Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-09-13
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING., SEPTEMBER 10, 1858.


CASE OF WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR.
The London Times Of the 25ih ult., gives
the followiog history Of Walter Savage Lam
dor who, though a writer Of world. wide repu-
tatiou. yet has been iguomioiously found gull
ty of slandering a lady.
"Itis with upfeigned reluctance thatwe per-
fnrm the duty which has been cass upon us
of saying q few words about the trial in which
MIR. Lander was defendant The result was
that the old man has to pay $1,000 as dam
ages, besidea biz liability Tor costs. Mr..
Lapdor, as is sufficiently notorious, returned
to England many years ago, weary OF his
Tuscan expatriation. He fixed himself ulti-
maiely at Bath. 10 that city he made the
ACQUAINTANCE Of Mr.. and Mrs. Yescom6e.-
The LADY was the plaintiff 10 the recent &C
ton. Acquaintance ripened BY degrees into
fri. ndsbi,: or at least into intimacy, aDd LOT
mapy wears Lander and the YescombeS were
in constant. almoet 10 daily intercourse: To-
deed. il appeared that Landor was 10 the hao-
il of dining wito them about three times q
week. 10 their family there resided tor some
time q young lady, to whose name. although
IL uas mentioned at tho trial, We have no
Wish to give any additional publicity. r,i
some cause unexplained it was judged ristt
That she should leave the Yescom oes ana DC
removed TO Chelteuham. and this 1t was
which roused Mr.. Landor's anger, and led
20 the publication of the hbels. Omlltiog
the dirt. here are a few Of the points charged
against a lady BY Walter Savage Landor:-
He said that she had been guilty OF perjury;
that he had given her Gl8 to pay for him,
and that she had stolen half the money; that
sbe had stolen G5 out Of q letter which be
had given her to put in the post office; that
she had retained a tradesmsn's receipt-had
not given bin the money, but had availed
herself of the receipt; that she bad stolen sew
en- sbillings from the counter OF a tradesman's
shop; that she had obtained tlOO from blm
uuder false pretences.
Now, it was not pretended by Mr.. Landor's
legal adviser that there was a shadow OF
p~retence for any of these charges. They
were the mere outpourings of a venemous ana
cankered spirit. Ooe would suppose that all
this was bad enough, but far more remains
untold. A great disturbance at Bath was
the natural consequence of such a quarrel be-
tween a man 60 famous as Mr.. Lander and a
family 80 well known as the Yescombes.-
The upsbot, however, for the moment. was
more reasonable than might have been ex'
pected. MIR. John Forster, the gentleman
whose name is 80 we'll and 50 favorsbly known
in the literary world, went down to Bath TO
see if he could put an end to a dispute
which, as he saw at a glance, could only
bring shame and discredit upon Landor.
Forster succeeded in obtaining the old
poets initials to on apology, 10 which he with
drew all the offensive aud hbellous charges
which he bad concocted and circulated
against Mrs. Yescombe, and added a promise
that they should DOT be repeated. The we'll
meant and judicious interference was not,
however, destined TO be productive of any
permanent effect. No sooner was MIR. Fors'
ter's back turned than Mr.. Lander renewed
his attacks, and this time with the most
oowardly weapon 10 the slandsrer's armory.
Walter Savage LaDdor. the poet, the man Of
letters, the gentleman, just tosteriog on the
verge of the grave, actually condescended to
have recourse to the ~expedient of anooy-
NOUS letters, and these letters contained such
filth that one may we'll wonder bow the ideas
could occur to q human brain. Friendship
and sound judgment could do no more for
him; Mr.. Forster was Reluctantly compelled to
leave Lsodor to bis fate, and to the disgrace
which be bad 80 deservedly drawn o his
OVID head, when the Law was enforced by the
lady's friends and Lander foed as above
stated"