The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-19 00:00:00

COURT OF DIVORCE.

(Before Sir C. Cresswell and a Special Jury.)

TURNER v. TURNER AND WEDGWOOD.

Mr. Sergeant Shee and Dr. Tristram were coun
sel for the petitioner, Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Mr.
Bushley, for the co-respondent.
In this case 7.‘lr. James Turner, a medical practi-
tioner in extensive practice, and who resides at No.
31, Lower Phillimore-place, Kensington, prayed for
a dissolution of marriage on the ground of his wife's
adultery with the co-respondent, Mr. Robt. Eger-
ton Wedgwood. The respondent denied the charge,
but the co-respondent entered no appearance. Last
July the respondent brought a suit for judicial
separation on the ground of cruelty, to which he
answered and pleaded adultery on her part; but
the jury found that neither of the issues raised had
been proved, and the Court accordingly dismissed
the petition. The parties first became acquainted
in 1845, when the petitioner attended the lady, who
had to undergo an amputation of the foot some time
previous, and who was some years older, and they
were married on the 25th March, 1847. Prior to
the marriage the petitioner discovered that the lady
had an illegimate child, who is about 20 years old,
and lived in the house of the petitioner after the
marriage.
Mr. Sergeant Shee, in stating the case, said that
the parties lived very happily together, and the ac-
quaintance between Mrs. Turner and Mr. Wedg-
wood comm( need in 1860. After that the criminal
intercourse took place, and was continued until the
following year; but the suspicions of the husband
were not excited until a letter fell into his hands in
the handwriting of Mr. Wedgwood to Mrs. Turner.
He spoke to his wife, to whom he was tenderly at-
tached, on the subject, and from her explanation he
was for the time satisfied, and they continued to
live together harmoniously until he discovered that
she had pawned some of his plate. After that dis-
covery he removed the remainder of his plate to his
banker's, and during his absence she left her home
and took lodgings in Little Ryder-street. Since
that time the parties had never lived together.
Sarah Beaney (examined by Dr. Tristram)—l
have been a housemaid at Mr. Turner's from Aug.,
1860, to the present time. My husband is also a
coachman in his service, I first saw Mr. Wedgwood
at a ball given by Mr. Turner at his house, Lower
Phillimore-place, Kensington. That was in Dec.,
1860. Mrs. Turner was acquainted with Mr. Ter-
rent, who had a boarding-house in Argyll-road,
where Mr. Wedgwood was staying, and he intro-
duced that gentleman to Mrs. Turner. Mr. Wedg-
wood called frequently afterwards, generally by
himself. He came after 1 o'clock in the day, and
sometimes remained an hour. He and Mrs. Turner
used to ride and drive out together. I remember
Mrs. Turner leaving home about the end of February
or the beginning of March, 1860. She said she was
going to Windsor, and on her return told us that
she had been to see Mrs. Tyrrell and her pug dogs.
(Laughter.) After her return Mr. Wedgwood used
to call three or four times a day, and latterly he
came in by the back way without ringing. I re-
member on the Bth of March Mrs. Turner and Mr.
Wedgwood went out together. It
was Mr. Turner's
birthday, and she presented him with a nosegay as
a present, which she said she bought for him. I
went with a message to Mrs. Turner, at Mr. Ter-
rent's, and found her in Mr. Wedgwood's bedroom,
he being in bed at the time. Mr. Turner used to
go out between 10 and 11 in the morning, and re-
turn at 3 o'clock, and go out again at 4 o'clock. I
remember when there was an execution at Mr. Ter-
rent'a that Air. Wedgwood came with hie furniture

