The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-24 00:00:00

Dross-examined by Dr. Deane : When did you see Lady
Mordaunt last ?—On last Thursday.
In what state did you find her ?—ln such a state that I
consider her mind is gone.
Lord Penzance : Incurably so ?—Witness : No.
Cross-examination continued, I went to see
Mordaunt by Serjeant Ballantine's request. I could not
state the age of the child. I cannot say wha'. was the.
weight of this child from my own knowledge. I under-
stooa,
Why should you call on Dr. Jones ?—Because I thought
there was a great deal going on that would come out after-
wards, and 1 felt I should like to have somebody eke at
my back. _ _ _

Cross-examination continued : I buggested that Dr.
Jones should be called on the Bth. I did not think it
necessary to take measures to prevent unusual excite-
ment. I never saw any nervous attacks about her, cr any
loes of memory. I may have said she was prostrate from
eecitement.

To the judge : I did not see the excitement ; I only saw
tho prostration. . •

Cross-examination continued : The nervous system was
prostrate, but it was not in consequence of that that I
called in Dr. Jones. It was on the whole case. lam
sure she was not hysterical. I never told Sir Charles she
was. Dr. Jones thought there was cataleptic hysteria ;
but I did not agree with him. The child's eyes got per-
fectly well, but after what I considered to be a long time,
namely 21 days. From the examinationof Lady Mordaunt
which I made on the 28th March I came to the conclusion
tint she was suffering from gonorhoea. On the 31st of
March I made another examination. These examinations
were made by req nest of Sir Charles. The second exami-
nation confirmed my opinion. Third and fourth examina-
tous were made, one with Dr. Jones. I expected what I
found. Lady MOrdaunt objected to the first examination,
but not afterwards. I virtually refused to give Sir
Jaines Simpson or Dr. Priestly information on
the case. It is not my practice to do so; but
I considered there were two sides, and that they
came down in the interest of the other side, I kept my
own side. Lady Mordaunt first appeared to me to be
shamming on the Monday week after the confinement.
She did not put on any appearance, but she would not
speak. From that time, the 10th May, she appeared to
be shamming more or less. I thought she could speak if
she liked. Silence and a fixed look were all the appear-
ances she assumed.

To the Judge : This was what Dr. Jones thought cata-
leptic hysteria. . _

Cross-examination continued : At Worthing I con-
sidered she was shamming. At present she apparently
cannot understand what is said to her.

Lord Penzance : How should you find that out ?
Witness : By watching her countenance.
Cross-examination continued : Previously she did shew
intelligence sometimes, even when bearing the fixed look.
I do not thing she is .shamming now, because I cannot
make the slightest impression on her. There was no per-
ception at all now.

lle-examined by Serjeant Ballantine : I could only ac-
count for the state of the child by supposing there was
something the matter with the mother, and therefore it
was my duty to make an examination.
By the Judge : I do not consider the descriptions of her
state given in the letters of Sir Charles Mordannt in the
second week after her confinement to be correct.
Mr. Jones, examined by Serjeant Bolantine : lam a
fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, practising at
Leamington. When I first saw Lady Mordaunt, on
the 10th March, she was not suffering from
puerpural mania. On the 20th she was better.
When I first saw her I found her without the least sign
of fever. Then I questioned her, and could get no reply.
I found she had taken no food for some time, My visit
was so unsatisfactory that I told Mr. Orford I must come
again. On the next day, I found that there was some
mystery about her on the part of Mr. Orford. I asked
what it was. He said he was not at liberty to say. I
must find out for myself. I thought she had better be
roused. She was in a hysterical condition, which I thought
was dependent upon mental emotion, and accounted for
puerperal mania. I mean that something affected her
spirits. The next day she was not suffering from insanity.
There were no signs on any day of insanity. She was
capable of understanding what was said to her, and was
generally sane, Pressure of circumstances could scarcely
fail to produce the peculiar appearances which presented
themselves.

dioss-examined by Dr. Deane—Nothing would account
for her appearance but these circumstances. Her state
was quite inconsistent with disease of the brain or any
kind of mania. On the 10th of Jnly when I saw her the
evidence was-not sufficient to enable me to form a distinct
oPinion'of her state. The appearances, considering the
antecedent circumstances—what I knew of her—were
quite inconsistent then with any form of mania. In March
she was suffering from calaleptic hysterics, which is a
functional disturbance. It does not necessarily affect the
spinal chord except by reflex action. During my first
attendance on her I did not find her prostrate. I
should say this combination of calelepsy and hysteria
would have a tendency to affnt the brain if continued
for a long time. I can scarcely judge of her condition
from my visit the other day. On my arrival I saw a stout-
looking person, whom I did not at first recognise as Lady
Mordaunt. She said, " How do you do ?" and from that
I expected to be able to ascertain her real state.
We went into the room, and she suddenly threw herself
on the rug before the fire. I said, "Do you like sitting
there in preference to sitting in a chair ?" She said,
" Sometimes." She then went suddenly to the end of the
room, and I could not get her to speak. I took her into
the drawing room and talked to her, and appealed to her,
but. could get no answer. It is consistent with my ex-
perience that a person whose brain is affected maylave
lucid intervals, and talk sensibly for some time.
Dr. Tyler Smith, physician accoucheur at St. Mary's
Hospital, was next examined by Mr. Serjeant Ballantine,
and stated his opinion formed by the evidence given that
Lady Mordaunt had no puerperal mania at the time of
the confinement. Such a mania might last a year or
two. During such time the patient would have no lucid
interval. Believed Mr. Orford and Mr. Jones
were right about the absence of insanity.
At the request of Sir Charles Mordaunt's ad-
visers witness saw the respondent in December, and ob-
served certain peculiarities, but could not say he saw
anything which might not easily have been feigned.
To the Judge : H all he saw was real and not feigned,
' the appearances were those of dementia.
Examination continued : Considered her health bad.
She looked plump, but was not well.
Cross-examined by Dr. Deane : Puerperal excitement
assumed a phase of taciturnity as well as of excitement.
It also assumed the form of dislike to husbands and
other relatives. In rare cases hysteria might go on to in-
sanity, but not to puerperal insanity. In the latter there
were frequently delusions and self-accusations. The
patient's mind often ran on social matters.
To the Judge : In a few days the symptoms of puerperal
insanity were at their worst. They progressed at first,
then remained obstinate for a time, the general tendency
being to recover ultimately.

