The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-26 00:00:00

EXTRA ORDINARY CASE OF AFFILIATION-
THE ADVENTURES OF A BALLET GIRL
AND ACTRESS IN LIVERPOOL.

A ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE !

A strange and remarkable case came before Messrs. S.
Holme and Heath at the Police Court on Saturday, and we
give the details just as such transpired in the verse of the
investigation, which lasted nearly two hours. In the first
instance it was an ordinary case of affiliation, in which
Ellen Wilson was the plaintiff, ar.d Charles Wallis,
described as a law stationer, or law stationer's clerk, was
the defendant. The plaintiff sought the usual order from
the magistrates against the defendant for the support of his
child, of which she alleged he was the father. Mr. Cobb
appeared for the defendant. The plaintiff is a tiny and
rather handsome looking person, apparently about 22 or 24
years of age, with peculiar looking eyes a la sleepy Venus;
very fine forehead, and most ivory looking teeth. The
defendant is a man about 50 years of age, with all the
appearance of a gentleman. The court was crowded
during the hearing of the case. The complainant, who had
a fine child in her arms, stated that it was born in July
last, and that the defendant was the father. She first met
him at her lodgings in Bridport street, at the house of
Mrs. Price, who introduced her to him. Some other
preliminaries having been proved,
Mr. Cobb proceeded to cross-examine her as follows :
Where did you live before you came here ? In London.
Where in London ? In L-anbeth. Where in Lambeth ?
The New Cut. Where did you live before that ? In Kent.
Where in Kent ? Near Gravesend, where I was born.
After you left London where did you go to ? I went to
Leicester. What to do there ? To the theatre. As what ?
An actress. Whose theatre was it ? Mr. Harris was the
proprietor of it. How long were you there ? About twelve
weeks or so. When was that ? In November, 1854.
Where did you go then ? I came to Live Tool. Wha
name did you go by? I went by the title of Selby as my
stage name. I never went by the name of Montague, nor
ssell. I never went by any name except Selby an I
Wilson, the latter is my real name. What religion are
you ?. . _

Alderman Holme : That has nothing to do with the
case•

Mr. Cobb : I shall shew it has, sir, a good deal, and
permit me to put the question : What religion are you ?
A Protestant. Are you not a Mormon ? No. Did you
ever belong to the sect of Mormons ? No ? Did you
belong to the " Litter day Saints ?" Na. Did you-ever
belong to any other sect except Protestant ? No. Did you
ever say you did ? No. Did you aver tell Mr. Wallis you
belonged to that sect ? Never. Did you ever tell him that
you were married, and that you would marry again ? I told
him once I was mat tried, but that was in jest, and he
knew it; but I never told him I would marry again.
Do you know " Dicks coffee" or public house, in
Cable street, that was kept by Mr. Williams ? Yes • I acted
as waitress and attendant there. I know Mrs. Williams,
but di 1 not represent to her, nor any one there, that
that I was married. I first became acquainted with Mr.
Wallis in the early pa-t of May, 1855, a hen I was lodging
at Mrs. Price's, in Bridpart street. She first introduced
me to him. What sort of house was it? A "gay house," as
I afterwards learned. I often saw gentlemen there on
business, but for no other purpose. I lived there until I
discovered it was a " gay house," and then I left. I did
not know, for three months, what sort of a house it was.
You swear it was a "gay honse ?" I found out that it was.
Very well; mind Mrs. Price is here, and will con-
tradict you. She cannot, and tell the truth. When
gentlemen called on you, did Mrs. Price object to
it ? No, but she urged me to keep company with
some, whom she wanted to introduce to me, and told me
some of them were her friends, bet I refused. Now, do
you swear it was a " gay house ?" Yes, although she
called it a commercial boarding house for travellers. Not
more than two or three of my friends called on me there.
I left iu consequence of the bad conduct of the house. 1
charged her with having stolen a shawl from me. Did you
dance and play at the Leicester theatre ? I did ' • that was be-
forel went to Mrs. Williams (Dicks coffeehouse, Cable street),
I lodged at a Mrs. Middleton's b, fare that, Where did you
go next? I went as a sereant to a house at Rock Ferry,
as housemaid. I remained there for a month. I got a
character to go there. From whom ? From a lady in
London. What's her name? Mrs. Montague. Where
does she live? Barron Bill, Regent's Park. Will you
swear there is such a place as Barron Hill, Regent's Park ?
That's the place the letter is addressed from, but I won't
nnar7elloWcfbwAiilli in Tticele:ih-giilid‘w"ro"te-iO
her there for a character, and the answer was from Barron
Bill, Regent's Park, as she said she bad removed there.
What is this celebrated Mrs. Montague ? She is a lady of
independent fortune. I left Rock Ferry because it did
not suit me. I went to Mrs. Williams's in 1855, and left
in March. Do you know gentlemen named Townley and
Seddon ? Yes.
She was then examined at some length in reference to
improper conduct at Williams's but she denied, in the
strongest terms, that she had ever acted improperly in
the house. Plaintiff then continued, and said, I
went after that to lodge at Mrs. Middleton's. I then
went to Cleveland square ; and after that took a cellar in
Sir Thomas's Buildings, and supported myself by keeping a
small shop there. I was in a cookshop, near the Exchange,
for five weeks. Were there detectives called to see you
there? Yes. For what? The people did not give me
enough to eat, and I purchased some tea and sugar, and
bad them in my box, and the people said I stole it from
them, but it was not theirs, for I bought it myself, with my
own money. The police got nothing but my own clothes
in my box, and the tea and sugar. Were you ever engaged
at the Royal Amphitheatre ? Yes. As what ? An
actress. For how long ? A few months. What made you
leave it ? I was engaged for the ballet, and when that
Ceased I refused to play in pieces. Was there not some
" scenes"—" behind the scenes" —that caused you to be
'discharged ? No ; there was not. Mrs. Price wanted to
introduce gentlemen to me to make money out of them, as
she sail, but I would not. I was in Gill-street at Mrs.
Price's, but the bailiffs came and swept away all the things
Do you know the mate of a vessel? No. I have a cousin
a sailor.

