The Sun.
London, England, 1835-01-13 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ADULTERY.

Mr. Justice Pattison, Mr. Justice Alderson, Mr. Baron
Gurney, Dr. Daubeny, and Dr. Burnaby attended this
day in Sergeants' Inn Hall, to hear an Appeal from the
Arches Court of Canterbury in the case of Story v. Story.
It was a suit brought by Mr. John Samuel Story, a so-
licitor residing at St. Albans, to obtain a divorce from his
wife on the ground that she had committed adultery with
her husband's nephew, John Alexander Harper.
The case was stated at very great length by the counsel
engaged in the cause, and an immense body of evidence
was adduced to prove the different facts and circumstances.
It appeared that Mr. Story and his wife were married in
1807 ; the husband at that time was 21, and the lady a
few years younger ; they had six children now living, viz.,
four sons and two daughters. In the year 1830, John
Alexander Harper, who is about 22 years of rge, and
whose mother is the sister of Mr. Story, returned from the
East Indies, and went to reside with his father at
Hackney. He was accustomed to visit his uncle (Mr.
Story) and his family for several days together, and during
such visits he frequently walked alone with Mrs. S., and it
was alleged that many improper and indecent familiarities
passed between them on those occasions. Early in May,
1831, Mrs. Story being in delicate health, was recom-
mended by her medical attendants to go to the sea side.
It was then determined that she should pay a short visit at
the house of Mr. Harper (Alexander's father), and pro-
ceed afterwards to Brighton. On the 21st of May she ar-
rived at Mr. Harper's house, and about eleven o'clock the
family retired to rest. The bed-chambers, which were oc-
cupied that night by Mrs. Story and John Alexander
Harper, were opposite to each other, and adjoining to the
bed-room of Miss Mary Story, another sister of Mr. Story.
The rooms of Mrs. and Miss Story were divided by a lath
and plaster partition only, against which the head of Miss
Story's bed was placed. About two o'clock in the morning
Miss Story was awoke by a noise by which she apprehended
that some persons were attempting to get into the house ;
but after an interval she heard the same noise, and then
perceived that it proceeded from Mrs. Story's room. Pear-
inc, that she might be unwell, Miss Story got out of bed,
andc' went to the partition which divided the bed-rooms, and
then distinctly heard the voices of Mrs. Story and John
Alexander Harper in conversation together,and speaking in
an endearing tone of voice. Miss Story then went to Mrs.
Story's bed-room, and knocking at the door inquired if
she was ill ? and Mrs. Story answered that she was
not. Miss Story then immediately went to John Alex-
ander Harper's bed-room, and finding he was not there she
returned, and knocked again at the door of Mrs. Story's
room. Mrs. Story, after some little delayed, unlocked and
opened the door. She was then in her night-clothes. Mrs.
Story denied that Harper was in the room, but Miss
Story, convinced that he was, made a search, and disco-
vered him lying, undressed, under the bed. Miss Story,
after expressing great indignation at this discovery, left the
room, and was followed into her own room by Mrs. Story.
In consequence of the urgent entreaties of Mrs. Story,
Miss Story did not immediately disclose to any person what
had occurred ; but thinking, upon reflection, that she ought
not to conceal them from the knowledge of Mr. Harper,
(Alexander's father), she, about two days afterwards, re-
vealed the circumstances to him. He earnestly entreated
her not to divulge the circumstance to Mr. Story, repre-
senting to her the misery which would ensue if they should
come to his knowledge, and she therefore did not disclose
the matter to him. On quitting the house of Mr. Harper,
Mrs. Story paid a visit to the house of Mr. Driver, at
Whitehall, where she was joined by her husband. She af-
terwards removed to the Norfolk Hotel, Surrey-street,
Strand, previous to leaving London, and on the 13th of
June departed for Brighton, accompanied by her two daugh-
ters. Almost immediately after she had left the hotel for
Brighton, a letter, which arrived by the twopenny-post,
was delivered by a waiter to Mr. Story, which letter had
originally been addressed to Mrs. Story, at Mr. Driver's
house, and from thence forwarded to the Norfolk Hote'
The letter was to the following effect :

" Sunday.

