The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-29 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

VICE CHANCELLORS' COURT.
BOTJCICAU LT V. DELIFIELD.
Mr. Boucicault applied for an injunction to Vice-Chan-
cellor Sir Page Wood this morning against Mr. Delafield,
the manager of the Queen's Theatre, at Manchester, to re-
strain him from performing the Colleen Bawn. After
hearing counsel his lordship reserved judgment.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Before Chief Justice Cockburn and a Special Jury.)
MORRISON V. BELCHES.--LIBEL.
This was an action brought by Mr. Richard James Mor-
rison, lieutenant in the Royal Navy, against the defendant,

Admiral Sir E, Belcher, for writing and publishing a de-
famatory libel, to which the defendant pleaded as a justifi-

cation that the statement was in substance true.

Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Bexley appeared for the
plaintiff, and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine for the defendant.
Mr. Sergeant Shee said the plaintiff was a lieutenant in
the Royal Navy, and having distinguished himself in his

profession temporarily retired from the service, and
became a student of astronomy, and, amongst other things,

of astrology. He also was the editor and proprietor
of Zadkiel's Almanack, which had obtained an enormous
circulation and great notoriety in consequence of his hav-
ing predicted the death of the Prince Consort. Alderman

Humphrey having made some particular observations upon
the statement in Zadkiel's Almanack, the circumstance
was commented on in a leading article of one of the daily
papers, and afterwards a letter, signed " Anti-Humbug,"

and which was of a most scurrilous nature, appeared in the
same journal, and he should be able to prove that the writer
of it was the defendant. The letter, after making some
very severe comments, went on to inquire who was
Zadkiel, and whether there was no means of
terretting him out and handing him over to the
magistrate at Bow-street as a rogue and vagabond.
The writer said he thought he could help him to obtain
the desired information, and he thought he had seen his
signature as the president of some particular society—vis.,
R. J. Morrison. That he was also the celebrated Crystal
Globe setr, the particular virtues of which were, that
by its aid communications with the spirits of the departed
might be made, and that he had even gone the length of
saying that communications had been had with the spirits
of the twelve apostles. That he had engaged theservice of a
boy through whom he wed to act, but the boy had "peached"
. _

and thus the whole affair had been exposed—in fact, said
rho learned counsel, amounting to an assertion that my
client was an unprincipled impostor. He then went on to
describe the virtues of the " Crystal Globe," in which
visions were stated to have been seen, arid said the mysteri-
ous "crystal" in the possession 4,f the plaintiff was pur-
chased at the sale of the effects of the late Lady Blessing-
ton, and very shortly after, a boy, after looking at it some
time, stated that he had seen visions, and also after that, a
young man named Usher, not only said he had seen similar
scenes, but had actually drawn representations of the
things he had seen in the " Crystal." Now his client,
Mr. Morrison, never for one moment pretended that
he had seen visions such as were described,
but his son having seen something which he said was con-
nected with the Arctic expedition, Lady Franklin desired
the "crystal" might be brought to her, and from the pub-
licity given to the scene seen by young Morrison it became
quite the rage in the fa,lionable world. Peers, bishops,
ladies of the highest position, all were anxious to watch
the crystal. So great became the pressure upon Mr. Mor•
ris3n that he was compelled to leave town, and he (Sergeant
Shoe) should be able to produce letters written by persons
of the highest position to Mr. Morrison, all asking for a
view of the crystal. Although an attempt might be made
to draw the attention of the jury from the point before them,
an action for the recovery of damages far a malicious libel by
involving them in some sort of inquiry into the science of
the stars, he felt satisfied that after Sir E. Belcher having
refused to make the apology his client required, they
would give him such damages as would prove he was not
the unprincipled impostor the defendant said he was.
The following witnesses were then called :
Mr. John Smith, the manager of the _Daily Telegraph

