The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

BUTESTIIRE.

Yesterday the Hon. Stuart Wortley, her Majesty's Soli-
citor-General, was re-elected member for the county of
Bute without opposition.

THE SEVEN AGES OF WOMAN.

COURT OF EXC EQUE a- YESTERDAY.
SIMHONDS V. HUGHES AND ANOTHER.
This was an action brought to recover 66/. 18P. for goods
bargained and sold, goods sold and delivered. and materials
provided in getting up an entertainment at St. Martin's
Hall, called the " Seven Ages of Woman." The plea was,
never indebted.
Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Prentice appeared for the
plaintiff;Sergeant TMhorm. aGriffith
iep
r
Emma Stanley.
The learned counsel, in opening the case, said the pre-
sent action was brought against the defendants, Hughes
:enwteads ftthbre Mr
other Hughes
danatn,d
and Miss Emma Stanley, for the expenses of fitting up the
room at St. Martin's Hall for the purpose of representiege
the entertainment of " The Seven Ages of Woman." He
should be able to prove that the orders were given for the
benefit of the defendants, and given by them to the p
lain•
tiff; that the work was done, and the
charges were fair
and reasonable.
Southampton-row,
the plaintiff's case :
and am a silver-
• '
Mr. John Simmonds—l am the plaintiff,
S
The following witnesses were then called in support of
smith, jeweller, and furnisher, ill
Russell-square. I have had many other transactions
similar to the one in question.• I have enny
fitted up for Jenny
Lind Lind and many other persons. In December, 1855, Mr.
Stammers called on me on behalf of Miss Emma Stanley.
He asked me to call that evening at St. Martin's-hall, in
Long-acre, and I accordingly went on the sth December,
and I saw the defendant, Mr. Hughes. I also saw Mr.
Headland, who is secretary to Mr. Hullab, who saw the
proprietor of the hall. I saw Hughes, and was afterwards
introduced to him by Mr. Headland. Mr. Hughes said
"Mr. Stammers has been speakiug about you; has ho
made any arrangements ?" I said, "He has not." He
said, "Stammers told me he had said he' had male ar-
rangemeets." All Stammers told me was that he wanted
it dons similar to that of Miss P. Horton, who was giving
a similar entertainment. I said, " Well, I don't know
Miss Stanley," and I asked him whether he would gua-
rtraanntseaecmtios en and he
theatricals,
said, "Oh,
that yes,"would
that
he
hwaovueldnsoetehimnge
Fad every week. I said I had had many unfortunate
more to do with them. He said he was not a theatrical ;
ho was of the firm of Blomburg, Hughes, and Co., and had
come to England to manage the London branch of that
firm. I made a very rough sketch at the time of Miss P.
Horton's entertainment, and afterwards improved upon it.
Nothing was decided upon then. I after warde went to St.
Martin's-ball again, and saw Mr. Hughes, Mr. Stammers,
and some others. I showed him the sketch, and said that
it was an improvement upon Miss Horton's arrangement.
I was referred to Mr. Stammers, but he had "dined out,"
and he was not able to transact business—(a laugh) —and
an appointment was made for the next morning. I pre-
pared an estimate, and called at St. Martin's-hall, I saw
Mr. Stammers, Mr. Hughes, and Mr. Headland. I went
to the front of the platform and said I would do all that
necessary for '2O/. down and 41. a-week. Nothing was
at that time. Afterwards I signed a paper
was
agreed upon
a
and gave it to Mr. Headland. This is the paper. This is
guarantee as to what I was to do till a proper one was
Miss Stanley, her mother, and Mr.
made out. On the Thursday my men erected the frame-
work. Mr. Hughes,
Stammers were present. This was on the 6th of Dec.
Alterations were made by the directions of Miss Stanley,
I saw her many times afterwards, and she gave me
many directions. In the eveningwill
rehear-
sing, and she said, " Thisdo." The work was
completed on the Monday. These alterations of course
took longer time. All the work that was done up to the
Friday night was pulled down and done over again. The
whole amount of my account was 851. My engagement
was to charge Si. per week for the hire of those things.
They had them for 16 weeks, but I did not charge by the
week. I made the extr), charge for the extra work which
I bad to do. The amount of the extra work was 511.,
which was the usual trade price. I went afterwards and
found that the things had been taken down, and damaged,
in my opinion, to the amount of 181. In the beginning of
May I found out that Mr. Hughes's name was O'Keefe.
Cross-examined by Mr. Griffiths—When I saw Mr. Stain-
asto a
okppa
mere be told me that Mr. Hughes had nothing at all to do
with the matter in question. I trusted Miss Stanley, and
took Mr. Hughes as guarantee. Mr. Stammers said that
Misswhich s
tainducednley. mT
he
et to
publicbelieve t hathe
performancew
Monday, and I don't know that Miss Stanley was obliged
to make au apology to the audience in consequence of the
partner r
on with
the
incompleteness of the arrangements. Complaints were
made, and it was said that I had not supplied that which
I had agreed to supply. There were not several things I
ought to have done that I did not do. There was only the
cornice. I have frequently made applications for the ex-
tras, but I don't know that I ever named any amount. I
made an affidavit, upon which the defendants were
arrested, and in that I only spoke of the amount due to
me for the use and hire of the goods.
Mr. Jos. Stammers—l am a musical director and drama-
tic manager, and have something to do with St. Martin's-
hall at the present time. I first knew Hughes six or seven
years ago, when he went under the name of O'Keefe. I
was first introduced to Miss Stanley
about Nov., 1855.
Mr. O'Keefe introduced me to her. He was residing with
her. I knew that Mr. Hughes and Miss Stanley had been
living together as man and wife.
It was no secret
at all. It was notorious. I think they were not living
together in 1855. I called upon the plaintiff about fitting
up this place. I received an application from Mr. Hughes
at the Drury-lane Theatre, when I bad the management of
it, and heard there was a new entertainment getting ready
between himself and Miss Stanley, and he wanted me to
join them in it. 1 had not seen Mr. Hughes for five years
previously, and I was introduced to him at the Opera
Hotel in Bow-street. I said I Was engaged in operatic
affairs, and I could not entertain it. I was introduced to
Miss Stanley, and was asked to take the management, and