The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-22 00:00:00


THE PARK LANE MURDER.

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Although Marguerite DireLlanc exhibited remarkable
Composure in court down to the period of her being
sentenced, it appears that after she had been taken
back to her cell eh, became very much excited, and it
was sometime before she recovered her usual tranquility.
She was evidently surprised that she should have been
convicted of the crime of wilful murder, being under
the impression that the jury would have convicted her
of manslaughter only.
On Saturday morning the sheriffs, Alderman Sir F.
W. Truscott and Sir .1. Bennett, accompaub d by
Under-sheriff Crosley, the Ordinary the Rev. Mr.
Jones, and Mr. Jonas the Governor of Newgate, went
to the cell of the prisoner, and informed her formally
that the day appointed for exerting out the sentence
was the Ist or July. M. Albert, the interpreter,
was br have accompanied the officials to interpret
the information to her, but upon consideration
it was not thought necessary that he should do
so, and the Ordinary of Newgate, the Rev. Mr.
Jones, told her, in the French lans.uage, the fatal
news. Sir John Bennett had on the previous day
given the prisoner an intimation that in the ordinary
course tile execution worth' take place on the day
mentioned. and to a certain extent, therefore, she was
prepared for the cemeutueication. She received it with
great liminess, and the only change that was observed
in her appearenee WWI that she turned very pale.
It has transpired that the jury were unanimously of
opinion that the legal offence of the prisoner amounted
to wilful murder, and the principal point they con-
sidered was how to accompany their verdict by such a
recommendation as weuld have the effect of eating the
life of the prisoner, and with that view they agreed to
a special written verdict. There has never hardly been
an instance when the capital punishment has been
carried out in cases where the jury have strongly re-
commended the culprit to mercy, and the general im-
pression among the officials is that it 'still not in this
case be carried into effect.

on 6 of the jcry writes to The Times, pointing out
that the verdict in this ca=e was that Marguerite Dili-
lanc was "guilty of murder," not "guilty of wilful
murder." On this The 1 imes remarks :—" Our corres-
pondent does not seem to be aware that the crime of
murder is regarded by the law as necess,wily 'wilful."