Tgis concluded the petitioner's case.
Dr. Deane then said two names had been introduced
prominently into the case; one being the Prince of Wales,
whom he proposed to call ; the other name was that of
Sir F. Johnstone, with whom had been connected a
hideous story, and he proposed to call him.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales then entered
the court from a private room behind the bench, and on
stepping into the witness-box, was sworn.
Before he proceeded to give evidence, Lord Penzance
said he thought it his duty to call the attention of his Royal
Highness to the Act of last session, by which it was pro-
vided that a person accused of adultery was not obliged
to submit himself to interrogatories on the subject.
The Prince of Wales, examined by Dr. Deane, said: I
have been for some years acquainted with the Moncrieff
family. I knew Lady Mordaunt before her marriage. On
Lady Mordaunt's marriage I wrote to her. I made her a
present before her marriage. She visited at Marlborough
House, and has gone to the theatre with myself
and the Princess of Wales. In 1867 and 1868
I saw her frequently. I was acquainted with
Sir Charles Mordaunt. I have often met him with
Lady Mordaunt. On one occasion, at a pigeon match at
Hurlingham, in June 1868, I and Sir Charles were the
captains of two counties (Warwickshire and Norfolk).
Lady Mordaunt scored for both sides. I spoke to her at
times when Sir Charles was by, I believe. I use Hansom
cabs occasionally.
Dr. Deane : Has there ever been any improper
familiarity or criminal act between yourself and Lady
Mordaunt ?

The Prince of Wales : There has not. (Applause.)
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine : I have no question to ask his
Royal Highness.
His Royal Highness then left the Court amidst soma
applause.
Sir F. Johnstone (having had his attention called to the
Act of last year) was examined by Dr. Deane, and said :
I have been acquainted with Lady Mordaunt's family
many years. In December 1868, I dined with her at the
Alexandra Hotel alone. ' Mr. Forbes told me she was in
town. I got there about eight and left about twelve.
From first to last has there been any familiarity or im-
proper intercourse between you and Lady Mordaunt ?
Certainly not. The statement that I was suffering from
disease is utterly untrue.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine : I was not suf-
fering at this time nor for many years previously. I did
not know it was to be a tete-a-tete interview. We were in
the sitting-room, which was furnished as sitting-rooms
generally are. I had no business relations with Lady
Mordaunt.
Dr. Deane said that was his case.

Lord Penzance said, before Serjeant Ballantine ad-
dressed the jury, he wished to observe that certain letters
had been put in and not read. He thought the letters of
the Prince of Wales ought to be read.
Dr. Deane remarked that there was a course taken with
respect to those letters to which he ought to call atten-
tion, though it might be unimportant. The letters were
put in, but were not read ; yet they all made their appear-
ance in the next morning's papers.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine : A most improper proceeding.
Lord Penzance : Most improper.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine : And one which I am totally
unable to account for. I was never more surprised in my
life. In truth I intended to refer to one of them for a
date, but it was not my intention to have read them.
Lord Penzance : They could not have been procured from
the officers of the court ; they therefore must have been
procured from some other party. It was a great act of
impropriety, and I very much doubted whether the court
should not take notice of it as contempt of court. The
impropriety consisted in publishing them then; it is
proper that they should be read now.
The letters of the Prince of Wales to Lady Mordaunt
were then read.

Mr. Serjeant Ballantine said with the permission of the
Court he would defer his address until the next day.
His Lordship assenting,
The Court adjourned until Thursday at a quarter put
three o'clock.

The naval passengers embarked to join her Ma-
jesty's Indian relief screw troopships on the Indian
side of the Isthmus comprised Lieut. E. D. Law,
Paymaster Edward Faulkner, Surg. G. F. A. Drew,
Assist.-Surg. G. F. Hart, Assist.-Surg. Power,
Engineers Rollinson, Brown, Turner, and Paige ;
Gunners Cobb and Windebank, and a number of
seamen and marines.