Star.
London, England, 1817-07-18 00:00:00

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band was of the same party he usually walked behind, . . who it was ; and finding that no one returned up ti,el
and the wife with some other Gentleman. He had I stairs again, after some time I called Mary Rolfe into
bad very little acquaintance with Captain Sir Tbos. my mem. I asked her if she believed any of the ser
Staines: the plaintiff and defendant were cousins.— vents went out at night; and she answered no. I thee
He had once dined at the plaintiff's house when the weal down stairs to see if any of the doors or win.
defendant was in company. The plaintiff is a banker dows %vete open, but they were ah fast. I bolted the
at Canterbury: door at the bottom of the stairs, and returned into my
Cross-examined again.—He had not seen Mrs. i bedroom ; I then went to my brother's-room, in or-
Helloed walking with Mr. Stephenson; only with der to tell him what I had heard. I took a candle,'
Sir Thomas Staines that he recollected. Mrs. Hal- and on going to his bed-side I found that he was not
Turd once came to the witness's house at Denton, there: all the dress he had worn in the day was there .
about eight miles from Canterbury, in Mr. Roseland his do-song-gown and slippers, however, were gone.
Stepheneon's curricle ; the husband was not present. Nobody but he could have gone down stairs. Find-
" Ole witness Lad seen her walking with Major Goring my brother not in his room, I weft down and
don, who was quartered at Canterbury. From Den- unbolted the door at the toot tat the stairs, and re-
ton. Mr. Stephenson drove Mrs. 1-I.llfind to Dover, turned to my bed-room. I laid down on the bed, but
above nine miles further. Mr. Stephenson had been of course could not sleep, and kept the maul with me.
a lover of the Lady before she married the plaintiff. About tour o'clock in the mortung I heard somebody
Re-examined again.—Mr. Stephenson is the 'Alt. return up the staircase, who %villein the direcnon of
ness's brother-in-law, and was a married man at the my brother's room. I think Mr. Heliord returned
time he drove Mrs. Halford. The witness had a next morning from Canterbury ; but in the following
very high.opinion of his honour. He had seen Mrs. week he paid another visit to Canterbury, and stayed
Halford with Major GArdon in the public walks. all night. In the mean time the servant, Mary Rolfe,
Lord ELLENISORnUGIi interrupted this course of and I, had talked on the business. Oir the fit st night
examination by observing, that such evidence proved after Mr. Heltord's departure, and at about the same
nothing, if it did not lead to any the ig more precise. hour as before. I heard the same noise on the stair-
If such conduct were criminal, it would cut off all case. I had desired Mary Rolfe to wait in my room,
the innocent intercourse of society : in Turkey, a and tee went together to the double door which led
husband might be jealous of such conduct on the part into Mrs. Hellord's bed-room. We opened one of
of his wife, but nut in England. the doors, the servant having unbolted it before bed-
John Baker, Esq. M.P. for Canterbury. was part- time. We could then hear more distinctly ; and we
net in the Union Bank with the plaintiff and his heard some person enter Mrs. Hallned's room, and
father. He had been most intimate with the plaintiff get into bed ; and afterwards we heard voices stiff'.
and his wife. and (torn what he could judge they ciently loud to make myself assured whom they be-
werea very happy couple. She was a pleasant and lunged to : .they were Mrs. Helloed': and my tau-
accomplished woman. He lived in the house adjoin- thei's. After going into my brother's room again,
ing the Bank. The witness had been in Sir Thomas and seeing his clothes the as before, with the dies-
Staine's house at Canterbury, but did not recollect it singegown and slippers gone, 1 wnt to bed. 1 4111
particularly. When the defendant was at sea he in- certain that two persons were iu Mr,. liellord's bid.
