The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-31 00:00:00

i. Y~

THE 140-YAL---0-si:l3-117A---SPEOULATIO.N.

THE PEIMA DONNA THE MACHINIST. •
Yeaterday aftermath' Mr. Benjcimin Sidman, carpen-
ter and machinist of the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, ap-
peared at row-street police court, before Mr. Henry, to
answer a charge cf wilful perjury, preferred against him
by Madame Caraciori, the prima -dimly,lof the opera
company lately performing atabat theatre:
Mr. Lewis, salicitor, of Ely-place, conducted the pro-
secution ; and Mr. Lewis, of Golden-ecniare, attended,
for the defendant.
From the -opening staferhent'ef Mena*, it appeared
that Madame Caradori and Signo Pairesilblid engaged to
sing at Druty-lane, on the re-opening; of the theatre,
" under new management," and they'vverd'announced to
appear on Monday evening, the 21st inst, in LucreDia
Borgia. On the previous Saturday, however, the 19th
August, the defendant made an affidavit at Judge's
Chambers, in which, among other matters, he asserted
that Madame Caradori had informed him of her intention
to discontinue singing at Drury-lane, and to return forth-
with to Germany, the Monday following being specified
as the day on which she had resolved to leave England.
avowal
li
the
ed Signor deponent
pfaot7eTsi di
ed
held-to hn3 c
abaii
they The were
su n l
ittinnPhroeansvp.etehci respect of Madameoaiflcege red an y
tCiaar adodebts said to have been incurred by
the
country.
them,
an
d which,it
designing to
of `)21.185. Gd. was claimed by deponent for services per-
formed; and, in. consequence of the statements deposed
avoid quitting was represented,
to in the affidavit, Baron Martin granted an order for the
`immediate apprehension of the cemPlainants. The exe-
cution of the order was deferred until half-past eleven
o'clock on Saturday night, at which time Madame
Caradori was arrested on leaving the residence of Mr.
Jarrett the managing director of the company, in
Alfred-place. She was taken direct to a sponging-house,
and it beirig too late to get assistance, was detained in cus-
tody the whole of the fallowing Sunday (the 20th), hay-
ing only obtained her liberation at a late 'hour that day
b•TaPaying the amount of the alleged debt and costs, not
a-iaraling of which was due from her. Signor Pavel
was treated in a siinilar manner, arid, not. being able to
Teak or uuderstand a word of English, believed he had
been forcibly taken to some hoUse of iniquity for the 13.41r-
pose of being robbed.
Mr. Lewis stated that, although his clients were not
indebted to any one, it would be unnecessary to discuss
that question now. The charge .ofperj"-re had reference
.12
to the assertion of Mr. Sloman that
'sc':ents Lad told
Limarf their intention to leave the coud'tr. Nov,, with
respect to Sigeoral'aveei, the simple f_e. that he could
not speak a word of Englieb, and teat Sloman could
'-peak nothing bat English, vial sufficient to/Bauer that
no conversation of the hind could lea e eta passed
tween them. Ma ta:ee ttaracaa: ta setaa. be.
Englinft aiaguage very auperiecta i, Lae tLat
of Mr. ,
• mg
31111 Ole i.t
. •
' ' ••; litto
• absere ... to
ae a eel:I-ea:a:a. a V. 1.:4:• by
earties, against waai n a aa. a a Lang tet
up, t' tie very person a., : ta :pg taein in
England. a nth was, aa v La.: a. :era C aaeior
Lad Lever ewe:la:hied the aareateet, laa it.3a,,lng the
country, but en the cw.trary Lad acceptaa, kila.gcnients
:to slily, at Brighton, Manchester, and elsewhere, until
December eext. The whole' story et her intended
depaa tare was concocted, and the particular time
seleeted for the extcutien of ahe writ disclosed the
real character of the entire transaction. She had
never been asked to pay the money ; no account was
ever sent to her, no notice of the proceedings was
given to her: She never beard of Slonian'a claim until
after she had been locked up in the sponging-house,
and it was only by paying the exaggerated charges of
the sheriff and the unjust claim of defendant that
she ultimately regained her liberty, although he (Mr.
Lewis) felt bound to say that the attorney for the defen-
dant, in reply to .his entreaty, exerted his utmost to
facilitate Madame Caradori's aiscbarge from prison.
Mr. Lewis (defendant's 'attorney) : We were not re-
sponsible for the mode in which the writ was executed.
Mr. Henry : Yes, I think you were, in a great mea-
sure. A wish is generally expressed upon the subject to
the sheriff's officer, besides which it appears from the
bills that they were announced to sing on the following
Monday.
-The complainant's attorney said the occurrence was
wholly unprecedented in his experience of legal practice.
He never applied for a writ without previously furnisl\-
ing an account of the chain.
Mr. T. Simpson Jeffrey, clerk to Mr. Justice Erle,
produced the affidavit sworn to in his presence, and
signed by Mr. Sloman. It was made on Saturday, the
19th inst., and the judge's order was granted the same
day. Witness was authorised to act for any of the judges
at chambers.
. Anna Giovanna Caradori stated (through an interpre-
ter) that she resided in Gower-street, Bedford-square.
and was the wife of Antonio Janik. She was engaged
by Mr. Jarratt to sing at Drury-lane Theatre. Sh
knew the defendant by sight only, having seen him oc-
casionally on the stage of the theatre. She never had
any conversation with him ou the 19th, . or any other
day, relative to her intention to leave England, nor did
Signor Pavesi in her presence. She had never expressed
any such intention to any one, and had never enter-
tained the idea. She had never given notice to leave
her apartments, nor to discontinue her carriage, nor had
she ever given her servants notice to leave. She had
accepted other engagements to sing in England, and ha
applied to Lard Palmerston for the privilege and dis-
tinction of naturalisation, as a denizen of this country.
The official reply of the Hon. Mr. Fitzroy, the un-
der-secretary of the Horne-office, was here, produced. It
stated that Madame Caradori had not yet resided in
England sufficiently long to entitle her to a certificate of
naturalisation--a residence of three years' duration being
necessary ; but she was at liberty to renew her applicee
Lion at the expiration of that time, if still residing in tins country. Madame Caradori's engagement with Mr.
Knowles, to sing at the Manchester Theatre, from
October 2 till December 16, was also put in, and
proved.
Mr. Henry inquired who was the responsible manager
at Drury-lane during the last week of Madame Cara-
-don's engagement ? Mr. Smith, the lessee, was present,
and perhaps he could say ?
Alr. Smith smiledmegatively. ei
Mr. Lewis believed it was a kind of crlarnerea-ealth.
Madame Caradori (renewed -tetandaittZdn)— Had no
idea what she was taken into cnst'sdy tor until sae was
and by the officer in the lock-up house, and that was the
first trine she had heard of Mr. Slotnari, or his claim
upon her. She told the man that she .rid 'not owe any-
thing to anybody. She had ta pay upwards of 301. to
get her liberty again.. She told the doer, in the first
place, that she would deposit the amount claimed di-
rectly; but she was not let out of the spcnging-house
until. Sunday night.
Cross-examined--My proper name is Janik. Caradori was my maiden name ; but I am generally :known by it
professionally.'

ver,:ttlou .

- -
Mr. Lewis (defendant's attorney) submitted that this
admission was fatal to the case. The summons had been
taken in a wrong name.
Mr. Benry—l have power to amend the summons,
but that is not necessary. The complainant, being ge-
nerally known as Madame Caradori, can sue in that
name.

Mr. Lewis did not think this was legal.
Mr. Henry—lt ham been so decided a great many
times. If you can show me any cases to the contrary,
I will refer to thew.