The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-02-16 00:00:00

THE CRAWFORD-DILKE CASE.

THI C ISP. AUAINAT SIR C. DILKR
DISMISSED.

in the Diverce Division, on Friday, Mr. Justice
Butt, without a jury, commenced the hearing of the
case of Crawford v. Crawford and Dar. Ths p•tition
was that of Mr. Donald Crawford, M.P., for the
dissilution of the marriage by Isamu' of the alleged
adultery of his wife, Mr.. Virginia Mary Crawford,
with tbe co.reripondent, Sir Charles %Ventworth Dilke,
But., M.P. Answers were filed denying the charge.
Mr. F. A. lnilerwick, tt C., soil Mr. R. S. Wright
appeared for the petitioner; Mr. Frank Lockwood,
Q.C., and Mr. T. W. Thompeon for the respondent ;
end the Attornry.lieneral (Mr. Cliarle.
Mir Henry James, and Mr. R. Searle for the
co-rooponfiNit.
Long before the opening of the emu% a large crowd
emnibled at the Mrand entrance., and when the
doors were unbarred there was • greet rash, and ...in
the small building Was 811.1 in every part. At 20
minutes poet ten Sir Charles Dklke came into court,
and occupied a M.At at the wi(icitiws tabb.. Shortly
before 10.30, Mrii. Dan, necompauied liy Mr.
IssWia. rain.. int.. o.slirt. (011.1W•LI by Mr
.f.upli Chamberlain, M.P. Mr. Cyril Flower, M.P.,
and . fr. Seymour Haden, Air Julian Paunoefote, 8 4
William Drake,Mr. Austin Gee, &c.
. _

