The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-02 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 2, 1847.

Count de %utter's, who resided in Belgium, and Mr.
Thompson was anxious that he should join him in his visit.
An invitation was accordingly sent to the Count, which was
accepted, and he arrived on the 18th if August. A few days
afterwards Mr. Thompson began to excite the suspicions of
the Count, hinting that familiarities existed between the
lady and himself. Having so excited the Count's curiosity
he pressed him with questions which Thompson was not un-
willing to answer, and he stated that more than once
criminal intercourse bad taken place between them. The
dates were important. Thompson arrived at the com-
plainant's house on the 15th July, being then almost •
stranger, and the Count met him there on the 18th August,
and he stated that prior to his arrival many circumstances,
which he alleged, had taken place. Having established in
the mind of the Count a conviction of the truth of his state-
ments, he proceeded to act a part which woe calculated to
rivet that impression. If the lady left the drawing-room,
Thompson would alsogo out, shutting the door violently so as
to attract attention,and on the following day he would say they
left for the purpose of criminal intercourse, which took place
in an unfurnished room, near the drawing-room ; and he
pointed out the part of the room where it occurred, and
stated that it happened frequently. The complainant was
in bad health, and frequently did not join the compaay. On
another occasion the lady came down to dinner, and was
standing near • table, when Thompson approached her, and
stretched out his hand so that the Count could see it, and
her dress, which was of silk, rustled. The Count supposing
that he was taking some improper liberty frowned at him,
and he let his hand drop. On another "cession the parties
were returning front a ball 12 miles distant, and the lady was
in the carriage, but her husband, who was unwell, was not
there. There was a maid servant and a man also on the
carriage, and the Countand Mr. Thompson. Everything that
occurred could have been seen, for it was an open carriage
with no head, and the apron was not up, for on entering the
gates it was nearly overturned and they all leaped out,
which they Add not have done if the apron had been up.
During their drive home Thompson leaned over the lady
from one side to the other while talking to the Count, and
tried to make him believe that he had been acting with im-
, proper familiarity to ker. Sir F. Thasiger would not mention
other disgusting communications which Thompson made to
the Count; but his conduct became so disagreeable, end he
behaved so rudely, that the lady complained to her husband,
and he being at that time unwell, and unable to do it him-
self, directed her to order him to quit the house; which be
did, and he left on the 10th of October. This of course was
a circumstance not calculated to cause in him any friendly
feeling towards the lady ; but when both he and the Count
quitted, the husband and wife were ignorant of his odious
and abominable false statements. It was not till the 18th of
February that a communication was made to the uncle of
the complainant, a gentleman of high station and character,
who communicated it to his father. The complainant was at
this time ill at Malvern, and they went thither and told
him. Previous to this the complainant had been in corre-
spondence with the Count,and the toneof his letters appeared
to be mysterious, and excited his suspicions, hut he W.:lsnot
know in what quarter to direct them ; but his eyes being
now opened, he understood the allusions in them. The
count had received several letters from Thompson, and it
was thought important to obtain them, or at least a know-
ledge of their contents. Accordingly, they sent to Brussels,
in March, for this purpose ; but the Count refused to rive
them up: he read extracts from them, and that was all. It
was now, for the first time, that the complainant took legal
advice, for he had send hithtrto on his own judgment ;
he was but a young man, and was unwilling that there cir-
cumstances should be circulated. When he obtained legal
advice, he was informed that for a't those calumnious state-
ments which Thompson had made verbally, the law gave
him no redress, and unless he could obtain the letters, he
must submit, and there was no remedy. Accerdinely, he
was advised to send • gentleman of great intelligence and
experience to Brussels, to urge on the Count, for the sake of
justice, to give up the letters, and this second attempt was
successful, for on the 30th April he gave up several letters,
the others having been destroyed. It was necessary to make
inquiries which took much time, and to get affidavits, parti-
cularly that of the Count, which wan an French, and had
been interpreted, and 'awls time was thus consumed,
which would account for any apparent delay in making this
application. The letters, which were in French, had all been
translated and verified as were the affidavits. The learned
counsel then read passages from various letters, front October
21 1846, down to' Feb. lb, which continually charged the
lady of being guilty of criminal conduct,and insinuated that
the husband's life was in danger from his wife. He also asked
the opinion of the Count, and called on him to corroborate
these statements by his evidence. It was necessary to corn
municate all these details to the lady, because she could not
come into court to comp'ain of these calumnies without being
prepared to deny them all on oath. Thompson had had the
effrontery to declare that the lady bad been guilty of crimi.
nal intercourse with a clergyman—the Rev. Mr. Smith.
That gentleman had made en affidavit in which he positively
denied, that the slightest improper familiarity had occurred
between them. By this means the truth of one of his most
infamous falsehoods was tested. The lady, by affidavit,
denied in the most direct and positive manner the truth of
any of the statements contained in the letten,which were all
written is Loudon, which the post-mark would show.
Under all these circumstances, he submitted that he was
entitled to a rule. Rule nisi granted.

him if he did not go she would throw some water over him,
which she did. William then went to the door, and ordered
him away. Defendant struck her on the forehead, knocked
her down, and knelt upon her. She called out " murder."
A gentleman, who was passing, picked her up, when another
police constable came up. The defendant aeiaed her, put
his foot against the door, and got in, and threatened to take
her in custody to the station-house.—The defendant admitted
following her home, believing that some improper conduct
was going on in the house.—A slight altercation had taken
place about serving a eIIMMOne on weber party,—Mx. Traill
mid the defendant had exceeded his duty by going into the
house, even if nothing further had occurred. He should,
however, remand the final hearing of the case until this day,
in order to make strict inquiries into the whole transaction.
WOOLWICH. THE CONDITION OP THE SOLDIER.
11/ss. Francis, a private of the Ito) al Marine', was charged
before Mr. Trail with stealing a pair of boots, the property
of James Cooper, of Richard-street.—Police-constable Glad-
win, 122 It, deposed to having seen the prisoner take the
boots from the door of the complainant —The prisoner, in
his defence, said he took the boots through want. He had
a wife and three children, who were starring, having been
without food the whole of Saturday. His pay, after de-
ducting the stoppages he was under, amounted to only
ss. Sd. a week, and out of that he had to pay 2s. 3d. rent.
He had dammed of all his wife's clothes to purchase food,
and his room was without bed, chair, or table. The land-
lord of the house in which the prisoner resides expressed his
conviction that the wife and children of the man were abso-
lutely starring ,• the room was without furniture, and the
only covering they had was one blanket, all their goods
having been parted with to purchase food. It having been
proved that the prisoner had been previously convicted, Mr.
Trail' committed him far trial.