to the house, which annoyed Mr. Turner. Mrs.
Turner used to go into Mr. Wedgwood's bedroom
when he was in bed. I have seen them kiss each
other. Saw Mr. Wedgwood go to the case, end
heard Mrs. Tartlet- :+3y there was only one trinket
left. I saw a Mrs. Pether give Mrs. Turner some
letters from Mr. Wedgwood, which she said had
been directed to her place because she did not
wish the doctor to see them. I remember Mrs.
Turner sending me to Lord Audley's, in Philli-
more place, for some letters, and I brought her
a packet of them. Mrs. Turner looked
through them, and said there was not one she
wanted, and that Mr. Wedgwood was going
to direct to Lord Audley and put her name
underneath. I recollect Mrs. Tamer going to Bog-
nor in 1861, but forget the month, and she said that
she was going to see Mrs. Rowley and other per-
sons there. On her return she told me that a friend
of Mrs. Rowley's slept at the same hotel where she
was staying, and that his name was O'Byrne. He
was in the next bedroom to hers, and Mr. Wedg-
wood remained up all night in her bedroom for fear
Mr. O'Byrne should go into the room. I was pre-
sent at Mrs. Turner's on Oct. 2, 1861, when Mrs.
Turner left the house. Mr. Turner discovered that
day that the greater part of the plate had been re-
moved by Mrs. Turner, and he packed up the re-
maining valuables in a plate chest, and carried them
away in a cab. Before he left he looked over Mrs.
Turner's writing desk, and then gave it to her back.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hawkins—l said nothing
about Mr. O'Byrne at the previous trial, nor did I
mention anything about the letters at Lord
Audley's. Mrs. Turner was very fond of pug
dogs, and there we two in the house, named
Pug and Joe, male and female, who had had
pups. (A laugh.) Mrs. Tyrrell keeps pup dogs.
Mrs. Turner told me that she had been at a dog
show at Cirencester, but take did not Pug and Joe.
(Laughter.) Mr. Wedgwood and Mr. Turner ap-
peared to be on friendly terms. Mrs. Turner used
to be visited by a French count and other gentle-
men, who went into her bedroom. Mrs. Turner said
with respect to the former gentleman that it was
the practice in France for gentlemen to visit ladies
in their bedrooms. Mr. Wedgwood used to drink a
great quantity of beer and wine, and he said he was
always thirsty. (Laughter.) She had seen him the
worse for what he had taken.
James Beaney, examined by Sergeant Shoe—l
am the husband of the last witness and a coachman
in the service of Mr. Turner. I remember in March,
1861, driving Mrs. Turner and Mr. Wedgwood in a
private Hansom cab to Richmond town, and Mrs.
Turner desiring me to call for them at the Star and
Garter at 7 o'clock. I went at the hour named, but
had to wait, as the landlord told me they had not
done dinner. I remember also driving her out in the
brougham, and taking up Mr. Wedgwood at Char-
ing-cross. I drove them to Covent-garden, and we
returned through Hyde Park. (Here the witness
said that he was induced to look into the brougham,
and he saw Mrs. Turner sitting on Mr. Wedgwood's
knee with her face towards the front windows of
the brougham and her back to him. He saw that
Mr. WedgwooCwas smothered in her clothes.) I
looked into the brougham a few minutes afterwards
and saw Mrs. Turner sitting in her place. I drove
them afterwards on the Acton-road, and Mr. Wedg-
wood told me to atop at a quiet public-house, and
accordingly I stopped at the King's Head at Acton.
They were shown into a private room upstairs, and
they remained about an hour and a half. When
they came downstairs both appeared very much
flushed. I heard Mrs. Turner address Mr. Wedgwood
as Robert, Bobby, Baby, and by his surname. She
ordered me on more than one occasion to call a cab
and desire the driver to remain 200 yards from the
house, as she did not wish the doctor to know where
she was going, and I heard her on one occasion tell
the driver to go to Mr. Wedgwood's lodgings at
Brompton. On another occasion I drove her to
the Pimlico Station, she telling me she was going
to Bognor. Three or four gentlemen, including
Mr. Wedgwood, met her at the station.
The witness was cross-examined, but there was
nothing material elicited.
Mr. Wm. Tower Smith said that he was a sur-
geon in partnership with Mr. Turner. He recol-
lected Mr. Wedgwood coming to the house in 1860.
The first time he saw him and Mrs. Turner were
sitting in the conservatory, and he saw her beckon
to some one, and then Mr. Wedgwood came up the
steps. In answer to Mr. Turner, Mr. Wedgwood
said he would have some sherry and soda water.
On another occasion witness was in the dining-
room with Mrs. Turner and Mr. Wedgwood. Mrs.
Turner said to him how badly his hair was parted,
and asked why his wife did not attend to it. She
added that she always combed " Baby's." She
took a comb out of her pocket, and combed Mr.
Wedgwood's hair.
By Mr. Hawkins—Mr. Wedgwood took the
combing of his hair very patiently.
Ann Barch said that in March, 1861, she was
chambermaid at the King's Head Hotel, Cirences-
ter, and remembered a lady and gentleman corning
there that month. (She identified a photograph as
a likeness of Mr. Wedgwood.) They required and
had two bedrooms near each other. Mrs. Turner
said Mr Wedgwood was her nephew. They came
on Saturday and remained till the Monday even-
ing. Both the beds appeared to have been used,
and she saw nothing that excited any suspicion of
ireprepriety between the parties.
Mary Ann Wain said that she was the chamber-
maid at the York House Hotel, Bognor, and remem-
bered Mrs. Turner coming to the hotel with another
lady, a maid, and three or four gentlemen, of whom
Mr. Wedgwood was one. She noticed two pillows
in Mrs. Turner's bed, and that two persons had
slept in the bed. She also noticed marks on the linen.
The parties were nearly a week at the hotel.
Sarah Hart, a young girl, 11 years of age, was
next'examined, and gave her evidence very clearly.
She said that she was the daughter of a police-con-
stable at Brentford, and that she had been on a visit
at Mrs. Turner's last year. She knew Mr. Wedg-
wood, and saw Mrs. Turner sitting outside his bed
when he was in bed. She saw her kiss him once.
She saw Mr. Wedgwood in Mrs. Turner's bedroom,
and he was curling his hair. (Laughter.) On one
occasion Mrs. Turner told her to sit on the stairs
outside the bedroom, and let her know if Mr. Turner
came out of the surgery. Mrs. Turner told her that
she would turn Mr. Turner away and marry Mr.
Wedgwood. She reminded her of this afterwards,
and Mrs. Turner laughed and said she would put it
in her book.
Alfred Richards said he was landlord of the house,
6, Little Ryder-street, St. James's, and in October,
1861, he let apartments to Mrs. Turner. She was
visited by a gentleman, who at first went by the
name of Thompson, and afterwards of Wedgwood.
She was also visited by ladies and gentlemen,
mostly by the latter. Mrs. Turner remained at his
house ten weeks.