trusted his house and his farm entirely to the plain- I did not bear my brother return that night, but on
tiff. He always thought, instead of cousins, they subsequent occasions I heard similar noises, and on
were like brothers, so much: were they rooted and going into my brother's room I found that he was
fixed to each other. In the summer the plaintiff absent : this occurred every night when the plaintiff
used to fo to Dandelion, and in the winter Sir Tho- was absent at Centerbury. I know Miss Helloed,
max Staines Came to Canterbury. The plaintiff was aunt to the 1 p.aineff ; I saw her in the Jime following ;11
about 37 or 38 years old, and the defendant about I' mentioned the circumstances I had übeereed early
1.0 years old. an April, about three weeks afterwards, to a Mr. and
Cross-examined.—Sir Thomas Staines was paid off Mrs. Cramp. a neighbour, uhont I consulted ter ad-
from the wavy about the Autumn of 1815. Sir T. vice on the subject. My brother did not know gullets
Staines had served with Lord Nelson, and was Con- of them, as he had been absent. I was present at
sidered a very gallant officer. Cautetbury in January last, when an inquiry took
Colonel N. Webb, who had been appointed In- place before the Weeds of all parties, and before Mrs.
specting Field Odicer of the Yeomanry Volunteers in Heiford and my !mother; I then related what.! have
the neighbeurhood of Canterbury, had known the
now mentirreed. I Always noticed a greet peitielity
plaintiff and his wife intimately since 1808 or 1809, between my brother and Mrs. Helford, which I re-
and to all appearance they were a very affectionate marked particularly after the discovery I made: one
couple.
time going out of the room and returning sooner than
Edward Tayler, Esq. who lived in the neighbour- they expected me, I found Mrs. H druid sitting on
hood of Canterbury, and had represented that City in my brother's knee.
Perliaatent, hid known the plaintiff before his mar. Cross-examieed.—Generally my brother and I
riage, and had kept up his intimacy sinee that event. lived very affectiorkely together. until about the
The plaintiff and his wife appeared to love each time of this discovery. We never I eve quart died.
other as affectionately as could be wished, and be He told me I was no longer te live in his !liaise be-
lied had frequent opportunities of judging. fore the month of January. I went to my &argil-
Miss Sarah Halford deposed, that she was aunt to tea's during her confinement in the summer ; but at
the plaintiff, but had not known Mrs. Haltord before that time 1 had nut the least idea 1 was not to return
her marriage. She had seen them much since their to Dandelion. Before November I had bad a letter
marriage, and thought them a happy couple. The from my brother, telling me I should no longer be
plaintiff heel conducted himself with perfect propriety so halms, iota. his hotoe. I corrtivottik‘d with my
towards his, kile as far as she had seen. They had brother when he was at sea .in the Britton. '1 hi
one child, i son, eleven years old. Tu he witness au letter is my handwriting, dated July, 1812. I h.tv..
known Sir Thomas Staines many years ; between a brother George, but I have never to my knowledge
him and the family of the plaintiff there WAS great said, that there was any thing improper between Mrs.
intimacy, often visiting at Dandelion. The witness Helturd and hint.
had visited there at the same time ; but she had not The letter nets handed to the witness for the pur-
been led at all to suspect the conduct of Mrs. Hal- pose of refreshing her memory.
ford. It was not mail about the middle of June. Tien letter dues not allude to any thing of the hit.
1816, that she first heard any thing against her.— sines.. I beer never ..rid or written that Mrs. Hal-
The witness was well acquainted with Mrs. Stewart, ford had conducted herself improperly belose I made,
sister to Sir Thomas Staines, and had seen her Ire- this discovery.
queratly about that time. The disclosure of the arise
You have never said that Mn.Helloed went on
conduct of Mrs. Helloed was not made known to the 1
the Pier with a person of the name of George, at
plaintiff until about the 15th of January last. The Margate. after it was dark ?—Never ; but I beg to
witness was present at a meeting of the tinnily -upon be allowed to lock at that letter—(lt was pin into'
the subject, when Mrs. Stewart was examined, and 'her hands, and she read it.)—Thia letter does not
stated what blur. knew. The defendant and Mrs.
say that she went after it was dark.
Halford were both there. After that time Mrs. Hal- What do you mean by the words there used. 's the
ford quitted the residence of her husband. business being completed ?"—'!float she went out of
Cross-.examined.—At the meeting Sir I'. Staines ill-nature. By completing the business, I mean being
did not offer to send all his servants to be examined cross and ill_n.nured.
on the subject; but he did send them ; among them
Lord ELLENIiIItOL-Gll.—Not very ill-natured : it
were Mary Rolfe, Quiz, the black servant, and die
seems rather as if you meant that she Was improperly
coachman, but not the cook ; he also sent a groom of good-naturecito somebody.
the name of Carter. You mean then to swear, that out of ill-humour
Mrs. Susannah Gibbs. who had known the plain- she went to walk at eight with a young man alone
tiff and his Lady tow 15 years, and had constantly upon the Pier at Margate ?—I do.
visited them with her daughters, gave evidence to the
harmonious terms on which the buebend and wife ap-
Mr. Scat air then proceeded to re-examine the
peered to live.
witness, first reading the material parts of the letter.
whiCh purported to be adeireterd to Sir Thomas
Mrs. Margaret Stewart was then put into the box.
