The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-27 00:00:00

missed.
Mr. James, Q.C., opened the case for the plaintiff.
The learned gentleman, at the close of his speech,
called Captain Thomson, who stated that the
whole charge was a fabrication trumped up against
him for dismissing her from her situation as
stewardess on account of drunkenness.
Mr. Overend having addressed the jury for the
defence, called
Mrs. Isabella Mackenzie—She deposed—My
husband's name is Duncan Mackenzie. He is an
invalid, and I support him and my four children.
Soon after I went on board the Glasgow, as steward-
ess, I was sent for to the plaintiff's state cabin. When
I got there the plaintiff filled two glasses of wine;
he gave me one, and took the other himself. He
got up and told the servant, Johnny Scott, to
shut the door and stay outside. He then
came to the place where I was sitting, and tried
to assault me—that is to say, he endeavoured
to take liberties with me. (The witness here de-
scribed the conduct of the plaintiff.) He told me
that he was as cautious in his conduct as I was, for
he kept his boy at the door, and he was a boy he
could depend upon. He said I was not the first
woman he had had there. He never had had a
stewardess but who had yielded to him. He told
me to tidy my hair, and then whistled to the boy
to come in. When the boy came in the plaintiff
made some remark about the ladies, and I then left
the room. I remember the next day, after the
children's dinner, the captain sending for me again
to his room. I went ; he was there. When I went
in he was sitting with his coat off. He told me to
be seated. He told the boy, Johnny Scott, to put
down the decanters, and said he must close the
door. I refused to take any wine from him, and
he then wished me to take some brandy, saying I
looked very ill. I continued to refuse to take any
from him. He then came up to me and tried to
force me on to the sofa. (Witness here described
the plaintiff's conduct.) I resisted his endeavours,
end then he wished me not to say anything, and
not to cry, for fear any person might see me. I
remember, a few days after, the captain sending
for me again. He told me he wished me to mend
his coat. He got up and bolted the door of his
room, and drew the curtain down. He tried to kiss
me, to put his arm round my waist, and made use
of indecent language. (Witness repeated the
language.) I implored him to let me go, when be
said if I carried on in that way, and refused him, I
should certainly kill him. He gave me a glass of
water and some eau de cologne to drink. He gave me
a bottle to take with me, and told me not to tell
what had taken place. I promised him not to tell
anybpdy. He wished me to tidy my hair, and he
then unlocked the door. Johnny Scott then came
in, and the captain said, "You need not stay, Mrs.
Mackenzie; Johnny Scott will bring you my coat."
I remember the next day Johnny Scott coming to
me while at dinner, and saying that the captain
wished to see me. I tried to get up so as to avoid
my agitation being noticed, when I fainted, and
fell down by the man Kenzie, the chief steward.
He bathed my face, and said the captain only
wanted me to mend a flag, but that I was not
required then. The captain afterwards came into
the ladies' cabin, and asked why I fainted, and if
I had told anybody about what had passed between
us ? I said no. That .was on the outward passage.
On the homeward passage I recollect him sending
to me. I remember the captain coming into my
room after I had gone to bed, and after the other
ladies had gone too, and all the lights had been
extinguished. I was in the third room in the ladies' j
cabin. Nobody was there besides myself. The
captain used to threaten to come to my room; and,
in consequence, T asked the steward to put a lock
on my door, which he did. After I locked my
door I used to hear some person trying to open
it at night. I told the captain or plaintiff
of the fact, and he said, "It was not I, but I
will come in some of these nights." I begged of
him not to do so, but he said I was to be quiet,
that no harm was intended, and that it was
very improper for me to lock the door, a. it might
arouse suspicion, and might make the passengers
think there was some person with me in my room.
He said that if I continued to lock the door I should.i
get a bad name, but that if it remained open, per-
sons passing could see I had nobody with me. I
thanked him, and said I would not lock it again.
I put the curtain of my bed down quite tight.
When he came I felt some person pull the curtain,
and I said, " Oh, my God." He took up the slide
of the lantern he had with him, and I then saw
who it was. I felt quite excited. The captain told
me not to say a word, and then he put the slide
down again. He took every stitch of clothes off
my bed, and I said, " Captain Thomson, do take me
up and throw me overboard, for it is preferable to
this." He told me to be quiet, and he put his hand
on my mouth. He then left. The witness then
proceeded to relate the anoyances to which she was
subjected from the plaintiff during the second and
third voyages in the Glasgow, the conduct of the
plaintiff being, according to her statement, much
the same as that already detailed. The new por-
tions were as follows :—I recollect giving the cap-
tain a letter on one occasion when he sent for me to
his room. He was sitting on the sofa, and on my
entering he told me to be seated. He took hold of
the letter and read it, and said, looking at the sig-
nature, " Isabella Emma Mackenzie." I said,
"Yes ; I have brought this letter so that you can
understand what I mean." He read it, or at least
a portion of it, and then wished me to give him a
kiss, and told me not to be vexed with him. He
asked me if I had told anyone about what had
passed between us. I said " No." He said, if I were
to tell anyone it would kill him. He then said,
" Isabella, if you are a woman of that kind, and
yott will &give me, there will be nothing more be-
tween you and me." I promised him I would not
tell any person. I told him I should be ashamed
to tell any lady of it. Afterwards I told him I had
written several letters, but was afraid to give them
tojohnny Scott, for fear he should lose them on
the *ay, for if he had done so my character would,
perhaps, be ruined. A night or two before we got
into Liverpool, I again saw him, and he then told
me to be seated. I said, " Captain Thomson, have
you forgotten yotir promise ?" He said he wished
to see me about that letter. He wanted to know

up,what
te
tore
umeantp the the
port hole. I told him that I Wished 1.!
ry
letter, giv
him that letter. He got
ear
in mind that I came tole:1:1r k9laesn st therwe awr tei.7l°.!,ll:tfooo rmy
tb.
husband and my children, and that I had not ej.lae
to be hie mistress. During the remainder of the
time I had been with him as gtowardess he was
always cross with me, nothing ore. What I have
stated occurred durir the first three voyagcsj after
,
,ie
Mat r s cress with me. I mentioned what
had suffered to Mrs. Wright, after my return from
tha first voyage. I never heard any complaints
about my being a drunken woman. I was not in
the habit of getting tipsy. I mean to say I was
only once tipsy, and I will state the cause. Mrs.
Carlton, a lady passenger, was playing at cards
with the captain, as she was accustomed to do,
when I had to apply some chloroform to her. She
made me take some brandy, and it had an effect
upon me. That was the last voyage but one coming
home. On leaving I applied to Mr. Alexander for
a character, and he told me I should apply to Cap-