the paper in which the letter appeared,and another witness
gave evidence relative to the publication and handwriting.
Richard James Morrison, the plaintiff, was examined by
Sergeant Shee, and said—l am now a commander in the
Royal Navy. I have studied in astronomy and as-
trology, and have published several works of that
nature. I am also the proprietor and publisher of
" Zadkiel's Almanack." It contains predictions founded
upon astronomical contingencies. I have found those pre-
dictions mostly true after 40 years' experience. In 1861,
there was in the Almanack a peculiar prediction relative to
the death of the Prince Consort.
Lord Chief Justice—The voice of the stars, page 13, is
that it ?
The Learned Counsel—Yes; my lord. He then read
the passage in question, which went n to say that there
would be weeping in high places, and also gave various
predictions affecting the late Prince Consort and the Prince
of Wales.
Examination continued.—Alderman Humphrey made
some comments upon the prediction, and then I became
aware of the publication of the letter signed "Anti Hum-
bug." I had read about the crystals and had sees them, and
I bought the one in my poss,ssion of a curiosity dealer. I
set it upon the table before my son, and he immediately
saw visions relating to the expedition of Sir J. Franklin.
A young gentleman named Usher also saw them. I sent
a statement of the affair to the Athenceum, which was pub
lished.
The " Crystal" was here produced.
The witness continued—The publication produced a great
excitement. I received numbers of letters from the nobility
asking for a sight of the crystal ball. Lady Erroll and others
wrote tome. 1 hold their letters in my hand. I never received
any money for exhibiting the ball. I never tutored either
of the boys to say they had seen visions in the Crystal.'
It is untrue that £5 was given to my son to tell some lady

1.. O.J
of the doings of her son in America. I never knew it moil
I saw it in the lelegrciph. I have freely lent the " Crystal'
to friends. I left it more often than I remained
with it. I believe a female servant of Sir E. B.
Lytton's, a Swiss, looked into it. She said she
saw Sir 11. Bulwer lying ill under a tree. It
was in a foreign place. I was afterwards in-
formed that Sir H. Bulwer was sick in a place of the nature
the servant described. I first met Sir E. Belcher at an
evening party at Colonel and Mrs. Merton's. lie intro•
duced me to Lord and Lady Lonsdale. He did not show
any aversion to me. I never stated I had seen visions in
the " globe," but the young persons did and that quite
openly. Baron Bruunow, Admiral Fitzclarence, the Coun-
tess of Errol, the Marchioness of Aylesbury, the Bishop of
Lichfield, Colonel Phipps, the Hon. Mr. Cowper, M.P.,
and a great many other persons of distinction came to look
at the Crystal. I had as many as eight ladies of distinction
in my house at once. I produce a number of drawings
made by the young man Usher of the visions he saw. I
solemnly believe he did see them, as it is impossible he
could have imagined such things as he described.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine—Some of the
drawings have been published in Zadkiel's almanacks.
The female figure in the drawing is that of Eve. That is
the spirit said she was when asked her name. (Laughter.)
The spirits appeared with scrolls coming out of their
mouths.
Sergeant Ballantine—As if they had been taken sud-
denly ill ?
Witness—The spirits were always respectably dressed.
(Laughter.) They had all their drapery displayed in the
drawings. The lady you now direct my attention to is
Queen Mab, as she appeared in her car drawn by gnats.
(Laughter.) The male is a representation of St. Luke.
don't believe all Usher has said.
The Lord Chief Justice—You don't believe what Usher
has said ?
Witness—No, my lord, because he has said some of the
things disclosed were false. I believe he saw Eve.
Sergeant Ballantine—What language did Eve speak?
(Laughter.)
Witness—English. (Laughter.)
Sergeant Ballantine--And Orion, what language did
he use
Witness—English.
Sergeant Ballantine—And Titania.
Wituess—All Englith. I still advertise. I have persons
who see visions in the Crystal Ball. I have heard that
vision of the Lord's. Supper has appeared in the Crystal
Ball, also some of the miracles of our Saviour, the feeding
of the multitude with five loavea and two fishes, and our

