The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-09 00:00:00

CRIM. CON.

LING v. CROKER.—in the Court of Common Pleas, on
Saturday, Sir F. Thesiger, with Mr. Tindal Atkinson
and Mr. F. J. Smith, appeared in this case for the
plaintiff; The action was brought by the plaintiff,
formerly a lieutenant in the 14th Dragoon Guards, to
recover damages from the defendant, who is a major in
the army, for having had criminal conversation with the
plaintiff's wife. it appeared, from the statement of
the learned counsel, that in 1849 the plaintiff married a
daughter of General Sir J. Littler, whose distinguished
s,qviees to his country were well known. The marriage
took place at Calcutta in 1849, and about the month
of August, 1855, the plaintiff and his wife
arrived in England. Major Croker came over by the
same vessel. During the voyage it was noticed that
very great intimacy existed between the defendant and
Mrs Ling, and he believed that he should be able to
satisfy the jury that illicit intercourse had taken place
between the parties on the voyage home, and in fact that
they were now living as man and wife in open adultery.
Mrs. Ling and her husband previously lived very happily
together, and were much attached to each other. In
order to prove this be would pul; in a letter addressed by
her to a friend of the family, a Mr. Bremridge. It
breathed the spirit of true affection towards her husband,
whose prospects were now wholly blighted by what had
taken place. The learned counsel then read the follow-
ing letter :

" Meerut, Jan. 2, 1855
" MY DEAR. MR. BREMRIDGE : It is a long time since
we had the pleasure of hearing from you, and we have
been looking out for each succeeding mail in the hope of
receiving a letter. I write in haste now, amidst the
bustle of preparation for a march across country to Bom-
bay, whither the 14th have just received orders to start
for, and embark thence to*join the army in Turkey. It is
late in the season for marching such a distance, but the
necessity admits of no alternative, and six days hence,
namely, the Bth inst , we leave our comfortable quarters
in Meerut for a long march to another presidency. I
shall follow Theodore's fortunes as far as Bombay, and

.. . _
then, God only knows how I shall get further. By the time
we reach there, I shall be on the eve of my confinement,

and every available steamer is taken up for the transport
of the regiment and horses to Turkey, so that unless
I can meet with a passage to England in some vessel
carrying a surgeon, I must remain in Bombay until
after my child is born, and then do the best I can to
find a cheap berth for myself and little ones in the first
steamer leaving. My husband is like many other officers
in the regiment, delighted at the prospect of active
service and promotion; his only saddening thought is
for his wife and child. On such a campaign life is
uncertain, and the chance to be borne in mini is that al
the brave fellows now going cannot expect to return

God spare my poor lad, and bring him safe home again
with promotion and honour, is the only prayer I can
breathe at this troubled moment. He is senior lieutenant

but one, and so stands a fair chance of getting hi 3 troop,
if the regiment is engaged ; and the same kind Provi.
deuce who watched over and preserved him throughout
the battles of Bunningger and Chiilianwallah, will, I

trust, guard him in the dangers of the, present conflict.
His leaving India is an unfortunate thing for us, as be
returns to his Queen's pay, 93 a day, little enough to keep
himself respectably, with two chargers and dragoon, in
an expensive country, with a ruinous regimental mess,
far less to support poor Ada and I. What I am to do,
God alone knows ! I must bear up till we get to Bombay,
and then when he is gone I shall be truly desponding.
Were I alone, with no tie of children, I would never leave
India, but remain out here until his return from Turkey,
and then go forward to join him on his way home at
Alexandria ; but with this additional anxiety on my
mind, and the uncertainty as to what may befil him, we
both agree in thinking it better I should remain in
England, and there await the result of the regiment's
services and his return. Absolute beggary I fear it
will be for me and my poor children ; £4O a year is
all that he can allow me-120 from his pay and £2O,
the interest of the little sum at Cox's, and that he
can barely afford to give out of his miserable income
and the expenses attending his career with the regi-
ment. Will you, dear Mr. Bremridge, see if there is
anything you caa think of for me in the way of getting a
cheap place of shelter for a poor soldier's wife. As I
said before, it is for my little ones that I grieve, and
fear that they should want; for rather would I have
remained out here, had it been practicable, England to
me sounding like a death-knell ; and I do most
unspeakably dread leaving a country which has so
sheltered and befriended me: Excuse this hurried letter ;
my husband is so busy with his troop matters, settling
Rich fti E?Mkr ifol o m 4tlO-viTit-O
to you himself, but will do so from Mhow or Menneh en
route to Bombay. With my kindest regards, believe me,
my dear Mr. Brembridge, most sincerely yours,

" llianiaty LING.
"Kindly direct an answer to await our arrival at Born-
bay."