—1 am sister to Sir T. Staines, and Ent cousin to
.Staines,,lowsson boar.: the Britton. Wha, he read was as
the plaintiff. lam a widow, and have lived the whole follows
H We spent the day at Buenos Ayres, all rather in the dumps
of my lite at Dandelion, excepting five years after I
--Mrs. Haliord truly disappointed, and not being able to conceal
was married. The plaintiff and Iris wife were in the her feclings, at not being able to spend une day wrth you ha the
habit of visiting at Dandelion, but more frequently island. Recharge Halford (he plaii. nicht% att latd ttaitiher again re;
since the death of my mother, three years ago. The t_l4._lll_ VytoheurseY.est
whenerda 'ea.' ranhurn(Are".Hattitast) .hewed party
... ha high
farm at Dandelion is very large, and while Sir T. 'l'
style to poor Halford; Kitty (Miss Catherine Pearce) got quite
Staines was at sea, it was managed by Mr. Helloed ; in the wrongs, but I trust by Oh time all will be well Richard
but I kept the accounts, and paid the servants. We and Kliaedte.ba.vrehjeustt been
uus utriattoai.!,l,vriteweusirridthinenmer ;hwaveinogf
acourse.
always looked upon each other as brothers and xis. cpoaniepd them down to their tiouse, leaving Mrs. Richard at Dandy,
ters, and not as cousins, the intimacy was so great.
whom George Staines (brother (41 the defendant) took down in
I remember Mr. Helloed arid his wife coming to the chaise atter, she took it into her bead to walk out, and gotta
Dandelion in the spring eflBl6. Up to that period 1 the Pier qqi:e alone, and did not return until
untilten o'clock.—ths
had observed nothing improper in the conduct of you not tLull; the Laity convicted the busm
Mrs. Helloed: the husband and wife seemed to live The witnesi explained that what she meant in that

particularly happily together. Twice a wick Mr.
Halford's business generally called him to Canter-
bury, where he went, leaving his wile and child be-
hind at Dandelion. He sometimes stayed away one
night, and sometimes two, and now and then re-
turned the same day. The house at Dandelion is
old and rambling ; my brother's bed-room is at one
end, with a staircase to a landing-place from the
lower floor. This landing.place led to my brother's
bed-room, to nil own, and a servant maid's room.
Mary Rolle slept in a room through mine. There
is a double dour between Mary Rolle's room and
Mrs. Halford's. There are two doors with a very
small space between them, owe fastened by a lock,
the ocher by a bolt. A separate suitcase leads to
Mrs. Halford's room only. I remember going to
bed late one nigltt in April, when Mr. Haltotd was
at Canterbury; it was about one o'clock, twelve being
the usual hour. Soon after I got into bed I distinctly
heard some person walk down the stairs and open a
door at the bottom which was bolted. 1 bad nu idea

letter wasi that firs. Halford was cross because the
I
defendant had gone away, as he was a great favourite
with her and the rest of the family. The witness's
-brother, George Staines, had driven Mrs. Halford
down to Buenos Ayres, from whence she proceeded
by herself to the Pier; because she was so much out
of humour. This Was all she meant by the question
—A, Do you not think the Lady completed the • bu-:
sums ?''
Lord Eu.annoaounts here remarked, that the let-
ter su explained did no: seem to bear the construction
he had first put upon it; but it certainly mentioned
an instance of very unguarded conduct in a married
woman, who went aloue to the tier of Margate at
so late ai hour.
A letter was then put into the hand of the witness,
which she said was the writing •ol her brother, but
Thomas Staines; the date of it was the 25th of Ot
tuba last, and it contained the' first intimation that
she had received, that she was no longer to superin-
toad his huthetuld at Diadelit4.. 1. was subsequent'