The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-16 00:00:00

The Extraordinary Libel Case.

DUBLIN, Thursday Morning.
The public interest in the case of " Travers v.
Wilde" continues unabated, and the entrance of the
Court of Common Pleas is every morning besieged
by the crowds who are anxious to gain admittance.
As telegraphed last night, the plaintiff was under
examination during the whole of yesterday. It has
been already stated that the action is one of libel,
brought by Miss Travers against Sir William and
Lady Wilde, the female defendant having written
to the plaintiff's father a letter, which, it is alleged,
' reflected on his daughter's chastity. All the parties
belong to Dublin. Sir William Wilde is a well-
known oculist and aurist. His wife, who has
written under the name of" Speranza," is a poetess
of some repute ; and the plaintiff is the-daughter of
Dr. Travers, sub-librarian in Marsh's Library, and
a very distinguished scholar. The letter complained
of stated that it was necessary for Lady Wilde to
warn Dr. Travers that his daughter was wishing
to make it be thought that she had an intrigue
with Sir William Wilde, and that she was
endeavouring, by issuing offensive placards,
and pamphlets, to extort money from Sir William
and his wife on that account. In the pleas for the
defence, Lady Wilde declared that she had believed
in the entire truthfulness of the statements she had
made, and she also referred to a pamphlet in which
the plaintiff had given a description of the circum-
stances attending the intrigue, or, at least, one of
its most prominent incidents. The plaintiff's re-
joinder to this is that the affair in question was not
an "intrigue," but something very different, inas-
much as Sir William Wilde had on one occasion, on
the 14th of Oct., 1862, violated her person in his
own study. The plaintiff had originally made the
acquaintance of Sir William Wilde in 1854, and had
subsequently been introduced to Lady Wilde. Miss
Travers had been on very intimate terms with the
Wilde family, and Sir William had for several years
taken a special interest in her, lending her money,
and making her presents ; and this may be the pro-
per place to mention that the plaintiff was in rather
straitened circumstances, and required this monetary
assistance from time to time. In 1861, however, the
conduct of Sir William excited her suspicions, as he
gave her to understand that Lady Wilde was jea-
lous of her. She asked for explanations, and some
remarkable letters were written by Sir -William be-
tween that date and February, 1862, when he one
day clasped Miss Travers in his arms as he was ex-
amining her professionally, and wanted her to call
him by his Christian name, which she refused.
Their acquaintance, however, was not broken off by
this occurrence, and on October 14, 1862, the viola-
tion is stated to have taken place. Miss Travers
had called upon him, and saw Sir William in his
study. After some conversation he pretended, as
the plaintiff states, to examine her throat, pressed
his knuckles into it, and rendered her insensible.
While unconscious, her person was violated. This
is the history of the affair given by the plaintiff,
who afterwards published a number of pamphlets
and placards expo3ing Sir -William and his miscon-
duct, and thus taking that revenge which, as she
says, he had always feared shat she was meditating.
On the plaintiff's direct examination, which began
on Tuesday, after the completion of Sergeant Arm-
strong's statement on her behalf, she swore to the
violation on Oct, 14, 1862. At the sitting of the
court yesterday her examination was resumed by
Mr Butt, Q C., and she went into a variety of de-
tails in sustentation of Sergeant Armstrong's state,.
ment. She had been thinking of going to Australia
after the affair of October, 1862, and Sir William
Wilde had sent her money, but she changed her
mind and returned it. On one occasion she had pro-
cured laudanum, and taken it in Sir William's
study. When he saw her do that, " he threw him-
self upon the floor and shouted Revenge, revenge !
People will say I poisoned you, but 1 will have the
police in.' He begged her to procure an antidote,
enjoining her to say that she had taken the poison
accidentally. She went to Dr Walsh's, in 'West-
land-row, and got an emetic." In allusion to her
limited means, and her anxiety to repay him the
loans of money, Sir William spoke of her " starving
herself," and declared that " she would be found
deed in her bed from starvation some day," and
that " that would be another piece of revenge." Miss
Travers confessed to having issued the pamphlets
and placards for the purpose of annoying Lady
Wilde. She was anxious, the plaintiff said, for an
explanatory interview with that lady and her hus-
band, Among other devices, she had forwarded to
Sir 'William, while in the country, a printed slip,
with a false announcement of her death—" Sud-
denly, at her father's residence, Williamstown-
avenue, Mary Josephine, daughter of Robt. Travers,
M.D." She had last applied to Sir William Wilde
for money in February or March, 1864. That was
after the publication of the offensive pamphlet. She
said, "If you do not choose to send it, see what
will happen." He had also sent her money with-
out asking. The last money which she had received
from Sir William Wilde was in Augast, 1863.
The plaintiff was cross-examined at great length by Ser-
geant Sullivan, whose questions she answered with much
coolness and apparent steadiness. Considering the extent
of the cross-examination, the utmost that can be done is to
give some of the questions and answers.
Sergeant Sullivan—When did you first determine to exe-
cute your vengeance against Sir William and Lay Wilde ?
—I never had any vengeance against Lady Wilde. I had
a pique against her.