James George, a sergeant in the East India Company's
service, deposed to having seen actions of familiarity at
Calcutta between the defendant and Mrs Ling. She was
frequently in his tent. Also on board the Tudor they
were constantly in the same cabin. The •witness spoke
doubtingly at first as to .he handwriting of the plaintiff,
to some letters which were handed in, but he afterwards
said he believed they were his writing,
Mrs. Ann Miller, a widow, who also came over by
the Tudor, gave similar evidence.
The learned counsel concluded an eloquent appeal by
calling upon the jury to give ample damages for the
injury which the plaintiff had sustained.
The following letter was then put in and real :
" MY DEAREST MARY : I wrote you the day before
yesterday. My servant went to the capital in hopes of
finding the missing letter, I am sorry to say without
result. This is the more unfortunate as J. L.'s original
appears to have been enclosed. Let me know how you
directed it, it may yet turn up. Once my darling girl
used to write me every day, now not more than once a
week. What is the cause of this ? Were a person
concerned, who had a difficulty in letter writing, I
should not be more surprised. But with you who can
write so well and so off-hand, it is not so easily under-
stood. Do, pray, write, and feel as ever, notwithstanding
my uninteresting notes ; believe that I am yours in every
sense of the word, and that you are never absent for one
moment from my mind ; all my hopes are centered in you,
my only wish that you might be mine for ever. As I wrote
the other day, think over the matter, and say what length
you are disposed to go in order to bring the matter about.
I long for the time when we can meet and tat• it over as
on a former occasion, when time was not sufficient to
permit the first burst of delight to subside before we again
parted. It must not be so next time; we must have sober
moments, rather than hours, to talk of it. and come to
some definite arrangement. This separation is unbear-
able. Write me all you think about it, as well as about
our next meeting, and when you think it will take place ;
also what J. L.'s letter was about. Mind and don't for-
get all this, I also want to know if you are recovering your
health and strength. I wish you to do as follows ; from
which you will without doubt derive the greatest
advantage in point of health. I knew it cure a person in
consumption, rather threatened consumption, it has a
wonderful effect on the lungs and chest. (Here followed
a prescription for taking Iceland Moss, and afterwards
there were some passages of a nature ton disgusting for
insertion, and showing that the criminal. intimacy had
taken place between the parties.) The letter concluded
as follows :—Have you consented to the wish expressed in
my last ? I am sure you have dearest, you would not
disappoint in even the most disagreeable act, if you hoped
that by it I should be for a moment gratified. This is the
only thing left to comply with. When I tell you it
will be a great satisfaction, I am sere you will surrender
unconditionally and on nay part, and on the instant I
promise you the most perfect bliss, and unconditional
indulgence, in any way you please, even to a greater
extent than that comprised in your last act. Do you recol-
lect it ? And how delighted you were at the perceptible
result. Next time you shall dispose of it as you fancy,
as a further inducement. I will tell you one or two
things you are yet ignorant of. Now, darling, do I
deserve a long letter in reply to this? I think so, and
others. Wills shall be disappointed. Believe me, my
own sweet pet, that I am and shall be ever yours, most
fondly and affectionately.
Camp, Sunday."
Mr. Edwin James, Q.C. (who with Mr. Hawkins, con-
ducted the case for the defendant), in his address to the
jury, stated that never in the whole course of his professional
experience had he met with a more painful, nay, he might
say, a more disgusting
concerned, than the case, so far as the plaintiff was
present, He should show the jury
beyond all question that the plaintiff had connived at, and
promoted the dishonour of his own wife. This he would
prove, under his own handwriting, The learned counsel
then read at length the following letter, from the plaintiff
to his own wife:—

" My D ar Marian,--.' Alrmeayllaendd Navy
Club, 29th Sept.
Tell Gates 's this morning,
at
and gave him your message. your dear mamma I will
earliest
entrnted me
kindly
execute the commission she has
sor
with ; and send tho things by the
You had better, when you write t o
e o opportunity.
s irt rtuenio r a
God's yt.
i.t
under cover t ) the agents. Forthe t..ilie
care that Lady Littler does not see the letters
pawingto and fro between you. I sent you a letter yesterday
C- • it came to me addressed here. The weather has ro'been
cold and damp, and I cannot shake off this tendency to
damp and rheumatism, but have taken to the old resource
of quinine boluses, I shall be down on Saturday next if I