The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-27 00:00:00

MARTA THERESA LONGWORTH or YELVERTON V,

JAMES WALKER, Esq., of Dalry, Advocate.

This case came on on Wednesday in the Justiciary
Court-room, which was crowded in every part from
the time the court-room was opened, at ten o'clock,
till the close of the case. The counsel for the pur-
suer were the Solicitor-General and Mr. Fraser,
and for the defender, Mr. Young and Mr. A. B.
Shand.

The following was the issue and schedule sent to
the jury, which sufficiently explain the nature and
cause of the action :

" Whether, in or about the Ist day of Janusry, 1862, the
defender did write and forward, through the Post Office, to
the Honourable William Henry Yelverton, at Whitland
Abbey, near Narberth, in South Wales, the letter, dated
Ist January, 1862, in the schedule appended hereto ; and,
whether the defender did, in said letter, falsely, calumni-
ously, and L juriously, represent that the pursuer is a most
degraded woman—that it is a disgrace for respectable per •
sons to associate publicly with her—and that the said W.
Henry Yelverton, by receiving her into his house, was
bringing dishonour on himself and his relations ?—to the
loss, injury, and damage of the pursuer.
" Damages claimed, £3,010."
SCHEDULE.

Edinburgh, 6, Eton-terrace, la Jan., 1862.

31r—I observe in to-day's copy of the Edinburgh Courant
a paragraph announcing the arriv.l at your house of the
Honourable Mrs.Yelverton, to pass the Christmas week. My
purpose in writing to you now is to inquire if this visitor is
the person who calls herself " the Honourable Mrs.Yelver-
ton," but whose real name is Theresa Longworth. As I
consider that the honour and character of my wife's family
is seriously affected by this circumstance, if true, I don't con-
sider any further apology necessary for troubling you with
this letter. When I first heard of your most extraordinary
an unnatural conduct in openly taking up the cause of Miss
Longworth at the Dublin trial, I must say, though greatly
shocked and grieved, I hoped that when you came to reflect
more calmly on your delicate position in regard to the suc-
cession to your nephew William C. Yelverton, and also when
the real character of Miss Longworth became generally
known, as it ,now is, that whatever your own private hopes
for the success of her case may have been, that respect for
your brother Lord Avonmore, and for your own character,
would have prevented you from publicly associating with
this most degraded woman; but I fear I have been mistaken,
and that, with the new year, another, and I may almost say
a worse dishonour has fallen on the family. Had you been
a more distant relation, or had you been merely one of the
public, uninterested in the result, whatever it may be, of
this case, I should have understood that your disapproval
Wm. Yelverton's conduct, rather than your approval of Miss
Lon gworth's, had created a sort of sympathy for her cause,but
that, in your position, as being the only person who could be
benefited by William's child being made illegitimate, your
near relationship to him, and, above all, the consciousness
of the pain which you well know your conduct must cause
your kind-hearted brother and all his family, your conduct
appears to me so selfish, so base, so unnatural, that it is
hardly possible to believe it; and I am perfectly certain,
that in the whole world there is not one person, not except-
ing Miss Longworth herself, who must not from the bottom
of their hearts despise you. I have often heard it remarked
by those who strongly censured poor William's conduct,
that they would much rather be in his than in your position.
I can assure you that it causes me great pain to write what
I have written to cne in your position, my wife's uncle, and
so much older than myself ; but I cannot restrain my in-
dignation, and this I have written without consulting any
one. I know that my feelings are shared by all my wife's
family. I cannot conceive that your own family can approve
of the course you have taken, but with them it would not
become me to interfere. I have done what I conceive my
duty, in telling you whet my own and my wife's opinions
are.—l remain your most obedient servant,
(Signed) JAMES WALKER.
(Addressed)—To the Hon. W. H. Yelverton,
Whit land Abbey.

Mr. Fraser opened the case for the pursuer in a
close and clear statement, and then called the fol-
lowing witnesses :
The Hon. Wm. Yelverton, of Whitland Abbey,
South Wales, who, being examined by the Solicitor-
General, deponed—l am the brother of Lord Avon-
more, who is an Irish Peer, and resides in Ireland.
I have for a long time resided at South Wales.
I was formerly a member of Parliament, and
have been High Sheriff of the county in Which
I reside. Mr. Walker, the defender in this action,