A written offer made by the defendant to the plaintiff
was offered in evidence, but Mr: Cobb obj, cted to its pro-
duction on the ground that it was not stamped, and it was
r3jected. The defendant was then called, and admitted a
portion of the complaint to be correct, but denied the
" little responsibility." He said he was sent for by Mrs.
Price on business, and when he was leaving the house he
was accosted by the complainant, who asked him to walk
Into the parlour, and that was the first time he saw her,
Alderman Elolme : What sort of house did Mrs. Price,
keep? Defendant: Not as represented; she kept a res-
pectable house for railway travellers—it was a very respec-
table house.

Alderman Holme : On your oath, sir, was it not this
Mee. Price who introduced you to this young woman ? No.
Alderman Holme: Had you not made an agreement to
pay the young woman something ?
Mr. Cobb objected. and said if there was any written it
agreement twist be produced in a legal way.
Alderman Holme : Permit me to put the question, as I
have a right to know the fact, as a magistrate. (Co the
defendant) : Did you make any agreement, written or verbal,
with her, before this came on, to pay her any money, if she
Consented to withdraw the case ? Mr. Cobb :I at once
admit it.

Sirah Middleton, of 94, Devon street, was examined,
and her statement went to show that the plaintiff came to
lodge at her house as a married woman, and that the
defendant did not visit plaintiff after the 3rd or 4:h Sep-
tember. 1855.

Mr. Wybergh (to witness) ; How do you know it was
thlt time so accurately ? It was the early part of that
month, about that time.

Alderman Hol-ne: Were you under any examination by
any one before this day, as to the time? No, sir, Did the
defendant suggest the time to you ? She admitted that he
had.

Anne Price, of 73, Gill street, was examined: She said I
lived fifteen years in Bridport street. I heard the plaintiff
say I kept a gay house. That's not true. My husband was
five years in the and I never bad any complaint made
against me. The plaintiff lodged at my house, and gentle-
men frequently came to see her. I beat miler on one
occasion about a gentleman, and in G II street I gave her a
right goad " hiding." (Laughter.) She then ran to the door
and called the police, and the police came, and she accused
me of attempting to stab her; she also accused me of
stealing a mantle from her in Bridport street, but there was
no truth in it, as she afterwards told me.
Mr. Heath : When was the affair of the police being
called ? in the last month of the year past. And you keep
a respectable house ? Oh, dear, yes, sir; most respectable
for railway travellers.
Mr. Wybergh called Cozcns, a detective officer, who, on
being sworn, sad : I know the witness, Mrs. Price, and the
house she kept in Bridport street. She is a woman of most
drunken and disorderly habits, and kept a most disorderly
house, but I will not swear that it was a brothel, though
most disorderly. I went there to catch thieves, and took
thieves out of it.
Mrs. price : How could I help that ? Are you not a
particular friend of this young lady ?
Cozens : I even don't know her ; but I know you kept a
most disorderly house, and that you are a disgracefully
drunken woman.
Mere Mrs. Price turned up her eyes, and appealed to a
Bible, which she held in her hand all the time of her
examination. The movement caused some strong feelings
of disgust from persons at the table who saw it.]
Mr. Cobb, in an able speech, addressed the Court for the
defendant, He admitted that Mrs. Price was a drunken