The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-05 00:00:00

3

ball, sad had for some years the charge of the Hopwoted
isilisry, by his father's expos desire. But the colliery
gent was la the habit of reading monthly reports to Mr.
Hopwood. After the attack in January, 1853, which loft
Mr. Hopwood for a short time with his mind opened
sad his omen considerably affectod, Captain Hopwood
seemed to entertais the idea that his father had become
utterly incapable of managing his strain, and that it :
was time for him to relieve him, and without say spoli-
ation to hie father, without obtaining the unction which
pshbly might have bees conosded to him had he applied
he it, without any communication with his brother',
he assumed the most unlimitea dominion and authority
over the estates, and over the domestic ansagements of
his father's house. He gave dinotions to the agents that
they were to apply to him for everything, and that
ars Nt was to be paid without his sanction and permis-
sion. His brother*, aad all meths in communication
with Mr. Hopwood, were perfectly satisfied that he we.
espable of conducting his owa household ; and it was dis-
tressing to them to see the snauthorioed interference ea the
part of their brother, mining their father to a cypher in
his eon house. It was 'perplesuag and difficult to know
what was to bit done. The were quits satisfied that to
eassasai ate this to Mr. Hopwood, would only vex and
Mr= Ids, and disturb his few remainiog days; and, after
auxins sensaltation upon the subject, it was determined
that oiled Hopwood should speak to his brother
aatd IMINOIStib with him upon his conduct. Cop-
ula Elepweed came to Hopwood-hall upon the
NIL et Mereh, and in the evening of that day,
elm they were left .lone, Colonel Hopwood reason-
strand with him on his interference, told him how offen-
sive it would be to his father if he was aware of it, and
urgently requested him to spare his tabor's feelings, sod
conider also those of his family. Captain Hopwood Shed
what he meant t upon which Colonel Hopwood said, " all I
mean is that my father should be master of his own house
and of his owa property." Captain Hopwood said, I
understood you. perfectly, and now I wish you to under
'Entayasand ms
—onnothing
oitt.rtacroetede ;mit lotbrilwihtonolia:t m without
y pi e
mission." Captain litpwoc..: remained until the 28th, and
I regret to say that the impression he left upon his brother's
mind was that he had treated his father during that short
the rot in most uoleining ma , as it ne had neither
eleasa asefsellei—seswories hiw wtut, a e on, ouosticas to
bun very annul, ons.o. o. moo: Impertinent manner. Col.
Hopwood was uncertain is the distressing and difficult eir-
camstaathe in whin he was placed, what was the proper
amine for him to pursue; but it soon became necessary to
some to • decision, in consequence of a very extraordkiary
step taken by Capt. Hopwood. He went t, Mr. Hopwood 's
bankers in Manchester, told;them thatkis father was in such
• state of mind that he could easily be imposed upon in the
signing of cheques it they were placed before him, and
suggested sfor • conversation with them that he should
obtain en order from his father that no cheque should be
honoured which was not countersigned by him. Amend
with an order of this description, which he bad prepared, he
went to Hopwood-hall about noon on the 29th of March,
and found hie father walking on the terrace with the butler.
He ordered the butler away and took his father into the
library when Mr. Hopwood was sitting. He took out the
order and said, " I want you to sign this—it is of us conse-
quence ; " end read it over in a low and hurried way, so
that Mrs. Harvey Hopwood was satisfied Mr. Hopwood
could not have heard the connate. She interposed, and
requested that he would wait until Colonel Hopwood moo
home, upon which Capt. Hopwood said, " I shall not allow
my brother to interfere." Mrs. H. Hopwood said to Mr.