Mr. Inderwicic, t).C. having opened the casse, Mr.
. Danald Crawfuesl, wan examined by Mr.
' Wright. He saisl: I am tlie Isetitioner in ilea case,
anul Wee merriest to the respondent in lege Sir
, Charles% !hike eave us wedding present*. The
respondent in onnewhat younger than I am. In the
suit sssss n of leel I linsl in Yeungeitresst, after that in
Georg...street, Bryanotoneuetare. On arrival in town
I neel to go oceasionAlly to the limns Office. There
1 received an ationyireets letter. On one occaeion iny
wife aeked in.. if were divorced from her would she be
aisle to keep her own money? I told her that I would
net touch it. I neticuol that des was leaa affecti to
. tase-arda Hier in trifler Woo cabl and reoerved.
She naked me ti send her away, and staid she could
only drown herself. In regard to the anonymous
' letter, it warn written in a 4iisguiae4 hand, hut the
Auldrees on the envelope was in the handwriting of an
; illiterate person. —What were It. contents?—lt begin
I,y yesenuez me and spske of a certain lady who the
writer eIYI was a very bad coinpanion for my wife,
. awl that they were carrying ots flirtation with the
; students at St. !:eurge's Heopital. This lady was
: attending a relative hers. The last paragraph of
. the letter woo a. folluiws Beware of the member
; for Chelsea." IL-in.:he-re I mh0W.4.1 it t.l her. She
luoked at it a very 1.14 time, and became very pale.
It gave me an tine enfortable feeling of misgiving.
said to her, "Is there anything in the letter!" She
lamed a little, and 'Xi. she neel, " l•snald,
. do you believe there is a scrap of truth in that r t
, said, No. a.. you tell ine there is not" She then
put her ann. round niv neck and Wood in.'. I told
her the letter had mole ine very unhappy. She said
i elle knew it mint. --By Mr..lustice Butt : I discovered
after that th it she had received a letter from Captain
, Ferstiur. I 1... neeuiveal an aneityninue letter. It
W 34 to the following effect :
w h., reined your wife is Sir Chute* Dilke. Atruiril
will k mown to, his servant. " 1 showed the nopondent
the letter. She odour.- I up. and said "That's (rem
' iother—that W,11411 is a fiend.' I met Sir C.
Dilke after that in the lobby of the Plume of
Lordo. lii. face wee perfectly livid. I never
i saw • man loek on ghaetly. The hullowing
day I wee cu • g out et my office and I now him
: coining ueit of his carriage. Wanting to speak to him
about some husinees he again started viuslently, and
gust very pale and livid, but not to bad a 4 the first
time. When I went home I said to my wife, " Did
you write to Sir Charles Duke Amu that anenytnetei
letter ?" 'about the 10th of June I received another
enenymous letter. It we, AA follOW‘ Your wife
Wan mem at the 31etropole with Captain Forster on
Nlonulay. Are you • fool ?" I leaked her if it was
true.. and she denied it. On the niseit of Friday, the
lTthif duly, I came home aloset half-past 11. Mrs.
Crawford had gone to bed. When I went notairs I
fueled her awake. She said '• Did yeti get the letter
waiting for your " She asked me if
I would tell her what W 34 in ilia letter. I mid •The
letter says you hens f1..fi104 my I told Pier the
I AssesAgeees of the leper. Hip get iip, struck a light,
and steal by the bedside lu...icing at me. I mid
"Virginia, is it trite that you 11.4fileol my bet
I have bevel a faithful hipbend t. you."
She said " Yee, it in tnie ; it's tune
you ahnuilul know the tenth. Yee hare a I w iy. been
on the wrong track —respecting the innocsnt, and you
have never siisseteted the 'orlon who was really
guilty." And what else cll.', she aey,—She maid " It
wan not Captain Forger : the man who rnitiesi me was
. Merles Dilke." She nail, "11. osluced me six
: weeks after marraige, three yearn and a half ago,
awl I have been his inistrem ever after." I was
suitunished, and said, "Three years ago ! and she
niplie I, "Three year. and a half." She further sail
be caned on her at Bailey's Hotel, After they returned
from their wedding trip ; that he had mole lens in
her anul kiteol her, but nothing inure took plan. then.
She also mist that he haul taken her to a 'muse in
Tottenham Comte...ad Red had seduiced Pier. I nail
that I would horsewhip hum and ohe retain!, " You
will have ample revenge upon him. If he ram. inte
the nom Met nurse'. she added, " I believe he could
fl., 144 he pleased with me. and that he wouild like an,
shoot me of he amid." I .poke about eorrotewative
: evidence. and she sail that +he eaeld give mui the
meene of preying it. The footman mord to let me
into the homes in filoareestreet, awl they meat know
there. Sarah noel to dress me." I a,koll wise
Wit 4 Sarah. She said, "Sarah is a doinestie, who has
lone Ison ins hi% eeri are: lest, perlime, aloe W.Plei 44V
111141hillif, as probably oho. he.. ;sem mistreo. Ann
mir Issetairmaiul, *mid tell emiethine, bet woeld
not say anYthine •gaitest him. I 4 aid. I do not think
Ann knows anything alasist it, liesauve I hate been
neestioning her about Caetain Forster." My wife
then oleserved, "And yet you sleep with nes !" I
Paid I hoped against hope that her cerrestrsoflonet
with Captain Funter wurild turn out to he innocent.
" Thai is trite," ahus said, and then adulol, " Sir
r'uarle• coachneus could give evidence. aloui.-
%iVI: ~int.
ilii..wecoin,:,7l al
wan the window
.he mightowreutainerl ..tA
"pen
t
At my suggeation she pot into bed. I atuoul at the
foot. She gave Ins to underatomul that
till intrigue haul gone on regularly while
we were in L aelon up to August Diet..
I asked Pier if she lead ever been guilty with other
111.-11. She replie I. " Nu, I have been bet
n'ithlait worse." I preeeel her as to whether she had
not been guilty int!' Verger. She il.muiiol it
seleienly. After a troold deal of preouire, she omul
the had met with Sir Charles Dilice, and had lunched
with him at Bailey.* Motel, and the Hotel
Metropile, and had gume with him to a pieta,

Ann Jamieson WWI next examined by Mr. Wright.
She watt parlourtnaiti at Mr. Orawford's
holt. in .fsnuary. Nal, and up to the present time.
I remember coming tip from S.mtland with Mrs.
Crawl nal early in Itet.l. We cant. to Guidon two
days hodia, Mr. Crawford ono., hotl eannot reinent
her wh.ther it was the 10th or Plth. of Felirnary. I
r..nienilwr on the day of 'nut arrival !qrs. Crawford
piing omit after dinner. She t..1l M.' I Wa4 11,d 10 nil
up for her. She had a latch•key, and I went to bed.
She cattle in in the morning. heard her come in
about eitven or haif•patat *even o'clock. This WWI the
Kral morning after we came to rotation. She had tan
a brown overcoat and a black hat. She u.aid Abe had
1130Aad the night at Mr.. Jrarriaon's, her sister'... The
next night she went out again after dinner. Ido not
know when eh. came lack that night, hut when I
rmt up in the morning I found she had come back.
The belts in the hall hail not been put nit. In the
year 11113 Mrs. If arrison catne for Mr.i. Crawford in
Sir Charlew carriage. lute not remember hie
tarriage coming at any particular date in !MIL Iris
carriage used to come in ISM Med a fmt night fur a
short time. Sir Charlet Itilke came in his oarriatre.
and I used to lat !aim in. He canal. about twelve
or half•past twelve it'alook. The carriage went np
and down the street while he was there. Mr*. Craw.
ford gave orders not to admit any one when Sir
Charles Dilke C.1.11a.
Ee 'Med by that

