The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-17 00:00:00

LA TV INTELLIGENCE, Dec. 16.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius in London, before Mr. Jus-
tice Keating and a Common Jury.)
WILLIAMS V. WARDS-ANOTHER ACTION FOR ASSAULT

AGAINST MR. WARDE.
The defendant in this case was a gentleman who
some time ago attracted much public notice as de-
fendant in an action for assault upon Miss Hooper,
a young woman, who had been living with him as
his wife. The present action was also for an as-
sault, and the defendant pleaded that the plaintiff
was trespassing, and the assault was committed in
removing him. The plaintiff denied the trespass,
and alleged that violence was used in excess of
what was requisite to remove him, and to this the
defendant pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Digby Seymour, and Mr.
Gibbons appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. Kerslake
and Mr. D. D. Keane for the defendant.
Mr. Hawkins stated that the plaintiff resided at
Hucklecot, near Gloucester, and he brought this
action against Mr. Charles Thomas Warde, who had
an estate of about £12,000 a year, who lived at
Clopton Hall, in Warwickshire, and who was at
one time high sheriff of the county and one of the
justices of the peace. The circumstances were
somewhat peculiar. Mr. Warde, about 20 years
ago, married a lady who by means of his miscon-
duct was afterwards divorced from him, and about
10 or 12 years ago he formed an acquaintance with
a Miss Hooper, who at that time was living with her
mother at Brighton. Miss Hooper was first of all
engaged by Mr. Warde to attend to his children,
but they were soon removed, and Mr. Ward() set
himself to work to seduce Miss Hooper. During
the time that she lived with him he was guilty of
great brutality towards her. He went so far as to
inflict personal chastisement with a large cart whip.
She left his house, and consulted a professional
adviser, who recommended an action, in which she
recovered .£5OO damages. During the time Miss
Hooper lived with Mr. Warde she became the
mother of several children, and as they remained at
Mr. Warde'e when she left, she was naturally
anxious for their welfare. Mr. Williams, the plain-
tiff, had been acquainted with Miss Hooper before
she knew Mr. Warde, and some communications
passed, which resulted in an interview between
Mr. Williams and Mr. Warde, at. Clopton Hall. Mr.
Warde treated him civilly, and requested him to
see if he could get Miss Hooper to come back ;
but on going on a subsequent occasion, Mr. Warde,
who was a powerful man, 6 feet 3 inches high,
struck him a violent blow upon the chest, and it
was for the assault that damages were asked.
Mr. Edward Lloyd Williams—l am the owner of
a small property at Huckle-Cot, and I have been
acquainted with Miss Hooper and her mother since
1848. After the action I wrote to Mr. Wards for
her address, and afterwards went to see her in
Hertfordshire. At her request I afterwards saw Mr.
Warde at Clopton Hall, and conveyed to him a pro-
position from her I saw Mr. Warde first at his
house in February last, and thanked him for send-
ing me Miss Hooper's address. He asked me if I
could get Miss Hooper to give up the name of the
party who was the cause of all the mischief between
them. He mentioned three persons whom he sus-
pected—his wife, Miss Hooper's mother, and a per-
son whom ho called " that scamp O'Brien." T had
biscuits and wine with Mr. Warde, several glasses of
wine, in fact more than I liked at that time of the
day. When speaking of Miss Hooper, he was at
times almost in tears. He said she was the only
woman he ever loved in his life, and he loved liFr
still. I spoke of the woman he was then keeping in
the house, and said he could not expect Miss Hooper
to return there whilst that woman and her child
were in the house. I called her a lady in deference
to him, and he said, " Do not call ber a lady, for
she is not a lady." He said if Miss Hooper
would give up the name of the person who had
instigated the action, he would send the woman he
had with him in the house away and provide for