The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

CASE OF T

SECOND DIY.
The adjourned inquiry into the allegations against the
Rev. Mr. Bonwell was resumed this morning at Doctors'-
Commons.
Mr. Joseph Netherciiff said—l have taken fire similes of
the advertisement and a letter sent to the Tid:es. I have
compared them with the original letters of Mr. Bonwell, and
I believe them both to be in his handwriting.

Mr. Best, barrister, of the Oxford Circuit, on the part
of the Rev. Mr. Bonwell, severely cross-examined the wit-
ness on the grounds on which ho formed his opinion, taking
letter by letter, a course of proceeding to which he strongly
objected. Finally, the witness declared that he was "sorry
to say that it was the handwriting of Mr. Bonwell."
Mr. Best—Sorry !
Mr. Netherelitf—Yes; sorry—l am very sorry to have
to appear as a witness against a clergyman of the Church
of England.
A clerk from the Court of Quarter Sessions produced the
original depositions, taken at the inquest on the body of
Philip Yorsth, held at Stepney.
Mr. Collis—l went to 33, Thornhill-crescent a few days
ago, and saw Mrs. Bonwell.
Mr. Best—Have you ever seen Mrs. Bonwell before ?
Witness—No.
Mr. Best—Then how do you know that it was Mrs.
Bonwell ?
Witness—l asked her if she was the wife of the Itsv.
James Bonwell, and she said "Yes."
Mr. Bullen—That is my case.
Mr. Best then addressed the Commissioners fo:s his
rev. client, and, in his opening observations, dweb very
strongly on the importance of the first inquiry, bed as re-
spected Mr. Bonwell and the interests of the Church of
England. Tho communication of the Bishop sot out
the charges against his client under three heads.
The first was that, on or about July last, Mr. Bon-
well had admitted, or caused to be admitted and
harboured, a certain unmarried female, name! Eliza-
beth •Yorath ; that he constantly visited ler ; and
that, on or about the 13th of August, the said fenale was
delivered of a male child. The next charge wet that the
child had been buried in a highly objectionable manner ;
and the last charge was that he (he said
Rev. James Bonwell), had had, during the ,wo years
last passed, adulterous intercourse with the sad female
within the diocese of London, or elsewhere. With re-
spect to the burial, he would dispose of that partof the case
at once. His client, he contended, was not in tie slightest
degree to blame for the manner in which that chid had been
buried, but the blame altogether rested upon Mr Ayres, the
undertaker, whose conduct had been most disgraceful.
Now, with respect to that of the commission direct-
ing the court of inquiry into the charge of adul-
terous intercourse within the diocese, or elsewhere. The
last word, " elsewhere," had. been inserted to take in the pro-
ceedings at Newport, Mc,nraouthshire, but it hal been laid
down and decided that -a bishop could only inquire into facts
that had taken place within his diocese. Tie whole or
nearly the whole of the witnesses examined yesterday had
been called to prove acts done out of the juriseiction of the
commission, and therefore it must be rejectedby the com-
mission as totally irrelevant to the present inquiry. The
letter written to Miss Amies by Miss Yonth he could
hardly think would be considered as very st•ong evidence
against his client; on the contrary, he thouglt in any de-
cision they (the commissioners) might come b, they would
shut it out altogether. Thelearned counsel, n his opening
speech, had asked, " Where is Miss Yorath ?—sho is the only
one that can tell with certainty who is the father of the child.
We can't call her, because she has been got out of the way ;"
but, in answer to that, he could only say, pove such to be
the case. An expert witness had been caled to speak to
the handwriting of the advertisement tha• had been pub-
lished in the Times, and he was of opinion that that adver-
tisement was drawn up by Mr. Bonwell, let would it not
have been much better, before adopting such a course, to
have inquired at the reference given by the party paying
for the advertisement, to ascertain whether such a person
as Mr. Briggs was to be found ; if so, he would be the
best person to give information about that part of
the case. Such a course had not been adopted.
But the learned gentlemen on the other side
had preferred calling a gentleman who, after looking
through magnifying glasses for sone time, came to the con-
clusion, judging simply from original letters Mr. Bonwell
had written to the Bishop, that tee advertisement was in
the handwriting of the rev. gentleman. The verdict of the
coroner's jury had censured the nv. gentleman for his con-
duct in visiting Miss Yorath while she was at the
school-house, but he thought he was only doing that
which common humanity cane! upon him to perform.