st:xatuiLscl by the ...Ineney General : I) • you know
swathing about the reintionAhip between sir 0. !take
end your "Metre*. I No. —IN) eget know thAt your
ye.i.trteuee Aster wea tnarriel to Sir C I)i' ke'a brother ?

Yee.—And did you knew that tle• family of Mikes
were very intimate with the faintly of Mr. Ko.taee
Smith v ye..-1),,i v.. know Olt Mir (3. Dilke was
. .

gallery. She added there was nothing wrong in statein nit made by a lady situated as Mrs. Crawford
that. It WY before that she told me the intrigue had is slid to hare laws. could not be evidence against
stopped at the end of the session, Mi. No adultery, the co-resit in lent.
she sod, hit taken place after Afloat. I inqiiired, Sir II •ary whi follows 1, .11.3 COnten:l4,l
" D.. yon remember my re.7-iving an anonym ms that there Was it., evidence to storm we the eh urge.
letter, awl yes told m. you hal ehown it to Mrs Mr. Jostice Bitt lon tint' 'lied ii com •to
Korerson re:olio! " Yes." / 1, " Now th • conslirsi in that the iii iltsry wt. e. to I
cield VOl, when the stately • were 4 trite !" Sloe to grant A.l ...me for th • relief which CI?
" Alio knee it air. iry • tint Ire. K •gerson craves With reg. sal to the C14441D 1.11•1 it, Sir
W.i4 a 'WWI friend ; that Iblie till Mrs. K ou Charles Mike, my &elision ion WM eat in:, with what
to be kind to her; that Mrs. II wain came to her I have Area fy said -that there is n evidence w orthy
when she woe ',try ill in inns last, and MAO her of the name, al egainat him. Nothing can he cleirer
promise to break ,dlf the connection with Bilk*, and than the law ion that subjeat, which is, that an
that 11 she would only do so, she would be kind to unsworn statement of • paean on the pooition of Mrs.
her." I nunein'oer the illness my wife then referred Crawford is not retitle.' to be received or even con•
to, and I recollect that Mrs. Rogerson spent no or sidered in • court Id justice a. against the person
tor . illy. with Ii 'r. Titit woe in the *owner of with Whoin she is alleged to have c..mtnittsal adultery.
111511. On the 14th I same in the night mail by the That is the law, and I cannot help thinking that
O.N.R. I found my wife at home. I arrival at nay every Olio Mitt Yr that it is good sense. It would
house about nine o'clock. When I come to think. I be unjust if any gentleman, in the p wition in which
cinnot state for certain whether I stopped at &Ina Sir Charles Bilk- finds himself in this court, shoal,'
burgh on the 11th or arrived ii, London on that day. be assailed ant condemned on charges of this nature
I remember. however, pretty distinctly that, when I on the statement of • to.rson not upon oath, and the
arrived At the house, she said she Was very tired. I truth of whose story belies no opp irtunity of testing
did wit inqiiire where she had been, nor did I find by crosseauninatimi. If Mrs. Crawford had come
out until she told me herself on the night of the 17th into the hot ant swan that the statement she male
of July. I had no reason to believe that she was any on the 7th of July Wa4 trite, that would have beet
where but in her own house. She asked ine whether very good eviiisnm against Sir Charles Mike Bat
I remembered her going out the first year we lived in then he would have hal an opportunity of testini.
Youngstreet. I replied that I thought I didl. Then first of all, the state of mind in which the Admission
she said, "The two Melte before you came up to ' was made secondly, such !Wader. a 4 Pligiip4i4.l that
London I puoasl in Sir C. Dilke's booms. Th.• first she might be seserong him in order to shield her
night I came home at four in the morning: the second intercourse with somebody else: and further the
about half-past seven o'clock. Ann opened the clewr thonsand and one things that might pre.snt
to me. I asked her if *he was alarmed. She said, selves in answer. In cotnmuin fairness thou. asbniaions
' Yes ;* anti I replied, ' I nun goat, able to take can. as they *Loud .night not to be for ons in 'lnuit weighed
of myself.' I think I told her I hail spent the night against Sir Charles Mike. C otana•l ht.l doubtless