Thomas Dale, landlord of the King's Head Hotel,
at Cirencester, corroberated the evidence of the
witness Barch, as to Mr. Wedgwood and Mrs. Tur-
ner having been at his hotel in March, 1862.
Mr. William Curtis, brother-in-law of Mrs. Tur-
ner, identified her handwriting.
Mr. Francis Edward Woodward, of the firm of
Reid, Robinson, and Wood ward, shorthand-writers,
Chancery-lane, proved to have taken shorthand
notes of Mrs. Turner's examination at the previous
trial last July.
Certain portions of the cross-examination of the
lady, as well as extracts from her diary, were then
read. It appeared that she admitted that she had
the father of her illegitimate child staying at her
husband's; house. She went to the theatre with Mr.
Wedgwood on one occasion. She denied that she
was ever out with him in the dark alone. She went
two or three times to Cremorne with Mr. Wedgwood
and some others, and they remained until the enter-
tainment was concluded. She said that she had been
in Mr. Wedgwood's bedroom about a dozen times,
but she had never kissed him in bed. She might
have kissed him, but not a dozen times. She called
him sometimes " Baby," and sometimes Robert and
Wedgwood. She received six letters through Mrs.
Pether and Wedgwood. (Here one of the letters
was read, in which the writer addressed Mrs. Tur-
ner in affectionate terms, acknowledged to the re-
ceipt of some articles forwarded by her, promised to
send his photograph, and asked her to write to him
the following Sunday, and signed himself "Your
loving Bobby.") From other extracts it appeared
that the name of Baby occurred very often in the
diary as well as the name of Wedgwood. The
letter in question had fallen into the hands of her
husband, who never accused her of any criminal in..
tercourse with Mr. Wedgwood, but he complained
of there being too much familiarity between them.
Formal proof of the marriage was then given,
which closed the petitioner's case, and no evidence
was called on the part of the respondent.
Mr. Sergeant Shee summed up briefly.
Mr. Hawkins replied, and commented on 1
the; ab-
sence of any person residing at Mr. errent a and
other persons who could have given more satisfac-
tory evidence than that adduced. He contended
in trhemataArkireds.
that the statement of the coachman Beaney as to
what he alleged to have witnessed in the brougham
was too improbable to be entitled to any credit.
The learned Judge summed up, and
upon the fact developed the evidence,
Turner, instead of going to Windsor, Was at Ciren-
cester with the co-respondent, and also to the ad-
mission of Mrs. Turner that Mr. Wedgwood
spent an entire night in her bedroom, nominally
for the prevention of any intrusion by Mr.
O'Bvrne.
He drew particular attention to the style' and con-
tents of the letter of the corespondent which had
been put in in evidence.
The jury immediately found a verdict that the
respondent had been guilty of adultery, and the
court made the rule nisi, with costs against the co-
respondent,