The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-05 00:00:00

_ .
was a lady, and had kept 15 servants, and I told her I
did not care how many servants she had kept. I men-
tioned nothing of what I had seen her husband. He did
not ask me anything about the matter. I was very well
aware that it was an improper thing for Mr. Baldwin to
come out of Mrs. Atkinson's bed-room. He might not
have seen me. There were other servants in the house,
and I poiuted out to one of them that Mr. Baldwin's bed
had not bee.o slept in. Mr. Atkinson was not very often
at the house with his wife. Mr. Baldwin was constantly

left there with Mrs. Atkinson.
Re-examined--After these things occurred I noticed a
difference in the conduct of Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson to-

wards each other.

Frances Smith saia —I a 1852 I was servant at a

house on Royal•terrace, itanisgate, where the plaintiff
and his wife had apartments. Mr. Baldwin also lodged
there. There was a sofa in the (lining-room, at the

back of folding doors which opened to a bed-room.
While I was in this bed-room upon one occasion, when
Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson had returned ffroma
party, I heard something take place in the adjoining
room. There was a dreadful noise, and I thought the
folding doors would be forced m, and I went down-
stairs and told my fellow-servants I was sure that some-
thing wrong was going on. There was no one in the
dining-room at the time but Mrs. Atkinson and the
defendant. The folding doors shook violently, as though
the sofa was pressed against them. I have frequently
seen Mrs. Atkinson and Mr. Baldwin kiss one another,
and I have seen them sitting together on a sofa.
Cross-examined—They had been to a ball on the night
I have mentioned. Mrs. Atkinson and Mr. Baldwin
had been staying in the house about- a vreek-atthe time.
I was in Mr. Baldwin's bedroom when I heard the fold-
ing doors shake. Mr. Atkinson did not come down
until about a fortnight before they all left the apartments.
no lady friend or relation of Mrs. Atkinson visited her
while she was stopping at the house in the Royal-ter,
race. Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson used to take
their meals and walk out together. I don't know
where they went to. After Mr. Atkinson came home
Mr. Baldwin used to go to sleep at his club. There
was not accommodation for both the gentlemen at the
house. I said nothing to Mr. Atkinson about what I
had seen, and I did not tell anybody until last May,
when I was examined by the attorney for Mr. Atkin-
son. Mrs. Atkinson's children were staying with her.
The eldest child appeared about 11 years old. I never
observed that Mrs. Atkinson appeared to be in bad
health.

Charlotte Philpott said—l lived at 16, Nelson-cres-
cent, Ramsgate, at the time Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson,
Mr. Baldwin, and the children were staying there. My
bedroom was under that occupied by Mrs. Atkinson,
and Mr. Baldwin occupied one near it. Upon one oc-
casion I heard Mr. Baldwin say to Mrs. Atkinson that
it would better for her to come to his bedroom than for
him to go to hers, as he made such a noise in opening
the door, and that it also made him cough, besides
which " Charlotte" slept in the room underneath, and
she could hear all that took place. After this Mrs.
Atkinson told me not to be alarmed if I heard a noise
in the night, as Mr. Baldwin frequently went to the
watercloset. I have seen Mrs. Atkinson sitting on Mr.
Baldwin's knee, with his arm round her waist. Another

time I was taking up the tea when Mrs. Atkinson came
out of her room with her hair hanging about her face,
and she appeared very excited. Mr. Baldwin was in the
room at the time. On the occasion of the Duke of Wel-

lington's funeral Mrs. Atkinson went to town, and when
she returned she was angry, and said she had missed
Mr. Baldwin at the station, and she was afraid some-
thing had happened to him. She also said, that if she
lost him she should lose the best friend she ever had.
Mr. Baldwin came home soon afterwards. Mr. Atkin-
son came down while Mr. Baldwin was there, and there
was a quarrel. Mr. Baldwin went out, and Mrs. Atkin-
son sent me after him, and I found him on the pier, and,
at her request, I told him to come to see her, and that
she had told me to say she should not be happy till she
had seen him. After this Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson ap-
peared to be reconciled to each other.
Cross-examined--Mr. Atkinson was quite aware that
Mr. Baldwin was staying in the house with his wife.
Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson never " minced," but
used to talk quite loud, and I could hear every word
they said. I did not put my ear to the keyhole ; it was
not at all necessary that I should do so, as I could hear
everything without. He slept in the house with Mr.
Atkinson's knowledge for several days. The quarrel
took place on the Wednesday, and Mr. Atkinson
inquired of me if I knew of anything improper between
Airs. Atkinson and Mr. Baldwin, and I said 1 did not.
My reason for telling this falsehood was, that I knew
Mr. Baldwin was going away, and I did not like to say
anything against Mrs. Atkinson. I said nothing when
Mr. Baldwin came back. I told the truth to the attor-

ney, because I knew I should be put on my oath. At
the time of the quarrel Mrs. Atkinson said that her
hushand had been endeavouring to take her character

away, and she wanted to pack up her things and go
home to her father. When she said this I (lid not tell
her what I had heard take place between her and Mr

Bald win.

