The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-01 00:00:00

, HOUSE OF LORDS.
TALBOT'S MOMS.
The further lwaring of this ease was resumed to-day, anti
the,followiugyitgesses were ealled..orchehalf of the opponents
of the tilt :-

Tho noble and learned lords in attendance were the Lord
Chancellor, Lord Brougham, and Lora St. Leonards.
Thomas Quirk, h shoemaker,
.was the first witness galled
He said—l am atcquainted with 'Maria Mooney, who resided
with Mrs. Talbot. After`Mrs. Talbot had left Mount Talbot
I had a eanyksation witltMaria Mooney about Mrs. Talbot,
*la she spoke most hi,t,thlY of her.
By Lord Si;; beollaxds —Maria Mooney told me that there
was no truth lithe reports,about Mullan.
•Exiunination.caubinuedr--She offered to be sworn upon a
one pound note that there was no truth in them. '
Cross-exanfined-Ll'saw the Man. Carrick once in reference
to this matter, and signed a paper on that occasion.
Mr. John Paget said—l am a member of the bar. Mrs.
Talbot's sister is my brother's wife. Mrs. Talbot is about
37 years of age. My acquaintance with the family coat:-
mane:3d in 1813, and has continued uninterruptedly np to tha
present time. I have,had frequent opportunities of geeing
Mrs. Talbot. On the.2d August, 1852, I first heard of the
Charges against Mrs. Talbot. I was not at that time aware,
,where Mrs. Talbot was. I took steps to discover her retreat,
and eventuallyi found that she was residing in the neigh-
bourhood of Windsor_ with a lady ,same Fiveman or. Ten-
cant. I first saw Mrs. Talbot in November sin that, year, at
the White hart at Wiridior, ice company with a gentleman
named Long,' soliciter at Windsor. - My biother and his
wife were present, and Mrs. Talbot returned to my house,-
where she remained :,for about two days; After that she
went to my fatheu,s • house, in 'Leicestershire, with my
brother and his wife. In consequence of these matte's I
went to Dublin, amid ascertained that the writ of inquiry in
Mullan's case had been executed. I understood that Mr.
Worthington, a proctor there, was icstructed to act on
behalf of ItiTs. Talbot. I was instr4r4tal in employing a
114:leskyssouotekthoN.,palibibo4C-Aulity:44l4r
. _

