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

BITTESHIRE.

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

THE SEVEN AGES OF WOMAN.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER— YESTERDAY.
SIBUSIONDS V. HUGHES AND ANOTHER.
This was an action brought to recover 66/. 18s. 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 Shea and Mr. Prentice appeared for the
plaintiff; Mr. Griffiths was for Mr. Hughes ; and Mr.
Sergeant Thomas represented the other defendant, Miss
Emma Stanley.
The learned counsel, in opening the case, said the pre-
sent action was brought against the defendants, Hughes
and
Miss t .
Martin's
Emma
Ha
Stanley,l
Hall
of
or ther tthe
purposeexpenseso!
room
at sthe 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 plain-
tiff; that the work was done, and the charges were fair
ffirtetipnrgesenti up theug
and reasonable.
The following witnesses were then called in support of
the plaintiff's case :
Mr. John Simmonds—l am the plaintiff, and am a silver-
ia Southampton-row,
smith, jeweller, and furnisher,
other
transactions
Russell-square. I have had
many
fitted up for Jenny
Lind to the one in question. I have
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, iu
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. Hullah, 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 epeaking about you; has he
made any arrangements r I said, "He has not." He
said, " Stammers told me he bad said he had made ar-
rangements." All Stammers told me was that he wanted
it done 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-
rantee me ? and he said, "Oh yes," that he would see me
paid every week. I said I had had many uufortunate
transactions with theatricals, that I would have nothing
more to do with them. He said he was not a theatrical ;
he was of the firm of Blomburg, Hughei, 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 afterwards went to St.
Martin's-hall 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
was necessary for 201. down and 41. a-week. Nothing was
agreed upon at that time. Afterwards I signed a paper
and gave it to Mr. Headland. This is the paper. This is
a guarantee as to what I was to do till a proper one was
made out. On the Thursday my men erected the frame-
work. Mr. Hughes, Miss Stanley, her mother, and Mr.
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 evening Miss Stanley was rehear-
sing, and she said, " Thia will not do." 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 51. 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 extra charge for the extra work which
I had 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 taked down, and damaged,
in my opinion, to the amount of 18/. 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. Stam-
mers he 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
which induced me to believe that he was a partner with
Miss Stanley. The public performance took place on the
Monday, and I don't know that Miss Stanley was obliged
to make an apology to the audience in consequence of 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 the were not living
together in 1855. I called upon the plaintiff about fitting
lip this place. I received an application from Mr. Hughes
at the Drury-lane Theatre, when I had 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 wee introduced to him at the Oper.a
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