Hopwood, " had you not better wait tenth Colonel Hopwood
comes home ?" upon which he said, "yes, when I see Her.
vey he will explain eve thing to me ' Captain Hopwood
was exceedingly irritated at the interference of Mr.. Hor-
ny Hopwood, and • converntion took place between them,
in which be threatened some frightful disclosures with
respect to the family if she persevered in the course she
was punning. Mr. Hopwood, who seemed desirous of
pleasing hie son, took • pen for the purpose of signing the
document. Hrs. Harvey Hopwood said, "Will you wait
mail your brother cornea home, and then' if Mr. Hopwood
signs it, it shall be sent to you ? " Hs said, " No, I
don't allow anybody to interfere with me;" and again
pressed Mr. Hopwood to sign. Mr. Hopwood took up the
pen, and appeared about to sign, when Mrs. H. Hopwood
put hand upon his shoulder and said, " You meat not
sign it until it is explained to you." Capt. Hopwood said,
" There 'ball be no violence," and left the room. Ile returned
is a short time and shook hands with his father, and then left
Hopwood-ball, and said he should come again when there
was so woman to interfere. Colonel Hopwood returned
home in the evening, and having beard the incident of tpp
morning he felt it absolutsly nee gory that his lather should
be informed of all that had previously occurred respeeting
the interference of his son. Mr. Hopwood became deeply
affected, and said—" How could he treat me so cruelly ? I
thwarted him in anytbiog during the whole None of
his life, but now, I fear, I must act." On the meriting of the
88th, Mr. Frank and Lady Eleanor Hopwood visited at the
hall, and heard the incident of the day before. A conversation
took plan shortly after between Mr. Hopwood sad his sons.
He was apprehensive that In consequence of the interiereace
of his sun with the bankers, there might be some difficulty
about honouring his cheques, and he desired his son to go
to the bankers, and also to call upon Mr. Slater, his solici-
tor, and request that Mr. Slater would see his son Edward.
The sees went over to the bankers and arranged matters
with them, and afterwards saw Mr. Slater, and in conse-
quence of what they communicated to him, he bad an
interview with Ceptata Hopwood. He said his father was
wholly incompetent to sign any paper or any document at
any time, and Mr. Slater spooking of his father's 'feelings,
Captain Hopwood said, " Feelings ! he hes no feelings;
he did not know who was in the room," and he then pro-
posed that the cheques which were down by his father,
should not be paid by the bankers whew they were ceunter-
sigaud by himself and one of his brothers. This proposition
was ottomans communicated to Me. Slater, in • letter of
April 18. Captain Hopwood applied to Mr. Slater to know
what guard could be thrown around his father to prevent his
signing cheques, and Mr. Slater replied that the
only course wan to take cut a commission of lunacy,
if %Noe were any grounds for it. Mr. Frank Hopwood,
when this had ben communicated to the brothers,
thought it right that Mr. Wood, who had ken the midi-
col attendant of Mr Hopwood for a great number of years,
should pay him a Visit for the purpose of examining the
state of kit mind upon the Ist of April. Accordingly on
that day Mr. Wood went over to Hopwood-hail, and had •
loss conversation with Mr. Hopwood there. Among other
things, Mr. Hopwood told hint of the unauthorised inter-
ference of his eldest son ; upon which Mr. Wood made use
of this remarkable expression to Mr. Hopwood—"Make
your Wed easy, Mr. Hopwood; you aro Mr. Hopwood
still." When Mr. Wood was leaving, be asked for an
orange, and, being in • hurry, he put it into his pocket.
This is • slight incident; but Mr. Hopwood good-
humouredly said, "Mr. Wood, you forget the old adage—
eat what you like, but pocket nothing." Afterwards Mr.
