The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-23 00:00:00

THE IVIEATION SWORD.

The Newry E,:raminer, a Roman Catholic paper
that has lately dispiaYed both common sense and
patriotism in exposing the Ultramontane party. And
its designs, thus alludes to the M'Alahon sword"
movement :—" The two war journals in Dublin
have sent in to the treasurer of this fund the sums
they have received for this very absurd project, and
we may congratulate the lovers of peace, law, and
order on the result.. If every shilling of the entire
amount represented a soldier, it appears that Mar.
shal M'Mahon's friends in England, Ireland, and
Scotland only number 9,614 men From this num-
ber, if we could take that class that would give
money, but would not fight, we may take it for
granted that the thousands would be reduced to
hundreds. This proves that the heart of the coun-
try is sound, and that in reality there are no rebels
in Ireland except those who have nothing to lose by
a, par, and who hope to pick up something if a
revolution took place. The sum total received by
the .Nation and Irishman newspapers (the only two
is exactly
connected with this foolish offering)

£487 4s. 4d., which would not have paid for one-
tenth of the printing and letters written if they
had been charged for. The contributions to the
Nation were £3lO 125., and to the other aspirant
for political martyrdom, £176 12s. 4d., making the
total above names. o much for the 111‘Mahon
sword movement, and for the men who endeavour
to promote a disloyal feeling amongst the people."

LAW INTELLIGENCE—Dec. 22.

COURT FOR DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL

CAUSES.

(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
GIBSON V. GIBSON.

Dr. Wambey, Mr. Sergeant Shee, and Mr. Cole
appeared for the petitioner; and Sir F. Slade, Q.C.,
Dr. Spinks, and Mr. Speke for the respondent.
In this case a suit was instituted for a restitution
of conjugal rights by Mr. Charles Gibson, who al-
leged that his wife, Mary Howard Gibson, had for
some months past withdrawn herself from cohabi-
tation without any reasonable cause, and that she
still refused to render him conjugal rights, although
repeatedly and earnestly requested to return. The
marriage took place on the 10th of November, 1853,
at St, James's Church, Piccadilly, Mr. Gibson being
a clerk on the Bristol and Exeter Railway, and his
wife the natural daughter of a gentleman of for-
tune, named 'Toast, living at Durham Lodge, near
Clifton. The respondent, by her answer, admitted
that sho had withdrawn from cohabitation, but de-
nied that she had done so without lawful reason,
and alleged, that the petitioner had treated her
unkindly and cruelly in 1853, and subsequently
had committed adultery with divers persons. She,
therefore, prayed the Court to dismiss the petition
and grant her a sentence of divorce.
Mr. Daniel Gibson, the father of the petitioner,
deposed to the fact of the marriage having been ce-
lebrated, first, at the Bavarian Chapel, in War-
wick-street, and afterwards in St. James's Church,
Piccadilly. He had occasionally visited the
parties at Durham Lodge, near Clifton, the house
of the lady's father. In cross-examination he said
his son had been a clerk on the Bristol and Exe-
ter Railway, but he was not aware that his
salary was' only £BO a-year. His son was con-
siderably in debt, now owing about £3,000.
In support of the case of the wife, Mr. Sydenham
Test was examined—Upon Mr. Gibson's marriage
with hie daughter he took him into his house to re-
side, and occasionally furnished him with money.
He kept a carriage and horse for Mr. Gibson. The
petitioner at length left his situation on the Bristol
and Exeter Railway, and witness then gave him a
dock and wharf at Bristol rent free, and also got
him in the commission of the peace for the county
of Gloucester. He afterwards put his son-in-law
into partnership with two timber merchants, and
at the time gave him £2,000, and advanced £l,OOO
more. in 1856 he used his influence to get Mr.
Gibson a commission in the South Gloucester
Militia. After the first year of the marriage wit.
ness observed a marked change in his son-in-law's
conduct towards the respondent. This was after
the militia training was over. He recollected his
daughter being prematurely confined in November,
1858. Mr. Gibson had been up in London for some
weeks. He was not present at any interview be-
tween his daughter and her husband before he went
away. Mr. Gibson returned to the house a few days
after the birth of the child, bat he did not remain
there. He subsequently came again and lived there
as before, but he had not been in witness's house
since the summer in the present year. He recol-
lected Mr. Hepworth bringing some copies of let-
ters to the house.
Cross-examined—He had not been on very good
terms with Mr. Gibson during the last few years.
Did not approve of his conduct—keeping late hours,
and so on. He had consulted with Mr. Strickland
relative to Mr. Gibson, but he left it to his daughter
to do as she wished in the affair. He paid the
expenses of prosecuting the present suit. After
the first year of the marriage, Mrs. Gibson fre-
quently complained that her husband did not show
her proper attention, and kept late hours, and
went after other women. Recollected a meeting
taking place in November last between Mr. and
Mrs. Gibson and himself and the senior Mr. Gib-
son. The object of that meeting was that the
parties should either make it up or agree to a sepa-
ration, or come to a final decision. The disagreement
was about some letters and a photograph was
talked about. They all seemed to agree that the
best thing would be for the parties to separate, and
then young Gibson said he would take the eldest
child from her, and the second one when it was two
months old. She then began crying very much, and
it was settled the child should remain until Satur-
day. Old Mr. Gibson expressed his displeasure at
his daughter-in-law's conduct. -Witness did not
propose on that occasion that the parties should
live together again. The petitioner expressed no
wish to be reconciled to his wife. No reconciliation
took place, and neither party seemed to wish it. He
was acquainted with his daughter's handwriting,
and believed the six letters produced to be hers.
Re-examined—His daughter had charged her
husband in his presence with kicking her and hurt-
ing her knee, and also with threatening to shoot
her.