" Dearest Mary,—l am most cruelly disappointed in not
having the pleasure of seeing you—shall wait at home all to-
morrow in anxious expectation of a note—do let me see you.
Yours ever most.sincerely, * * #
" Did you get mine safe?"
Mr. Story, surprised, alarmed, and distressed at the con-
tents of the note, determined at once to see and advise with
his sister, Mrs. Harper. She having strongly and repeatedly
advised him not to permit his nephew to visit his family at
Brighton, it occurred to him that her advice must have
some reference to his nephew as the writer of the letter,
and he, therefore, entreated her to disclose her reasons for
the advice she so gave. She then informed him of the
adulterous intercourse which had taken place between his
wife and Alexander Harper. Mr. Story was much shocked
at the intelligence, and instructed his half-brother, Mr. An-
thony Brown, to communicate to her his intention of never
living with her again.
The trunks and boxes of Mrs. Story having been for-
warded from Brighton to St. Alban's to remove some arti-
cles of dress belonging to the daughters, a pocket-book be-
longing to Mrs. Story was found, and opposite to the date
of the 28th of April the following words, written with pen-
cil in the hand-writing of Alexander Harper, were found :
—" My dearest Life, I love you—H."
Mr. Browne, who was instructed to wait upon Mrs.
Story, and communicate her husband's intention of obtain-
ing a divorce, gave an account of the conversation which
took place on that occasion, when he communicated to her
Mr. Story's determination to seek a divorce, and told her
she would see the propriety of not proceeding to her hus-
band's house at St. Albans, where she would not, or could
not be received ; she said she would not do any thing to
hurt her children, and that she would not go to the one Mr.
Story supposed, but would go abroad.
It was also stated by some of the witnesses that Mrs.
Story was allowed to remain at Brighton in hopes to gain
some further evidence respecting the intercourse between
her and a gentleman named Smith, as her conduct had been
improper in respect to such gentleman.
Some of Mr. Story's servants stated, that when Mr.
Harper visited Mrs. Story at her husband's house, they ap-
peared very familiar with each other from the time of his
coming until he went. They had frequently seen them in
the garden and in different parts of the house alone toge-
ther, and the servants had often remarked to each other
that they seemed like sweethearts, for they used to walk
arm-in-arm, and were so very affectionate, but they never
saw any thing indecent on either side. They never saw

any thing ~ 1,, liti_!
conclusion that they had formed an adulterous intercourse.
They had seen Mr. Harper come out of Mrs.. Story's
bed-room several times in the afternoon, but as she was
very ill, and confined to her bed, it did not strike them
as improper.
On the part of Mrs. Story, it was contended that the
evidence of the adultery was not sufficient to justify the
Court in pronouncing a divorce ; and that although the
circumstances would induce some persons to suppose that
a criminal connection had taken place, such an allegation
couid not be maintained by evidence. The young man
with whom the adultery was alleged to have been com-
mitted was playful and boyish, and he was in the practice
of running in and out of his sisters' rooms after they had
retired to rest. _ _ _

On this subject Miss Story was examined, and she
stated that Alexander Harper was not, at the time of the
transaction referred to, a mere boy in appearance ; he looked
the age he was—his manners was playful and boyish at
times, and he had not the solidity about him that they
could wish ; they did not in the family treat him as they
would an elderly person ; he was a most affectionate, good
tempered youth ; witness never knew and don't believe
that on account of his boyishness or of his seafaring habits,
liberties were permitted to him not ordinarily conceded
by ladies to persons of the other sex. His habits are not
seafaring ; his manners are generally considered very
gentlemanly ; he would come into witness's bed-room
at night to wish her good night, and he would go
into his sisters' rooms after they had retired for the night.
Witness did not know that he was particularly in the habit
of romping with Mrs. William Harper. He was playful,
and occasionally romped with all parts of the family, but
witness believed less with her than with any one, and she
did not believe they had ever been seen rolling over each
other on the carpet in the drawing-room at the Jerusalem
Coffee-house. She never saw it and can't believe it. She
never knew of his going into the bed-room of Mrs. Story's
daughters. He would go into Mrs. William Harper's, and
into his sisters', and into witness's room, but she did not
remember his going into the bed-room of any other ladies
when staying at their honse, except that he went into the
bed-room of Mrs. William Bell after she had gone to bed
at night, and she very properly put him out ; he went in
merely as a childish frolic to frighten her, and she insisted
on his leaving the room. Alexander Harper was married
on the 6th of last July.
Mrs. Harper, of the Jerusalem Coffee-house, was also
examined on this point, and gave similar evidence.
At four o'clock, Dr. ADDAMS not having concluded the
defence, the case was adjourned till a future day.