Wood laid eossiderable streu upon this observation,
'Blanes, I confess, I don't thick much of it. However,
Mr. Wood, on this occasion, expressed an opinion which,
probably, in the course of this inquiry, will be found to be
extremely important, because I may tell you that the prin-
cipal witness who is to be brought forward on the part of
the defendant, to show the incompetency of Mr. Hopwood,
LOm Mr. Wood, his medical attendant ; and therefore
the interview of that day will become very important
in the anon of this investigation. Mr. Frank Hopwood
and Colonel Hopwood upon their return, communi
Gated to Mr. Hopwood the result of the interview of Cap-
tain Hopwood with Mr. Slater, his lorries required that
Mr. Hopwood's cheques should be counter-signed by him
aad one of the brothers, Owing th.t his father was tho-
roughly unfit to sign any paper. Mr. Hopwood the fol-
lowing day wrote to Mr. Slater a note dictated by_ no
one, bet thoroughly and completely spontaneous. That
letter is dated April god, 1853, and is thus worded
Dear Bu,—You have my orders to communicate
to my en, Edward John Greg Hopwood, that I
do forbid him to appear at obis place at all with-
out my espress permission, or to interfere with my
affairs in any way at his peril. I need sot attempt to
'sprees my great astonishment at my son's conduct." This
letter was met by Mr. Slater enclosed in a letter from
himself to Captain Hopwood, and it brought Captain Hop-
wood to him on the sth of April. He wished Mr. Slater
to go over with him to Hopwood. hall. Mr. Slater declined
to do so because he said it was coot sty to his father's
express wish. He then said that the letter was dictated
to his. Mr. Slater said, "It is according to his usual
style and maser, and, unless his mind is as much affected
as you Newt it to be, certainly the events which have
occurred warrant such a letter." Captain Hopwood then
requested Mr. Slater that he would himself go over to
hiopsweed.kall, that he would tell his fatter that be (Cap-
tain Hopwood) would not send an apology to him„but if he
would allow him an iater view he would capon his
alumna at having occasioned him any pain. Mr.
Slater went over to Hopwood-hail with that message. He
saw Mr. Hopwoisd, and communicated it to him. Mr. Hop-
wood diatnetly said, and without prompting front anybody
—" [Tuns Edward wit's, and acknowledges his error, I
will not see him." Mr. Slater Liked Mr. Hopwood whether
he was sextons that this should be oommuoisatad to his son ?
aad the answer orn—" That is my wish." Mr. Slater
remained for hunheon, and Mr. Hopwood, as Waal, took
the had of his table, joined in the conversation, which
touched upon various topic.' and among others, Mr. Blame
boa • distinct recollection that one of she subjects was the
Manchester and Salford Education Bill, of which he had
the Sorge. Mr. Hopwood said, "National Education is a
sore subject with Frank—he will
y
re"alliatn
l:nop°teltiaiwdvesucadtialdbjesaf"ritt MthearM7lircer.°D.arStaiPluilltnaldePlryuw,nslmitoihcaroc°Cul".B:dr:intatlo.ait:dwamelimwklasPeergewrwinf;edga.ywe"sCahiarh satisfied
canned
tu wrong;
dht
4witrbt e
father,a
ri butaan dnia at
, d regretwi
teuzmightPat° higas-
11Srl.stseirawunrdwerarzwito,
with Carana Hopwood, and on the morning ot the 6th of
lf
e
April, Mr. Hopwood having arisen and bsing down stairs at.
CMalgtoirilmalr.apiab tel reason
Fa Captain
in error,
• Ether'slw•
f rrhow: annoyance
d 8
Slater
s *h o hit
irritation
promisedbt
adt
t aeit
Bot interfereddhai
°a
df t
hhs ces
ad,
do
art cs Mr.e".
Jars of the interview
tight o'clock, according to his usual custom, Mr, Frank
Hopwood reed the letter of Mr. Slater to him, giving as
..aunt oldie teterview with his eldest son. Mr. Hopwood
,sitt It was not satisfactory—that Edward should writ, and
acksowledge his error—when the door opened and Mrs.
Edward Hopwood, wife of the defendant, with her little son,
a boy of seven years old, made her appearance. Stio was
pa tkularly attastive and kind in her moaners to Mr. Hop-
wood—more so, perhaps, is the course of half an hour, than
she bad been fur many years before. She breakfasted there ;
sad after balkiest Mr. Hopwood asked his son Freak what

__,.,iii