The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY MORNINpI_ FEBRUARY 28, 1844,

for Guildhall, and I expected Winter would be here in proper
time. I have not seen him since until about a fortnight ago.
The Court adjourned at two o'clock for a few minutes for
refreshment. _ _ _ _

The Duke of Richmond, examined from the Bench by Sir
T. WILDE--I am the brother-in-law of Lord William Paget.
I have known Lord and Lady William Paget some time. I
have seen him behave very affectionately to his wife, but
sometimes not so. In general he behaved very affectionately
to his wife, and particularly to his children.
Cross-examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL—I have seen
him sometimes very attentive to her, but I think his absence
was too frequent. Lady William Paget was very young at
the time of her marriage.
Re-examined by Sir T. WILDE—Lord William was also
young. He has been much straitened in circumstances, but
I do not know that his absence was occasioned by it.
Cross-examined by the Solomon-GENERAL—Lady Wil-
liam Paget has visited the. Duchess of Richmond since the
commencement of these proceedings. The terms of intimacy
are the same as they were before the occurrence.
This finished the case for the prosecution.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL then proceeded to address the
jury for the defendant, and contended that it was impossible
that any person could have heard the evidence without being
convinced that this was a scheme and a plan to extort
money from Lord Cardigan, and that, to do this,
the plaintiff had attempted to sacrifice the wo-
man whom he had sworn to love and cherish.
It was an atrocious plan concocted from the beginning.
Lord W. Paget brought Lord Cardigan to the house; he
brought Lady William Paget to town ; and he made all the
appointments ! What must they think of a man who could
post a person to be the witness of his dishonour, wait quietly
in a cab to gain intelligence, and then coolly come back to
prepare this action ? Lord William knew the character and
the destitution of Winter well. He knew bim when he was
in Hamer's service. He knew him in Paris. He knew him
when he was living at the White Bear, associating with Mr.
Gompertz, Mr. Cassidy, and Col. Canty, persons well-known.
This was the man who was set by Lord William, not to watch
Lord Cardigan, but to swear what might be necessary for the
purposes of the trial. This was a plan concocted between Lord
William and Winter, and whom else he would net say, for
his Learned Friendhad not chosen to call Mr. Fishe, who had
made the agreement with Winter. The letter to Lord
Cardigan on the Friday had been sent, in the pre-
sence of Lord William. He was a party to it.
Now, either Lord or Lady William Paget must
have been scheming •together to put money into Lord
William's pocket, or Lord William must have been doing it
himself. Lady William had had nothing to do with it.
The charge of adultery against her was untrue, and there
was no stain upon her character ; but it was evident that
Lord William Paget knew by the note, that he was
in the house on the Saturday when Lord Cardigan
arrived, and that he led Lady William Paget
into the room himself, and left her there with the person
whom he now designates as an adulterer. He did not be-
lieve that Lord William imagined that adultery would be
committed, but that he had placed a man there to swear
that he saw that done which, if true, would have covered
Lord William Paget with infamy, as the panderer
to his own dishonour. Let it be remembered there
was not even a suggestion that the doors of the draw-
ing-room were fastened, so that any person might have gone
into that room while the act of adultery was being com-
mitted. Could the jury believe that the act of adultery
could have been committed under these circumstances—in
broad daylight—in the month of August ? This man had
told Lord William Paget what he had told them
to-day. Now could any one worthy of the name
of man have recei,yed such a communication as
Lord William had received ? He was calm, quiet, placid,
and planned a fresh assignation with Lord Cardigan, in order
to procure further evidence, and then he dines with his wife
in as kind and affectionate a manner as usual, within one
half-hour after he had Been informed that she had com-