Mr. G. A. Hepworth deposed that he was a sur-
geon, practising at Gloucet,ter, and was attached to
the Gloucester militia. His wife was the daughter
of a musical professor at Gloucester. She was of
some musical proficiency, and attended concerts and
oratorios in the county. In September Mr. Gibson
joined the regiment. At that time Mrs. Hepworth
was living with witness in Gloucester. Mr. Gibson
and his wife were staying at the Queen's Head
Hotel. An intimacy sprung up, and Mrs. Gibson
used to be very much with Mrs. Hepworth. He re-
collected his wife going on her tour. He could not
state the date because she had come down from Lon-
don and smashed a cabinet to pieces and taken his
journal. Upon her return from the tour he acciden-
tally found certain letters in a little metal case in
her bed room. The letters produced were those he
discovered. He took them over to Clifton the next
morning and showed them to Mrs. Gibson. He after-
wards, at the request of Mr. Teast, sent him copies
of the letters. Mrs. Hepworth was not living with
him now. The last time they were together was in
September last. The photographs produced repre-
sented Mr. Gibson and Mrs. Hepworth.
Cross-examined—Thought photography was • a
very pretty art, like most people. His portrait had
been taken with his arm round Mrs. Gibson's waist.
That was when all the parties were very intimate.
Mrs. Hepworth at present supported herself, but
not their children. He mentioned finding the letters
to his wife before he showed them to Mrs. Gibson.
Mrs. Hepworth had an engagement to sing at Liver-
pool the next morning. Out of consideration for
her engagement he told her he had destroyed the
letters, but she afterwards discovered he had not,
and during her absence a long and angry corres-
pondence ensued. There had been throughout a
continual struggle between his indignation and his
affection. He had not been actively engaged in get-
ting up evidence against bis own wife in the pre-
sent case. Throe or four letters had passed between
him and Mr. Watkins, the sheriff's officer at Bristol,
about tracing his wife. At Gloucester he was ac-
customed to drive about with Mr. and Mrs. Gibson.
Mrs. Hepworth used to sit on the coach-box with
Mr. Gibson, and he and Mrs. Gibson behind.

Charlotte Sawyer, a servant at the house in Man-
chester-street, Manchester-square, deposed that Mrs.
Hepworth used to be visited there by Mr. Gibson.
He had visited her two dr three times, but was never
alone with her. There were two or three ladies al-
ways present. Knew of their going out together of
a morning, and remaining out three hours.
Cross-examined-- One of the three ladies slept
with Mrs. Hepworth.
Mrs. Moys, of 116, High-street, Ramsgate, stated
that a lady and gentleman called at her house in
August last. They passed by the name of Mr. Gib-
son and Mrs. Hepworth. The lady engaged apart-
ments for the gentleman. Mr. Gibson slept there
the same night, and kept there three weeks. There
were two bedrooms and one sittingroom. Mr. Gib-
son's father and two sisters came there on the 11th
of August, but Mrs. Hepworth used previously to
visit him. She was sometimes alone, and sometimes
with another lady. On one occasion she stayed
some hours. When she left, Mr. Gibson always
accompanied her. Mrs. Hepworth lodged at
No. 4, Cliff-street, at the time. It would take
five minutes to walk from one lodging to the
other. Mr. Gibson used on some occasions not to
return until midnight. Witness objected to having
to sit up so late, and he then took a latc!i key. Mr.
Gibson's father and sisters remained a fortnight,
and Mrs Hepworth never came while they were
there. Mr. Gibson left on the li/th August, but
returned on the 17th, and left altogether on the
23d. He said ho was going by the seven o'clock
express, but she afterwards saw him at Margate.
The witness identified Mr. Gibson and Mrs. Ilep-
worth by means of photographs.
Cross-examined—Would not undertake to say
that Mrs. Hepworth called at High-street more
than once a day. About four times she was accom-
panied by a lady, who once dined with him, but not
alone.

The daughter of the landlady of the lodgings in
Cliff-street, Itamsgate, proved that Mrs. I fepworth
took rooms there on the sth August. The apart-
ments were occupied five weeks and a half by
Madame Cornwall, the nurse, and two children,
and Mrs. Hepworth herself. Mr. Gibson visited
the house on the first Saturday or Monday, and
was in the habit of calling about twice every day.
Sometimes he saw Mrs. Hepworth alone, and at
other times Madame Cornwall was present. In the
eyeninu Madame Cornwall sometimes went to bed