£1,600 DAMAGES FOR A RAILWAY
ACCIDENT.
In the Court of Queen's Routh, the cause of "Swards-Tough
and Wife to the Metropolitan Railway Company' has been
tried, and was an seams tort over compensation in damages
for trim its received by Mrs. Swanboronah, who was
I.lmlliarly know, to the public as Miss Eleanor Butters, the
wn popuiar it tes is. roe dsfendauts admitted
ths ir negligence, aud the situation for the juty was the
amount of damages.
Mr. Hawkins, in stating the ease to the jury, Raid
that the accident in questien occurred on the 2nd of
August, in last ys ar at S.uth Kensitu,ton Station htv
two trains coining into collieion. Mrs. Swanlsirougn
was a merrile-r of the theatrical profetsion, better known
1)01 Miss E,CaliOr ilufton, and ehe had now been before
the public about 13 or 14 years, end was deservedly
popular with the public. When the accident occurred
Mrs Swanborough was on her way to keep an appoint-
ment with the lessee of the Olympic 'Theatre, who
was about to engage her to appear at that
theatre in the Woman in White, but it was need
less fir him to say that she had not only lost the
engagement, but he had been unable to attend
to the duties of her profession from that time to this,
and in all probability it would be some considerable
time before ehe would again appear upon the stage.
Her talents were of that high character tint she had
been gradually gaining in the estimation of the public,
and of name that had breught her a continued in-
crease of remuneration, and her salary had increased
from EG per week, when she first appeared, to ES and
£lO, and there were every reason to believe that it
would have reached in a snort time to £l5 per week.
Her memory was impaired to such an extent that she
found it impossible to bring herself to study, and in
awarding Mrs. Swanberough substantial damaged all
the eurrourelinge of the case would have to be taken
into consideration.
Mrs. Swanborough deposed that she resided with
her husband and family at Earls Court, and at the
tizne of the accident she was riding in a second-class
carriage, met was occupied in reading. She recollected
nothing of the accident, but when she came to herself
she found herself lying on the floor of the carriage.
After some time she wae lifted out of the carriage on to
the platform, bleeding from a wound across the fore-
head. She was token to a thernist's shell, and after-
wards removed in a cab to her house, when Dr. Heffen-
den, an eminent medical practitioner, of Kensington,
was called in, and had continued to attend her up to
the present time. She received injuries on the
back and knee; her neck furl face were much swollen,
and she was now unable to turn her neck without
feeling great pain. It was necessary for an actress to
have the free use of her limbs, especially her neck that
she might look graceful. Then there was a large lump
on her nose and across her eyebrows, and she had
never lint the pains in her head and neck. She still
felt acute pains on the top of the head. The wound
on the forehead was a great diefigurement to her ap-
pearance She had been forbidoen to read or study.
, Before the accident she enjoyed very good health.
She wan now constantly hysterical. She had two
children, one nine the other 7A yearn of age. Her
husband woe acting manager of the Strand Theatre.
which belonged to his mother. She had the privi-
lege of beaefite. On one occasion at the Princess's it
produced her £lOO ; they averaged about kW.
Cross-examined : She had been to the Strand Theatre
to witness the performances by d;rection of her
medical adviser, but she did not sit out the whole of the
time. Had been once to the Haynaerket and Vaud°
ville. She supped with a friend fe im the country
after the performance, hut not at the theatre. Attended
a ball at the Court Theatre on the anniversary of its
opeeing, by the direction also of her doctor, in order
to divert her attention from tier suffering. Her husband
accompanied her. She endeavoured to walk through
a quadrille with Mr. H. Neville, but found she
could not, her head was so bad. She witnessed
the Royal procession from the window of the
Strand Theatre. She was accompanied from her
home by her mother, her huiband, and her children.
She afterwards wtnt to the Vaudeville, to a (lay
pediment', e, then back to the Strand 'theatre,
and waited for her husband in her own private room.
She was invited to many balls and parties, but she was
unable from the state of her health to accept them.
She went under advice to Boulogne, for change of air,
but she received no benefit from it. She also went to
Folkestone, but the railway journey mule her sick
and ill. Mrs. Swanberougit further stated that she
hail been examined by several medical men, and same
of them on behalf of the company.
Mr. Walter Lacy deposed that Mrs. Swanboraugh
was the only actress of the present time who, before
the accident wee I ikelyto take Mee. Nesbitt's poeition in
the grandest comedy. She had not made that progress
in her pswition on the stage equal to her merits. There
were twenty Min Batons wanted for the stage, if they
could be obtained. hut they were not to be f mad. Her
stock salary should be £l2 per week, but for special
engagements she ought to have £lO per week at least.
The best salaries were not always given to the best
actors and actresses.
Evidence was then given of Mrs. Swanhorongh's
condition immediately after the accident--that she
was stupifiecl and bleediug profusely from the wound
on the fc .rt head.
Dr. Hatienden wan called. He deposed that when
he saw Mrs. Swanberough her head was bleeding from
a deep wound tire inches long, expining the covering of
the bone. He had to new it up. On the following
morning her face and neck were much swollen, and her
, eyes were closed. In November he took her to see Sir
! William Fergusson. There wi (al be danger for her to
return to her professional duties. He was in attend-
dance on her now. His charges amounted to about
£5l.
Mr. Rouse gave evidence as to the severe sufferings
under which Mrs. Swanborough laboured. He con-
sidered it concussion of the brain.
Sir W. Fergneson deposed that Mrs. Swanborough
had been severely shaken and was highbi nervous and
she was devoid of that lively manner that was natural
to her iu a perfect state of health. The wound on the
forehead hail spoilt her beauty, and the effect of the
accident had interfered with her appearance—her
general figure. Her injuries were so serious that it
was very nulikely she would be able to use her brain
as the bad been in the habit ef ding in the course of
her professional duties fir a consider:od s period. The
brain had received a severer shock thon had been repre-
sented, He hail examined her within a few days, and
he was of opinion there would be danger associated
with her studying. She would never be the same figure
that she had been. A considerable period of time mast
elapse before she could be allowed to study ; it certainly
would not he prudent for her to doe() under the present
circumstances.
hr. Ericson gave similar evidence. She was suffer-
ing now from secondary symptoms of concussion of the
brain and a wrench or sprain of the neck and
shoulders.
The defendants called no evidence in opposition to

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the pla'ntitf's ease. _
Mr. Hawkins having summed up his ease to the jury,
Mr. M. Chambers addressed them in mitigation of
damages.
The learned Judge having summed up,
The Jury retired for a short time, and on their re-
turn they gave • verdict for the plaintiff—Damages,
1:1,600.