deane, driver of a hansom cab, in ex-
amination by Mr. Finlay, said he knew Lady Colin.
In 1883 be took her up sometimes at 44, Queen
Anne's-gate. He generally drove her from there to
Cadogan-place, but on one or two occasions he drove
her to Beaufort-gardens. At Queen Anne's-gate he
was whistled for by a gentleman. The witness
identified that gentleman to be the Duke of Marl-
berougb, who was sitting in Court. In cross-examination
by Sir C. Russell, the witness said he took up the
lady at Queen Anne's-gate about a dozen times, and
on all those occasions be was whistled for by the Duke
of Marlborough. The lady always had a collie dog
with her when he drove her. Gibbs, the detective,
came to him three or four times in 1884, and also
took him to Mr. Humphrev's office, where he was
shown a photograph of Lady Colin Campbell. He
thought that it was in June, July, or August, 1883,
he drove the lady, and that all the occasions of his
driving her were within a fortnight. In re-examine-
tiou, the witness said he had no doubt whatever as to
the lady being Lady Colin Campbell.
Margaret Lowe, on examination by Mr. Lockwood,
said she was housemaid in the establishment of the
Duke of Argyll, at Argyll-lodge. About October,
1881, Lord and Lady Colin were staying at the house,
no other members of the family being there at the
time. Lord Cohn was keeping his bed at that time.
Lady Colin used to go out in the evening, and witness
had let her in as late as 1 a.m. She usually let her
in at between 11 and 12. Lord Blandford called on
her there, and when he called he saw Lady Colin,
Lord Cohn being in bed. He came between seven
and eight in the evening and remained alone with
Lady Cohn for about three-quarters of an hour. Lady
Colin was not much in Lord Colin's room. On cross-
examination by the Attorney-General, who remarked
that the visit of the Duke of Marlborough was not
denied, the witness said that all the sitting-rooms but
one were dismantled at the time Lord Blandford
called. He sent up his card.
Elizabeth French, in examination by Mr. Finlay,
said that in 1881 she was caretaker in Lord Cohn's
house, Cadogen-place, while it was being got ready for
the reception of his lordship and Lady Cohn. While
it was being prepared gentlemen used to call on Lady
Colin. One Sunday a gentleman called in the after-
noon and stayed instil it was quite dark. He and
Lady Colin were alone in the drawing-room for about
two hours. She did not know who the gentleman was.
After Lord and Lady Colin came to live in the house
gentlemen used to visit, and they generally asked for
Lady Colin. She usually went out in the morning,
returning sometimes to lunch. In cross-examination
by Sir Charles Russell, the witness said that Lady
Cohn took an active part in the arrangement of the
;furnishing and ' saw various tradesmen on the
subject. Some ladies--including Mrs. Bolton, sister of
Lady Colin—sometimes called. On the Sunday she re•
ferred to Lady Coll: and the gentlemen left together.
She thought the visit very strange. Before she went
to Mr. Humphres s on this subject about two years
ago, Lord Colin had asked her as to the visitors. In
reply to Mr. Finlay, the witness said no tradesmen
came to the house on Sunday. There was only one
chair in that room when the Sunday visit was paid by
the gentleman. It was quite dark before he and Lady
Cohn lett, and there was no light in the drawing-
MOM.
Mary Ann French, mother-in-law of the last wit-
ness, answering questions put by Mr. Finlay, said she
was with her daughter-in-law on the Sunday when
Lady Cohn and the gentleman left the house. It had
been dark for some time. She went into the drawing-
room after they left, and there was no light in it. She
saw neither the gentleman nor the lady, but beard
their footsteps and heard the lady say, " I am going
now."
Sarah Anne Bristowe, a professional nurse, in reply
to Mr. Finlay, said that in December, 1881, she
went to Cadogan-place to nurse Lord Cohn, and re-
mained, she thought, till May, 1882, with the excep-
tion of a few days at Easter. During the first six
weeks of her nursing Lord Colin was in bed, and Mr.
Probert and Mr. Allingham were in attendance on
him. For the first week Lady Colin was in and out
of Lord Colin's room, but not so much so after her
return from Leigh Court at Christmas. Her lady-
ship and Lord Colin went to Edinburgh at Easter.
Lady Cohn went to Paris in May. Rose Baer showed
her on different occasions letters she had to post for
Lady Colin. On several occasions those were directed
to Lord Blandford. In cross-examination by Sir C.
Russell, tl-e witness denied she had left Lord Cohn
because of any quarrel with either him or Lady
Colin. She had not complained of him to Lady Colin,
but she bad said to her ladyship that in his illness
Lord Colin was sometimes a little irritable. She did
not. regard Rose as a gossip. She would not go the
length of saying that Rose had a discreet tongue, but
she did not talk much more than ladies' maids usually
lid.
James French. on examination by Mr. Searle, said

be was page boy at Lord Colin Campbell's in 1883.
He remembered at a time when Lady Colin was
in bEd holding a cab horse while the driver went up-
etairs.
Sir C. Russell said it was not disputed that the cab-
man went upstairs.
Mr. Finlay ob,rerved that he had not before undet-
stood that there was such an admission. As there
was it was unnecessary to pursue the examination of
French. . •

A man named Wilson, coachman to Lord Walter
Campell, in answer to Mr. Finlay, said that on one
occwion, between the 22nd of June and the Bth of
July, 1882, he drove Lord and Lady Colin to the
House of Commons, where he left Lord Colin.. On
the way back, when he had reached Parliament-street,
Lady Cohn directed him to drive to 46, Cadogan-
square. He did so, and she entered the house and
remained in it about half an hour. She then rode
back in the carriage to the House of Commons and
took up Lord Cohn. At that time he did not know
that 46, Cadogan-square was Lord Blandford's house.
He first mentioned the incident to Lady Walter
Campbell. He had volunteered the statement. He
bad never driven Lord and Lady Colia to Cadogan-
square.
Edward Dalby, a police-constable, attached to the
Walton-street station, said that in 1882 part of his
beat was Cadogan-square. He knew Lord Blandford's
house and Lord Blandford. In the spring of 1882
he first saw Lady Cohn in Lord Blandford's company.
They were in Cadogan-square in the afternoon. He
saw them together in the same place in the afternoon
about 12 times. The lady had a collie dog with her.
To the best of his belief he had on two occasions seen
them together at about seven o'clock in the evening.,
Cross-examined bv Sir C. Russell witness said that