Re-examined—l never saw anything improper take
place between Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson after
the quarrel. Mr. Atkinson appeared to be satisfied that
nothing wrong had taken place.
By Mr. Ballantine—After all this had happened
Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson went up to London
together.
Susan Perry—l lived as servant in Nelson-cres-
cent, while Mr. Baldwin and Mrs. Atkinson lived
there. One evening Mr. Baldwin came in about
five o'clock, and Mrs. Atkinson said to him, "MY
dear, how late you are ; have you had your
dinner ?" After this Mrs. Atkinson told me not to
be alarmed if I heard any one walking about in the
night, as Mr. Baldwin was in the habit of getting up at
night to go to the water-closet. I frequently observed,
while Mr. Atkinson was away, the appearance of two
persons having slept in the bed of Mrs. Atkinson, and that
Mr. Baldwin's had not been slept in. Several mornings,
when I was engaged in sweeping the drawingroom, Mr.
Baldwin has come in with nothing but his dressing-gown
on, and when I went out I saw that Mrs. Atkinson's bed-
room door was ajar. I have also seen Mr. Baldwin lying
upon the sofa, and Mrs. Atkinson sitting by him with
her dress turned up. I also once saw Mr. Baldwin kiss
Mrs. Atkinson just before she was going to bed. I men-
tioned all these things to the other servants.
Cross-examined—Mr. Baldwin had no breakfast at
home, and he was generally at his club the greater part
of the day. In the evening he and Mrs. Atkinson used
to walk out together, and they seemed very familiar to-
gether. I have never seen Mr. Baldwin kiss Mrs. At-
kinson when her husband was present. Nobody made
any inquiries of me as to what Thad seen until last March.
Re-examined—On the nights when Mr. Atkinson slept
with his wife I did not see Mr, Baldwin so early the fol-
lowing morning.

Dr. Ilarlinesaid—l am a physician, and I was con-
sulted with regard to the health of Mrs. Atkinson, and
it was by my advice she went to the sea-side, as I con-
sidered the air of Peterborough very detrimental to her,
and that she could not recover while she remained
there.

By Mr. Serjeant Shee—Her case was an obstinate
one, but was not dangerous. There was a general de-
rangement of the system.
By Mr. Chambers—Her disease was not of a character
to cast any imputation upon her husband.
Mr. Robert Clark—l was clerk to the plaintiff at his
brewery. At the latter end of April last the plaintiff
left Peterborough to go to Totnes, and by his direction I
detained the letter now produced, which I sent to the
plaintiff.
Mr. F. W. Smith, a clerk in the banking house of
Sir Claude Scott and Co., where Mr. Baldwin kept an
account proved that the letters produced were in the
handwriting of the defendant.
The letter referred to in the opening address of the
learned counsel was then put in and read.
Mr. C. Smith—On the 25th of April I was station-
master at Peterborough, and in the afternoon of that
day Mrs. Atkinson carne to the station and took
ticket for London. a
the following day. She returned to Peterborough on

- - Mr. Keen, a solicitor of London deposed that Mr.
Baldwin was at one time member for Totnes, and was a
gentleman of position and station in the world.
Mr. Bryett, a solicitor of Totnes, deposed that in
April of the present year Mr. Atkinson was in that town
on Mr. Baldwin's behalf, in reference to the election
petition that was at that time going on against the re-
turn of Mr. Mills.
This Closed the case for the plaintiff.
Mr. Serjeant Shee then made a most eloquent and
powerful address to the jury on behalf of the defendant.
He said that during a now somewhat lengthened expe-
rience at the bar, he had never listened to or been con-
cerned in a case of this description which had created
greater feelings of shame and sorrow in his mind than
the present one. They had heard a great deal said
about the plaintiff and the defendant, and it appeared to
be forgotten that there was another person whose dearest
interests were at stake in this inquiry, namely, the un-
happy young lady, the wife of the plaintiff, to whom the
issue involved in the inquiry was one of the most fearful _
character. To his client, a man bordering on theaud
f gtuo
70, married, and with a grown up family, and h
hitherto enjoyed an unsullied reputation, he need not say
the issue was almost equally fearful, and he must say
that in all his experience he bad never known an attempt
to be made to establish guilt of this description
upon such evidence as had been adduced that day. The
defendant could not but feel that having such
preferred against him was aheavwyercea
felt I() 'be of more
were other considerations which bauethathregree
whether counsel,
importance to him as a man of honour,muu and which must
come home to the heartffoeufteevaery
him m'ore than his own
jury, or judge,
interest— name lwy,h which
he
of the fatal hazard, called a
dreadful issue involved to the
The result happy lady. forth to the
trial, to her was whetherres she was to go
world branded as an adultsess ; whether
etahleth, once happy
Mary Tomlin, the daughter ofa m
and beloved by all who knewt her, should be thus branded
contempt and consigned to
and disgrace—to a fate far
worse
than death itself. He did not believe, however,
that when the jury had heard the evidence he should