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

TAE .SUN, LONDON,. EVENING AUGUST- .3i71, 185 it

`SHARE MARKETS.
(THIS DAY.)

RAILWAYS.

Leasing
Company,

closing Prices
yest a day.

Business
this day.

BRITISH RAILWAYS.

,iedford and
;Iletchley
Buckghsmsh.
Clydesdale Jo.
E. Lincoln gr.
6 per cent.
Glos. Barr. &
Neils. Direct
Do. New......,
Glstr.& Dn. Fr
iirtlpl. Dk. &'
Railway.....
Hull & Selby
Do. Shares.
Do. 4 Shores.
Lon.&Creenw
Do. Preference
Lowestoft gr.
4 per cent.
Do. 6 per ct.
Manch. %tn.
and Matlock
,Aidcllesebro' &
Bede:or. ......

sfidld. Bradfd
Northern an, t
Easternsp.e.
110. 6 per et.
Do. Fixeds p
'Prest. & Pyre

Do. h Shares.
lloystn .8; Hit.
Do.Shepth. St
Shef.Roth.a: G
Goole g. 5 p.c.
S. Staffordsh.
Wear Valleygi
6 per cent...
D 0..... ......

Wilts&Somrsi

GUN-BOATS.

THE ROYAL OPERA 'SPECULATION.

THE PRIMA DONNA AND THE MACHINIST.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Benjamin Montan, carpen-
ter and machinist of the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, ap-
peared at Bow-street police court, before Mr. Henry, to
answer a charge of wilful perjury, preferred against him
by Madame Caradori, the prima donna of the opera
company lately performing at that theatre.
Mr. Lewis, solicitor, of Ely-place, conducted the pro-
secution ; and Mr. Lewis, of Golden-square, attended
for the defendant.
From the opening statement of the case, it appeared
that Madame Caradori and Signo Pavesi had engaged to
sing at Drury-lane, on the re-opening of the theatre,
" under new management," and they were announced to
appear on Monday evening, the 21st inst., in Lucrcict
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 di-continue singing at Drury-lane, and to return forth-
with to Germany, the Monday following being specified
as the day on N‘hich she had resolved to leave England.
Upon this alleged avowal the deponent founded his claim
to have Madame Caradori and Signor Pavesi held to bail
in respect of certain debts said to have been incurred by
them, and which, it was represented, they were
designing to avoid by quitting the country. The sum
.i 221. 18a. 6d. was claimed by deponent for services per-
formed, and, in consequence of the statements deposed
to in the affidavit, Baron Martin granted an order for the
immediate apprehension of the complainants. 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.
Jarratt, the managing director of the company, in
Alfred
-place. She was taken direct to a sponging-house,
and it being too late to get assistance, was detained in cus-
tody the whole of the following Sunday (the 20th), hav-
ing only obtained her liberation at a late hour that day
by paying the amount of the alleged debt and costs, not
a farthing .of which was due from her. Signor Pavesi
was treated in a similar manner, and, not being able to
speak or understand a word of English, believed he had
been forcibly taken to Some house of iniquity for the pnr•
pose of being robbed.
Mr.LewisL stated that, although his clients were not
indebted to any one, it would be unnecessary to discuss
that question now. The charge
arge of perjury had reference
to the assertion of Mr. Sloman that his clients had told
him of their intention to leave the country. Now, with
respect to Signor Pavesi, the simple fact that he could
not speak a word of English, and that Mr. Sloman could
speak nothing but English, was sufficient to show that
no conversation of the kind could have ever passed be-
tween them. Madame Caradori could only speak the
English language very imperfectly, but it happened that
she knew nothing of Mr. Sloman, except from seeing
hini occasionally at the theatre, and had never had any
conversation with him whatever with him in her life.
Apart from these conclusive facts, it was absurd even to
suppose that such a communication would be made by
parties, against whom a claim for money was being set
up, to the very person interested in detaining them in
England. The truth was, however, that Madame Carador
uad never entertained the slightest idea of leaving the
country, but on the contrary had accepted engagements
to sing at Brighton, Manchester, and elsewhere, until
December next. The whole story of her intended
aepai tore was concocted, and the partictilar time
selected for the execution of the wait disclosed the
real character of the entire transaction. She had
:.ever been asked to pay the money ; no account was
ever sent to her, no notice of the proceedings was
wen to her. She never heard of Sloman's claim until
otter she had been locked up in the sponging-house,
and it was only by paying the exaggerated charges of
~he sheriff and the unjust claim of defendant that
;:he 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 discharge from prison.
Mr. Lewis (defendant's attorney) : We were not re-
sponsible fur 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 furnish-
ing an account of the claim.
Mr. T. Simpson Jeffrey, clerk to Mr. Justice Erie,
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 on 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-
tamed the idea. She bad 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, anC bad
applied to Lord 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 Home-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 applica-
tion at the expiration of that time, if still residing in
this country. Madame Caradori's engagement with Mr.
Knowles, to sing at the Manchester Theatre, from
October 2 till Dcember 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-
dori's engagement ? Mr. Smith, the lessee, was present,
and perhaps he could say ?
Mr. Smith smiled negatively.
Mr. Lewis believed it was a kind of commonwealth.
Madame Caradori (renewed examination)— Had no
idea what she was taken into custody for until she was
told by the officer in the lock-up house, and that was the
first time she had heard of Mr. Sloman, or his claim
upon her. She told the man that she did not owe any-
thing to anybody. She had to pay upwards of 301. to
get her liberty again. She told the officer, in the first
place, that she would deposit the amount claimed di-
rectly; but she was not let out of the sponging-house
until Sunday night.
Cross-examined—My proper name is Janik. Caradori
was my maiden name ; but I am generally known by it
professionally.
Mr. Lewis (defendant's attorney) submitted that this
admission was fatal to the case. The summons had been
taken in a wrong name.
Mr. Henry--I 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.