Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-06-13
DAILY EVENING STAR.
From the Liverpool Times, MAY 30.
THE ROMANCE OF ROGUERY.

In February last the London paper
contained a report, translated from ,
French newspaper, of the trial at tn
court OF Assizes at Paris, for forgery
OF remarkable adventurer, who had as
sumed the names at various times O
Lawther, Etfingham, Howard, Horac,
Belmore, Kerr, Horace Seymour, and wa
supposed to have appeared under othe
arlstocratic ALIASES" He was prosecu
ted at the trial under the name of Cayen
dish. He claimed relationship with
noble English family of the same name
1t was ascertained that there were ground:
for believing that as far back as 1919 he
had been condemned by one of the French
courts, and that since then he had un.
dergone numerous condemnations ir
France, either in prison or par contun,aee;
also that he had been condemned at Hol.
land in 1927, at Venice in 1880, at Ham.
burg in 1886, and at Rome in 1850, and
fially that he had been married to nc
fewer than three women, all of whom
were living. 1t appeared, besides, that
in 1886 he had been condemned three
times by tie Court of Assizes for forgery.
lie was prosecuted On those three cases.
The man seemed a most extraordinary
compound of the seducer and the swind.
ler, Don Juan and Robert Macaire.
On the trial Cavendish endeavored to
disprove the identity between himself
and Horace Seymour, Kerr, Effingham
Howard, and the other persons mentioned
in the indictment. The evidence was so
decisive that it became necessary for the
defence to throw discredit upon it. One
Of the most important of those who had
proved the identity was one of the wives,
Mrs. Williams, who had identified
him at Paris in 1852, for the purpose
of proceeding in the ecclesiastical
courts here to obtain nullity of mar
riage. At the trial in February last one
of the witnesses accused Mrs. Williams.
under the name Of Miss Bathurst,
her maiden name, of keeping a gaming
house" and receiving gentlemen" She
denied the marriage of Cavendish with
Mrs. Williams, and charged the latter
lady with improper intimacy with two
refugees, Jules and Lepelletier. Such an
accusation was calculated to cast stain
upon that lady's character, which could
only be removed by the most energetic
measures, and these she has adopted.
She has utterly disproved the assertions
relative to her character by aflidayits from
known persons with whom she has been
in state of intimacy.
Among these are Athanase Coquerel,
the celebrated Protestant minister in
Paris, DR.. Latham, DR.. Higgins, DR..
Scott, the Rev. David Davidson, and
many others. The knowledge these per-
sons display of Mrs. Williams character
and habits, puts it out of doubt that the
narrative which she gives in her affidavit
is correct, and that she is totally guilt
less of any of the infamy with which
she has been charged.
Mrs. Williams, after few statements
relative to her family, and her first mar
rage with Henry Williams, of Mount
Carmel, in the County of Monaghan, goes
on to relate how her life interest in a
landed estate of two thousand a year,
held on leases for lives, became gradually
in value by the misconduct of
her trustees and agents. In 1850 per-
son called Lepelletier, whose name figures
the scandal, paid his addresses
to her but was refused. In the same
year she makes the acquaintance of Will
liam Charles Horace Seymour, represent
ing himself as related to the Seymour
ia nily. referring to persons most eminent
socially and politically in England, and
to foreign ambassadors in London, with
whom he was on terms of intimacy, and
with whom he held diplomatic relations.
This gentleman, who condeScended to
appear thus shorn of his glory, with only
four of his multitudinous appellations,
came to Mrs. Williams professedly for
the purpose of engaging the services of a
widow lady who was residing with her.
The lady in question would not under
take the duty-that Of travelling with a
family abroad-and Mrs. Williams began
to entertain some idea of taking the sit
uation herself. During, however, the
communications between herself and Mr..
Horace Seymour, this gentleman made
her an offer, and, deceived by his specious
manner, she accepted him. 1t is proof
of the strange power that Juan Macaire
had of fascinating bis victims, that she
declined to sign deed by which he set
tied five thousand pounds upon her,
trusting entirely to his good faith. How
this was rewarded may be imagined from
the fact, in seven days from her marriage
with him, she was obliged to fly the
house. Her life, she feared, was in dan
ger from his violence, and he had said
enough during this short time to convince
her that all his representations were
utterly false, and that there was every
probability that he had wife living. In
the meantime, the swindler made the
best use of his time, selling her furniture
and the lease of her house in Connaught
square, and giving notice to the agent OF
her property in Ireland to remit to him
any rents that the said agent might re-
ceiye from her tenants. By the advice Of
the Lord Advocate, and through the in
PRODUCTION of the Attorney General, She
placed her case in the hands of her solici-
tors-Messrs. Fearon and ClabOn. These
gentlemen, after much search, discovered
proofs in the State Paper Office at Brus-
sells that the man of many appellations
had, in the year 1889, married lady
named Wilson in that city. Here were
sufficient grounds for the commencement
of a suit for nulhty of marriage, if the
swindler could be found and identified
He had absconded, however and until
he was found, little could be done te
relieve the ladv's state of poverty. Du