mitted adultery, and then he takes his wife to the opera, to
Lord Cardigan's box, and the three spend the evening together.
Could they believe for one moment that Lord William Paget
really believed that adultery had been committed? It was
perfectly consistent with an attempt to extert money, but
not with a belief in Lady William Paget's guilt, nor did it
rest there. He actually slept with his wife, as he says, at the
recommendation of hilfootman, to prevent Lady William from
spoiling his plan for getting Lord Cardigan there. The next
morning a note was sent to Lord Cardigan, requesting him
to come at six o'clock. Lord William knew of it, and the
servants knew of it. There was no concealment whatever
about it. Lord William was perfectly well aware of the note
being sent to Lord Cardigan. All the parties were expecting
Lord Cardigan at six o'clock, to keep an appointment made
by Lord William himself. Lord William's son was in Queen-
street, and he takes this boy out with him, and waits in
a cab until Winter should come to him. So, according to
Winter, Lord William makes the appointment, goes out in
his cab, knowing the adultery is to be committed, waits
quietly in his cab until it is committed, and then goes home.
And after all this, on the Monday night he meets his wife at
the Duchess of Richmond's. He sends his wife to Ports-
mouth ,• he goes to Portsmouth after her, and after that
brings this action. Lord Wm. Paget was not on terms of in-
timacy with any of his family, but Lady William had been
an terms of intimacy with the Duchess of Richmond, Lord
William's sister. The Duchess had heard the story on the
Sunday night. She had investigated it, and so convinced
was she of its falsehood, that notwithstanding the plaintiff
was her brother, the intimacy had subsisted up to the present
hour. The first thing to be considered was the character of
the witness Winter. Was he worthy of credit? While in
Mr. Hamer's service he had been acquainted with those per-
sons whose names they had heard. He left Hamer's and went
to Bartlett's, and they had heard him state the reasons for his
leaving Bartlett's. He would not swear that he did not
fraudulently appropriate Mr. Bartlett's money for his own use.
He was dismissed from Bartlett's in February, 1843, and from
that time to August he had not had any regular employment.
He was in a state of the greatest distress. Lord W. Paget
was aware of the cause of his dismissal from Bartlett's, and
being aware of Winter's poverty and of his character, he em-
ploys him to watch in the manner stated? He sent Mr.
Fisk to him, and Winter at once agreed to do that which
has been given in evidence, but on what terms did
not appear. Now he was in the back drawing-room under
the sofa on the Saturday: ; the folding doors were closed, and
yet he would make the jury believe he could hear what was
going on in the front drawing-room. He now came to the
second day, on which day the doors were all left open. Now
could they suppose an act of criminal intercourse to have
taken place under such circumstances. It seemed they put
Winter under the sofa in the back drawing-room, and shut
the folding doors, so that he was in precisely the same situa-
tion as he had been on the Saturday. Lady W. Paget then
i t couldappeared,
hebutheard that
hwaa a
had left
goingLadyth oen. 0
o William
d
rhoe
p hadasei
dthewent into the room where Lord Cardigan was, opened the
folding door, and left it open during the time the criminal in-
tercourse was taking place; so that any one coming into the
drawing-roomcblaocsekwindow,
w Winter said that he heard kissing, breathing, and conversa-
tion,k
Lord
Cardigan
and, among
to
otherprocure
a things,
place for a person, which had been
the purpose for which he had been sent for to the house. Now
o
he did not doubt but that Winter had been placed under
the sofa by Lord William Paget; but Winter had stated to-
day that which he had not previously stated. He had told
Lord William Paget, in the presence of Major Close, that he
had not seen more on the Sunday than he had seen on the
Monday. That statement had been taken down in writing,
and was in the possession of Lord W. Paget. Now, after his
visits for the last fortnight to Lord W. Paget, they found
him to-day adding to the statement that he had drawn him-
self out from the sofa, gone to the folding door, and seen
Lord Cardigan and Lady VT. Paget. Now, could that be
true? Had he always told that story? e admitted that
he told Mr. Fisk that he was under the sofa in the front
drawing-room, where the act was represented as having
taken place, and that he was nearly scratched by Lord Car-
digan's spur. It did not appear that anything of the
kind had been seen by the witness Thomas ; the whole
case rested upon the uncorroborated evidence of Win-
ter. There was no single fact to implicate Lord
Cardigan and Lady William Paget, except those deposed
to by Winter, and Winter alone. How came Lord W. Paget
to place Winter under the sofa? Had his suspicions been
excited by any previous information—by any acts of indis-
cretion? There was nothing of the sort given in evidence;
no such thing bad ever occurred, for if it had occurred, it
would have been given in evidence. Lady W. Paget had
been in Portsmouth for the last twelve months ; Lord Cardi-
gan had never been there, and the only thing given in evi-
dence was, that twelve months before Lord Cardigan had
sometimes called on Lady Paget while Lord W. was from home.
This matter commenced by Lord W. Paget bringing his lady
up from Portsmouth the Bth of August, and then placing
the man under the sofa. It appeared that on one occa-
sion Lord William Paget had used personal violence
to his wife, and had frequently- used abusive language,
and a night or two before Lady
W. 1 Paget's arrival in town,
he had passed the night with a prostitute. He alluded to
these facts to show that he was not the affectionate and at-
tentive husband that his Learned Friend had represented him
to be. It was utterly incredible that he could have been
living on terms of affection with his wife. He cared not for
his wife—for her reputation, or her happiness ; he cared not
for the infamy he might bring upon her if he could wrest
from a rich nobleman—and he fixed upon one who was in some
degree of unpopularity with the public —he cared for nothing
so that he might wrest from him a sum of money. Could
they believe that the offence had been committed? He was
sure they did not give credit to the testimony of the witness.
This witness had received regular pay from Lord W. Paget
since, on the morning of the last trial, he had
come to give evidence. He thought he had not been
well treated, and because he had not been subpoe-
naed, he did not come.. He went to Mr. Powell's, Lord
Cardigan's solicitor. Did he expect Lord Cardigan would
buy him off ? That witness who would make an affidavit
for two guineas, but not for one—who would not give evi-
dence unless he were well treated—wsho had promised to pay
his creditors with the money lie was to Shad promised to pay
his creditors with the money lie was to receive after this trial
—would get no money from Lord Cardigan. Lord Cardigan
and Lady Paget defied him, and said, let him say his worst—
let him go into a jury-box, and see if a jury will believe him.
It was impossible to call any party to contradict his testi-
mony, for the only persons who could contradict it
were Lord Cardigan end Lady William Paget, and
neither of those could be called. It was, therefore, for the
jury to test tile truth of the story—to consider his character,
to consider the improbability of his story in the different
versions he had given of the same transaction, and to ask
themselves if they could act upon his evidence, and blast the
character of a lady who had hitherto passed through life
without a stain, and to convict Lord Cardigan of having
seduced the wife of his friend. They had seen the witness ;.
they had heard him give his testimony ; and in their hands
he left the case.
Immediately after the Solicitor-General had concluded his
address, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant.
The announcement was received with applause, which was
instantly checked by the officer of the Court.

