The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-05-25 00:00:00

No. 3. To Miss Anne Pugh.

My dear little Girl--90) it appears If I -can give your aunt I
satisfactory explanations I shall be well received ; if not, I
may make my bow and depart. What have I done to be
thus doubted? If able, will see you on Sunday night; hut
have had ray shoulder dislocated, and am in much pain.
Dist evening a kind niece arliveil from the borders of Wales,
and will see me. I will see you to-m..rrow, and it I can't
give a good account id myself I shall be illicharge.d, and all
for love id you, my pretty wife.—l am, as I ever hope to be,
your devoted husband,
Miss Pugh : The letters were received by me from
the prisoner. The certificate produced is that of my
n.airiage to the prisoner at St. James's Church, Picca-
dilly, on the 9th August, 1869.
Mr. Straight said the certificate bore unit the names
of Richard Henry Conway Seymour and Anne Eliza-
beth Pugh.
Miss Pugh : For some time I lived with the prisoner.
I unit saw Miss Stride early in January, and I have
been acting under her advice ever since. She has
behaved very kindly to me.
Mr. Straight explained that Miss Stride had a
"home."
•-• • •

.... .
The Magistrate said he was acquainted with Miss
Stride, and she was well known to the magistrates of
all the police-courts in the metropolis.
Mr. Straight said he would hand in some letters
which he intended to have read; but as Mrs. Pugh,
who had been summoned, had not thought proper to
attend, he did not wish to prejudi e the prisoner by
doing so, as he would not have an opport...nity of cross-
examining on them.
The Pris ner What was your motive in marrying
me?
Miss Pugh : I was urged to do so by Mrs. Pugh,
my aunt. 'lle letters I sent to you were dictated by
Mrs. Pugh. Some of the letters I wrote you as a
wife, and that is why they contam expressions of
affection, as I did not then know you had another wife.
I married to oblige my family. I was not morally con-
vinced you were already married twelve months ago.
The change in ine towards you is because you are not
my husband. You never intimated to me that you
I expected anything from Mrs. Pugh.
Mr. Straight: You will find in one of the letters to
Mrs. Pugh an application for the I an of £3O.
The Prisoner: Was not Mrs. Pugh's object in going
to Dieppe to get £12,000?
Miss Pugh: It was, but she did not receive it. It
was to assist her in getting into business. I believe
Mrs. Pugh anticipated that I should be of great benefit
to herself and family.
; The Prisoner: It was not likely Mrs. Pugh, as
alleged, would go to Dieppe to get Miss Pugh's trolls-
' seau, as the young lady was there herself.
The Magistrate: After the legal proof in the case as
to the marriage, if you make Mrs. Pugh out to be the
most infamous woman in the world, and show that she
even sold her niece, it will not help you.
The Prisoner : Mrs. Pugh swore direct falsehoods,
and I shall be able to prove a serious eharge against
her. My first marriage with Alethea Thomas was no
marriage at all.
Mr. Straight : With great respect I must interfere. I
strongly object to any imputations being made, which
can only be for the purpose of inflicting pain.
The Prisoner: The question is whether my marriage
with Mi.) Thomas was legal or not.
• • "

Mr. Straight: On the previous occasion the prisoner
took the same line of objection, but without effect.
The Prisoner: Why do you not produce Miss
Thomas?
The Magistrate: Because she is your wife.
The Prisoner: I was told by a solicitor a few days
ago that the first wife was the only person who could
prosecute, because she was the only person injured.
The Magistrate: You are labouring under a mis-
take, and I should like to be shown such a law. If the
jury don't believe the evidence of the two witnesses
then you will be entitled to an acquittal.
Detective-sergeant Ham said : I took the prisoner
Into custody in Tower-street, Waterloo-road, having
followed him from Laura-terra e, St. George's-road,
where he was living. I said, "hr. Seymour, I
believe?" He said, "No, you have made a mis-
take." I said, "Cavendish, then ? " He again
said I had made a mistake. I to'd him I had
not, and that! bad bad the pleasure of meeting hitn at
Brussels. He looked up at me and laughed, and said,
"I should not have recognised you if you had not rn.-."
I told him I should take him into custody, sto he said,
"Very well: this is the second time you have had me,
and I should think you are doing very well." I produce
a certificate of the conviction of the prisoner in July,
1867, when he was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment
for bigamy. He made a defence about the first mar-
riage being invalid, and then pleaded guilty, lie was
convicted in the name of Henry Cavendish, and was
known as Belmore at Brussels. The prisoner has been
leading a similar life since 1543, and had been con-
victed in Brussels of fraud, and sentenced to fifteen
months' imprisonment and a tine.
The Prisoner: If it is your intention to send me for
trial, I shall reserve my defence.
Detective-sergeant Ham informed the magistrate
that there were two charges of fraud against the pri-
soner, but in one of these some of the witnesses were
not in attendance.
The Magistrate did not consider it necessary to go
into any other cases, and committed the prisoner for
trial at the Central Criminal Court.