all the matters connected with thil unfortunate affair. Mrs
Talbot remained at my father's house till August in last year.
Mr. MgJauslaad discharged the legal expenses in the Consis-
toHal Court, and my brother and myself will defray the ex-
penses here. It appeared to me that Mrs. Talbot's mind from
1852 became entirely shattered and disordered. Previous to
her marriage I think she was a person below the ordinary
range of intellect, although an accomplished person. She was
of her six sisters least endowed with intellectual powers. The
last time I saw Mrs. Talbot was in November last, at the
railway station at Leicester. Up to that time, I think, her
intellect was impaired. I wrote a pamphlet, and I addressed
a copy of the book to each of the members of the Legislature.
When I sent the book I had no idea that these proceedings
would have been instituted.
By Lord St. Leonard/I —I have seen Mr. and Mrs. Talbot.
constantly together in July, 1851, when they were in London, j
They appeared to live on amicable terms.
Cross-examined—Mrs. Talbot, during her residence with
my father, associated with the family. After the decision of
the delegates I addressed a letter to Mr. Justice Torrens,
which was published, as well as my brother's letter to the
Lord •Lieutenant of Ireland. Letters were also sent to the
members of . both houses of the Legislature. Copies •f
my correspondtitce with. Mrs. Tennant, which I believed to
be confidential, were forwarded to Mr. Adair, the petitioner's
attorney, and I was examined as to it in Dublin. .
Mrs. Tertius Paget examined—l am the sister of Mrs.
Talbot, who was married on the 2d January, 1845, and
was married some time after my sister, in 1850. After
my sister's wedding trip she settled at Summer-hill. I ob-
served during my residence with my sister upon the shock-
ing set ef women servants by whom she was surrounded.
Mullen always seemed to conduct himself in a most re-
spectful and proper manner towards her. I first heard
of these painful circumstances in connection with my
sister in May, 1852. I first saw her after she left Mount
Tal of in the ensuing November, at the White Hart, at
Windsor. My sister's altered manner was most peculiar.
At first she was calm, then she became excited. She asked
for her child, whom she supposed was in heaven. She was
in the habit of searching throughout my father's house for
her child. On one occasion she said to me, "If my husband'
would but have listened to me I could have explained all."
The Rev. Robert Gage was the person through whom we ob-
tained a clue to my sister's residence at Windsor. Wo had
some difficulty in obtaining an interview with her. I ascer-
tained that my sister was most cruelly treated at Mrs. True-
man's. She was locked up, and not allowed to go out.
Mrs. Trucman is a foreigner. I saw my sister, about two
months ago, at a friend's house in Leicestershire, Her mind
was then weaker than it was six months ago. My sister,
during her residence with her husband, was neglected very
much, and was not allowed to have any money. Mr. Talbot
at this time kept three hunters. My sister never complained,
but I remarked that she was most niggardly supplied with
clothes. My sister's conduct as a wife was most exemplary.
Cross-examined—My sister is at present at Ryde. She was
staying at Hampton-court with Lady Hertford.
Mr. Thomas Tertius Paget was then called. He said--I am
a banker at Leicester, and husband of the last witness. I
have known Mrs. Talbot both before and after her marriage.
As far as I have observed Mrs. Talbot's conduct was most
correct. She app ared to be devoted to her husband. The
female servants about Mrs. Talbot were of the lowest kind, I
was quite struck by their appearance and demeanour. (Mr.
Paget corroborated the statements of the last two witnesses
as to the weak condition of Mrs. Talbot's mind.)
Cross-examined—Since the decision in the Consistorial
Court, Mr. m'Causland has refused to allow Mrs. Talbot to
reside with his younger daughters.
Mrs. John Paget examined—l am the wife of Mr. John
Paget. I saw Mrs. Talbot, whom I knew as a girl, in Nov,,
1852. She was in a very wild state. Her manner was most
strange. I slept in the room with her when she was in Leices-
tershire.
This witness was not cross-examined.
Mr. Paget, senior—l am a magistrate of the county of
Leicester. Mrs. Talbot, during her residence at my house,
acted like the most perfect lady.
Mr. Sergeant Wraugham said this closed the evidence os
his side.

Mr. Denman, in the absence of Mr. Mereweather, declined
at present to call any witnesses.
Mr. Sergeant Byles said that, with the permission of their
lordships, he would call a few witnesses, to contradict what
some of those on behalf of the opponents to the bill had
stated.

The statement which had been made by Hester Keogh
(now Leonard) id the court below was produced and read,
with the view of showing that the evidence which she gate
yesterday (Tuesday) was incorrect ; and Mr. Adair, the peti-
tioner's solicitor, was recalled, and deposed to certain discre-
pancies in the testimony given by her on the two occasions.
Mr. Adair, iu his cross-examination, said he was not able
to say whether or not Hester Keogh's signature was written
by her or by himself. If Hester Keogh had sworn that she
had not signed the document, he should say that be had
signed it himself.
Lord St. Leonards, having examined the document, said
there was no doubt that the signature was in the handwriting
of Mr. Adair.