at Helen's." After this conversation with my wife been well advise lin the c mese they hat inalticel him
I went to my own bedroom. I heard weeping during to take, ATI I hue,' th ii on . tvin th it th
the night I remember also that, in UM, at tile iitnr petition as against Sir Curies Bilk.. is lisiniaied, and
of the oonveisations which startled orison the subject if emase disinisw I with costs.
of divorce, I heard weeping and sobbing the whole ' On th' Application tof Mr. Inderivick, • decree lulu
night. That was aboot the end of February or the wa. granted.
beginning of Mitch. laid. I scarcely ever sew her ' No order WM mob' act., the respondent's amts.
shed tears Though her face was swollen, she denied
weeping. I felt the lad shaking with her 401.14.
anal lloi imagine what it was, as it was not her
habit to weep. There was another conversation
which starthel me. She said to ins one night in
Young...inset, quite suddenly and very earnestly,
•• When you are demi. I shall spend my time in
bilrilinZ Win candles in your tomb." I remarked,
" I do not supreme that you will do me any gnat'
But whit she said male • great impnweion upon me.
I think it was in 1853. On Saturday, the Pith of
July, after I had dressed I came int.) the room, and
bound her still in bed. I naked her that morning about
Capt. Foraler. She said, "He is not my lover." I
inquired. "Vs. he never so !" She replied,
"Never." We were to leave for idadland
011 the Monday, and ehe asked me if she
was hi go. I sail, " Oh, no." tier sister, Mrs.
Ashton !hike, WSW suggested, lint she said she
did not know whether they would have her there. I
snoreasel th it she might flai to • French convent for •
time, I. it ahe did not like to do that. I inqiiired
whether she sea.. prepared that her statement *tuella
li., taken down in writing. She replied that it would
depend upon who it was that took it down. I said I
should employ Mr *smart as my solicicw. She
remarked that she would not like to make • statement
to him, but she was quite prepared to leave it to the
proper time. I said,"l will consult my legal • 'risers
as to taking down your statement in writing." Then
she replied," I am quite ready to do what you are
advised." I asked her for lity mother's ring, anti she
gave it to me. On the Sunday I went to Mrs Ashton
I 44W my wife there. I asked if she was
prep,- • u adhere to the statement she ... Is
on th,, Friday night 15k. said e!is was. I
wilted if *hi C 3111.1 point omit the house in Tottenham
Coairt.road. She said she thought she ...ad. I
remarked. " Don't you remember the nun" of the
street even! If you went to it the sane day. Sir
()herbs Lilke most have given you the addrens." She
answer& "lie thil it,, wrote it with pencil 04 a
pima of papsr, awl handed is me." She told me
that she haul been twiai altogether, and that after.
wards meetings took place in his homes and mine,
She said that she used to go to his house shout eleven
And sometime. toy Sir Clarles
u clock in the morning that sometimes the door was
opened hi,
Mike himself anti that Sir C. Bake took her nil to
whit she called the second alrawitagosions, saying to
the servants that loe wow going nut; and that then he
took her up two more flights of stairs to his own
room. She said she could describe tin, furniture in
beiri.nn. She stated also that they eimismied
together until irorhaps tw •Ive ..'elo;k; that helthen
went away, and that Marsh came in and dressed
her. I asked her if there had leesn any coinertinica.
tion between her ant Sir C. Hulk., while we were unit
of !seldom I said I wanted to ask the qtrestion tom
curimity. IL was not the prop T word, but IWY
WWII excited at the time, She shrurged her
shedders. and looking very tnisewahle, Laid.
"Curiosity l" I reps %bid the ipi•sition. and she
replied that only a very few notes pawed between
then. : that apiaititments were usually made tram
ene time to another—that is, when one was kept
y:ir th Ca.t
ea
another was made. That was in his house, not
Dilke
mine.
timellst she tell yin what
see m iii day
ila
Mr. ,luiuuticiu lluitt It
net aeo
!lake. any evidenoe At present against lair 0.