PREROGATIVE COURT.
(Before Sir IL JENNER FUST.)
COVENTRY V. WILLIAMS AND OTHERS.
In this case three codicils have been propounded, in a com-
mon codicil to the will of the late Lord Coventry, the vali-
dity of which was opposed on several grounds. The will
and other codicils have been already proved by the executor,
named in it. At one period his Lordship suffered under in-
sanity, but the testamentary papers already proved were
made previously. The first codicil brought to the notice a
the Court was dated the 17th of September, 1836, but was
torn up by his Lordship while in a state of insanity. After
hearing Drs. Addams and Curteis in support of the paper so
torn (the fragments of which were picked up by the keeper),
and the Queen's Advocate contra, the Court had no doubt
that it was entitled to probate, and directed accordingly.
The next paper discussed is couched in the following
terms :

" Severn Bank, Worcester, Nov. 18, 1840.
" In consequence of a late introduction to Mrs. Chase, and
finding her talents and virtues were unrepaid, either by
her profession (to which she is an ornament) or by her hus-
band, who since that acquaintance has turned out a great
villain, having been proved to be already married at Port-
slade, near Brighton, to a Miss Everall, I have determined
to offer, as a tribute to her talents and virtues the follow-
ing small pittance, that poverty may never overtake her.
I shall immediately order Mr. Morland, who has made my
will, to make the following codicil to it :—That whereas
in consideration of my sincere affection for Fanny Maria
Brunton's irreproachable character, and her other virtues,
she shall enjoy from me the small but welcome allowance of
501. per annum, to be paid by Messrs. Coutts and Co.,