Mr. Sergeant Wrangham then addressed their lordships in
opposition to the bill. He said the question for their decision
was not whether this unfortunate lady had been treated as if
she had been guilty of adultery, but whether she was actu-
ally guilty, and also whether the petitioner was entitled to
the relief which he sought at their hands by the infidelity
of the lady towards her husband. The most remarkable por-
tion of this most remarkable case was, that the greater per-•
tion of the evidence which had been brought forward in Dublin
had not been produced in this house, and an equally great pro-
portion, which had never before been heard or, had been adduced
at their lordships' bar. He was entirely taken by surprise by
the evidence which had been given, as the case had assumed a
new aspect. Nothing had beau(heard of a circumstance
which, it was alleged, took place on the 19th May, 1852, and
which formed part of the charge against this unfortunate
lady. The mon Finnerty and Halloran were the two solitary
witnesses upon whose evidence the verdict before the sheriff
was returned, and neither of them had appeared at the bar
of their lordships' house. Ho felt placed in a most awkward
position, in consequence of the case which he had come
there to meet having vanished altogether; and a large body
of evidence previously wholly unknown to bum having been'
substituted. Although the evidence of the Rev. Mr. Ser-
geant and Mr. Purcell were unknown to the other side
Previous to the adjournment of the house, there was evi-
dence which they had introduced, aid of which they must
have been aware. He alluded to that of Carr and
Deegan, who spoke to the truly incredible story which they
alleged to have witnessed in the stable at Mount Talbot.
These witnesses were thrown in as a make-weight by the
other side, who began to distrust their case. Those diffi-
culties which had arisen from the sudden intervention of
new evidence had been carried out to the utmost point by
the still fresher testimony which had been given before their
lordships since their reassembling, to account for the diffi-
culties ho bad to encounter. Their lordships were asked to
believe that a lady married to a man, apparently of suitable
station, had at once forgotten all the duties instilled into her
during her childhood, by prostituting herself to her own '
groom in the most reckless, the most disgraceful manner;
that that lady was guilty of the grossest conduct in every
room in the house, in tho most lascivious and wanton manner,
and that with a man who was proved to have been suffering
from a loathsome disease throughout the whole time of the
all ged improper intercourse. According to all the evidence,
this lady, who it was stated was forgetful of the duties of a
wife, forgetful of the duties of a woman, was a most affection-
ate mother. Was it to be believed that this poor woman
would have placed her child, on whom she doted, in a cot con-
tiguous to the bed on which she was locked in the embraces
of adulterous intercourse with that man, Mullan ? This case
appeared to him full of improbabilities. They were told, on
one hand, that Mrs. Talbot abandoned herself to the em
braces of Mullan, while at the same time she conducted her-
self with the utmost cunning towards those of her intimate
friends, who were constantly in the most familiar intercourse
with her. Her friendsh td spoken of her purity of mind ; and
he would ask their lordships was it credible that a woman like
Mrs. Talbot would have prostituted herself not alone in the
rooms in her own house, but the dirtiest of dirty stables with
her own groom ! Their lordships were asked to believe that
Mrs. Talbot bad elevated her groom to the enjoyment of her
favours. Was it not most improbable ? When amongst equals
the display of affection was easily discovered, was it not far
more easy to have observed the criminal conduct which was
said to have existed between Mrs. Talbot and her man-ser-
vant by those who were her intimate friends? There were no
less than nine witnesses who had spoken to the familiarity
which had existed between Mrs. Talbot and Mullan, and two
had sworn to direct acts of adultery. The fair fame of that
lady depended upon the decision of their lordships, who
would be governed by the surrounding circumstances of the
case,,

The learned sergeant had not concluded when the house
adjourned till Friday morning at ten o'clock.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.-April 30.

(Before Mr. Creasy, in the Second Court.)
William Wheeler, the landlord of the Queen's Arms Public-
house in the Caledonian-road, surrendered to take his trial
on an indictment, in which he was charged with indecently
assaulting Fanny Cracknell, and also with committing a com-
mon assault upon her.
Mr. Ribt•a appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Ballantine
for the defendant.

The prosecut;ix a very modest-looking girl, 17 years of
age, stated that she now lived with her father at No, 9, park_
place, Clapham. She had been barmaid at the Queen's Arms
public-house, in the Caledonian-road, of which the defendant
was the landlord. On the night of the 16th of March she
Went to bed between 12 and 1 o'clock, and when ehe went