Supposing a lady visited one of the reverend commissioners
in either of their vestry-rooms, and was suddenly taken in
pains of labour, it was certain sh, could not be removed,
and medical aid would have to le procured. If such was
_lone, could that be called a :caudal on the Church of
England ? Why, ho thought a clergyman, acting in
such a manner, was only doin; a Christian act, and
was entitled to praise rather than censure. Looking
at the whole of the evidence than had been submitted he
maintained that a prima facie cree had not been made out
against his client. had his ellen, done anything wrong up
to the death of the child of Miss lorath 1) certainly not, and
the most that could be said against him was that his con-
duct was censurable, and that a jury called together in
Whitechapel. The newspapers aad cheap publications bad
commented very strongly on tie acts of Mr. Bonwell,
and was it to be wondered that after such comments a
jury should say Mr. Bonwell was censurable for his conduct
towards Miss Yorath. The jury, is his opinion, were pre-
judiced. They had expected a case of manslaughter, if not
‘eilful murder, would be , made out against the rev. gentle-
man, and such not being the ease they said to themselves,
we must find something against Mr. Bonwell; and, there-
fore, they said the child died of inanitionr and Mr.
Bonwell's conduct had been censurable. In con-
clusion, he would ask the Commissioners whether
it had been proved to Mir satisfaction that
Mr. Bonwell had ',harboured Miss Yorath at the
school-house. With respect to his being present when the
Child was born he would not pretend to deny ; but if by
their report further steps were taken in this painful affair
before the Bishop of the diocese, his client would be fully
prepared to meet that part of the charge against him. He,
therefore, submitted that sufficient evidence had not been
produced to enable the commissioners to find a prima facie
case against the rev. gentleman.
The Commissioners then retired to consult,
After an absence of an hoar and a qtarter the Commis-
sioners returned into court, and
Dr. Twigs said the commissioners had had ample oppor-
tunity of considering the evidence thathad been produced
to support the allegations in the commilsion, and they had
come unanimqusly to the report which would be submitted
to the Bishop. The present inquiry hal been instituted to
investigate and consider the charges nude against the Rev.
James Bonwell, and to ascertain whether he ought to
be put on a trial with a reasonable proba-
bility of a verdict, in accordance with justice, being
obtained against him. The learned doctor, having al-
luded to the case of Mr. Markham, sail the Commissioners
thought with respect to the scandal of Mr. Bonwell har-
bouring an unmarried female in the sch)ol-house, there were
sufficient prima facie grounds for instituting further pro-
ceedings against him. The Commissioners are also of
opinion that with respect to his conduct subsequent and
after, with relation to its burial, and also as to his being the
father of the child,there were sufficient grounds for instituting
further proceedings ; but with respectto the adulterous in-
tercourse being carried on during the last two years within
the diocese, the Commissioners are of opinion that there wer3
not sufficient evidence to justify further proceedings on
that part of the case. The learned Doctor then said that
the whole of the evidence taken in that court would be
transmitted to the Bishop of London, together with the re-
port of the present inquiry.
The Registrar then declared the commission closed.
In consequence of this decision, the Bishop will have to
sit in the next stage of the hearing, assisted by a legal asses-
sor, and in the event of the case leing pro ved against
Mr. Bonwell his lordship will be empowered to pass sen-
tence.
The further hearing cannot, in consequence of the legal
forms which have to be gone through take place for several
weeks.

YESTERDAY'S PROCItEDINGS.
(Continued from The Sun of last evening.)
Mr. Lewis Wm. Yorath—l am a surgeon in practice at
Newport, Monmouth. My father was a clergyman of the
Church of England ; he died in 1852, leaving a large family.
Elizabeth Yorath is my eldest sister; she had never been
married. In December, 1858, my mother was living with
me. At the end of last year Mr. Bonwell came to Newport
and remained about a week. At that time I had a servant
named Sarah Jones. I previously hid heard from my sister
that she was engaged to Mr. Bonwell. When Mr. Bon-
well came he told mo ho was engaged to my sister. He
told me he was incumbent of St. Philips, Stepney, a fellow
of Brazenose College, and a widower, and referred to the
clergy !ist that what he said was correct, and then he was
received as the accepted lover of my sister. After
that he used to come down '"about once a month,
until it was broken off in June. My sister and
Mr. Bonwell used to sit up alone at night. Ho used to
smoke his pipe after the family had gone to bed. I gave
him up my bedroom. It is on tho same floor as the dining-
room.
Mr. Sorrell objected to proof of adultery in Monmouth.
Mr. Coleridge—lf I omit to prove adultery in the diocese
of London, of course I shall fail.
Examination resumed—I once remonstrated with Mr.
Bonwell upon his 'sitting up so late, and insisted on his
going to bed earlier. Ile only laughed, and said they were
talking about love. lie gave me a description of his
wife's death. After he had visited us some time
the marriage was fixed to come off in Juno or July. My
sister prepared her wedding clothes. He said his good
friend the Bishop of Oxford would perform the ceremony.
He went in May, and then I heard reports that ho was a
married man. I wrote to him in consequence, asking him
to contradict the report, or else to produce the certificate of
the burial of his first wife. Ho told me his first wife's
name was Albertina. I received the letters you read in
your opening speech, telling me to go to the Bishop. Mr.
Boswell told use he came from Yorkshire, I