Saviour walking upon the water, and two or three of the

apostles.
Sergeant Ballantine—The stars took you in a bit last
year, did they not ? (Laughter.) You prophesied the
death of Lord Brougham, did you not?
Witness—l never prophecy•; I predict. None can pro-
phecy but those that have the spirit of God, and that I
don't presume to have.
Sergeant Ballantine—Well, you predict.
Witness—And the public can believe or not as they feel
disposed. I have made some predictions about Lord
Palmerston, but without perfect data I cannot undertake
to give perfect predictions. Samuel Smith, the
person who advertises about casting nativities,
lives in Goswell-street. He has an advertisement in the
Almanack, and the address given there is at Brompton. I
have never taken in letters there except on one or two occa-
sions addressed to " Samuel Smith, Esq," Ho receives
letters for the sale of my books.
The Lord Chief Justice—Then when Samuel Smith re-
ceives applications from persons whose mind is distressed,
do you answer the letters ?
Witness—Sometimes.
Sergeant Ballantine —Do you mean to say that you have
not made "calculation" for wealthy persons as late as 1862?
Witness—Yes, I have—a few.
Sergeant Bal.antine—And received the money through
Samuel Smith. I have given instructions in astrology to
some persons, but never to very young people. The crystal
ball I bought I believe belonged to the celebrated Dr. Dee.
I was told so. I have no means of knowing for certain.
Sergeant Ballantine—Who was the seer who had the
conversation with Judas Iscariot ?
Witness—My son, I believe.
Sergeant Ballantine—And the answer you published was
the one you received ?
Witness—Yes.
Sergeant Ballantine—And Judas Iscariot preferred get-
ting back to a certain place rather than remaining with
you. (Laughter.)
The Crystal Globe was then handed to the jury for exa-
mination. It appeared to be a ball of Brazilian pebble, about
41 inches in diameter.
The official examination of the son of the plaintiff, now
resident at New York, was then put in and read. It was to
the effect that he had seen visions in the globe as described,
that he had never received £5 from a lady for telling her
what he had seen relative to her son, who was then in the
Mediterranean.
Lady Harry Vane—The letter put into my hand is one I
wrote relative to seeing the crystal. It was in consequence
of something I had heard from my father, the late Earl
Stanhope. I went with two friends, but met others there.
I saw the ball ; a little boy looked into it. He said he saw
a great many things, but I cannot recollect how many.
Neither I nor my friends paid anything to Lieut. Morrison

for seeing.
Cross-examined—Lord Effingham was of the party. It
was at Mr. Morrison's own house that the exhibition took

place.
The Master of the Temple, Rev. Mr. Robinson said—l
saw the Crystal Glebe wire, once at my own house, and
once at Sir J. Cockburn's. The plaintiff was present. The
boy Usher looked in. He said he saw figures and writing.
I asked him what he saw by putting one or two questions
to him, and asked on one occ ,sion it he saw my son, who
was then in Jamaica. He described him and his
wife sitting in chairs in the garden. He could
not identify his son by the description. He merely said
it was a clergyman and a lady. The ball was brought to
my house at my own request. I never paid any money for
it being brought there.
The Bishop of Lichfield said—l was present at my son-
in-law's house when the ball was to be exhibited, I saw it.
I had not the leastreason in the world to believe that money
was paid for the exhibition.
Lady Egerton of Fallow—The letter put in my hand is
written by me. I went to see the Crystal Ball ; some gen-
tlemen were of the party. A boy looked in the ball. When
I asked him how many guardian angels I had, he said
" seven." (Laughter.) I said that was a large number—
(laughter)—but the boy said most persons had four.
(Laughter.) I was most courteously received, and I never
paid any money for seeing the ball.
The Marchioness of Aylesbury said—l saw the Crystal
Ball at Mrs. Merton's. Several persons were present. The
ball was looked into by a boy.
Cross-examined—l did not make any inquiries relative
to the " ball." I thought it such nonsense. Ido not
attend voluntarily to-day. I was subpoenaed.
The Rev. George Stokes—l knew the boy Usher and the
son of Mr. Morrison. They were both pupils of mine. Mr.
Morrison's wife was my daughter. I thought Mr. Mor-
rison was deceived as to what he thought about the ball.
Cross-examined—Mr. Morrison professed that young
persons saw visions in the ball, and I am certain he believed
they did. I did not allow other boys beside Usher to look
into the ball. lam sure none others went.
Mr. Fulham Webster—l am a director of the New
River Company, and reside in Berkshire. After 1 had
seen the ball I wrote the letter put into my hand, request-
ing that my friends might see it. When I saw it a boy was
looking, and he said he saw a number of things, in answer
to questions put to him. I became acquainted with Mr.
Morrison through friends. I paid no money for seeing the
Crystal.
Cross-examined—The first time I went was with a lady,
and the second time Mr. Reynolds was with me. I was:so
happy as to receive a very great quantity of guardian angels.
I believe one of the questions asked was where Sweden-
borg was to be found ?
The Earl of Wilton said—l went to see the ball at Col.
Merton's, at Brompton. I think a boy looked at the globe.
No money was paid for the privilege of looking at it.
Cross-examined—l did not receive any caution for my
future guidance. (Laughter.)