When did you determine to execute it against Sir Wm.
Wilde ?—On the 16th October, 1862.
That was two days after the day of the alleged outrage
—No, on that day ; I cannot swear to the 14th or the 16th.
What was yuur first act of vengeance ?—I cannot tell you
either my first or my second act.
Was not the publication of the pamphlet the first ?—No.
What was before it P—l sickened him in his study with
garlic in June, 1863.
How did you administer the garlic?—From a bottle. I
got his handkerchief and s.turated it with the garlic. I
did not tell him what to do with it.

What did you give it him for ? was it to pay him off for
the wrong he had done you?—lt was a part of a ,cries of
annoyances I intended giving him.
Did you bring any other mixture after that F—Yes, I
brought more garlic and water, and put it into the aoaptray
in the:room where he received his patients, in order that he
might feel some discomfort in that room.
The room in which you say the offence took place F—Yes.
What was your next act of vengeance F—l reviewed the
" First Temptation," translated by Lady Wilde.
The publication of the pamphlets, the issuing of the
placards, and the employing of the boys to ring the bells so
as to attract attention to the exposure having been spoken
ot, the examination proceeded.

Sergeant Sullivan—Did you send copies of the pamphlet
to Sir W. Wilda's family and patients P—To his relatives,
yes; but I won't be sure about his patients.
Did you send Lady Wilde the announcement of your
death, as if it were cut out of a newspaper ?—Yes.
For what ?—For amusement.
You sent it for amusement to the wife of the man who
wronged 3 ou ?—He believed it was a notice of my death.
Whcn you went to Bray, did you take down your
pamphlet with you, and employ the newspaper boys to
sell it ?—Yes.

Did you employ them to go to Lady WilJe's house f
I desired them to go along the entire beach, not excluding
her house. It was for the purpose of circulating them in Bray.
Did you send this to Sir William Wilde, with a pin stuck
through it, and in an open envelope did.
Listen to this :

" Your progeny is quite a pest
To those who hate such critters;'
Some sport have, or I'm blest
I'll fry the Wilde breed in the West;
Then you can call them Fritters.
The name is not equivocal,
They dare not by their mother call,
Nor by thoir father, though he's Sir,
A gouty knight, a mangy cur ;
He dare not even call them Frits—
Huw much he'd wish that I'd say Quits.

" For Next Week's Handbills—the Miss Fritters ! I with
most affectionate regards.—Please show this to her ladyship
at the dessert ! I I "

Sergeant Sullivan : What is the meaning of all this ?-7-
The meaning is that Sir William Wilde was so very sore on
the subject of any person alluding to his children, or, as he
called them his " breed," that I wrote this for the purpose
of making him think he would be exposed, and that he
might try to prevent ray taking any legal means, or get the
interference of my family to prevent me from annoying
him, because I wanted to give my explanation of all that
had gone on in his house during my intercourse with him.
As to the expression " mangy cur," it was in reference to
the remark of a friend that whoever wrote a certain letter
which I showed him was a mangy cur.
And you sent that with your most affectionate wishes ?

To the man who had outraged yon
Is this your handwriting ?—lt is.
Listen to this—" Now, spiteful old lunatic, since you
want to do ”Titething for me, please cut my corn that you

did not do half before. I will keep your nose to the grind-
ing stone while your wife is away, and when she returns I
will see her—so you had better not make a fool of me this
time• L will give you a further trial for the few days lam
waiting."