The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-03-11
MIR. so-hern and ,he sDtrits.

THE LihEL AGAINST LORD DUNDkEARf HIS Exfk
kiEScES IN NEW YORK AS MEsNE&iSr AND
sPlRIrUALlSr- HIS OWN ACCOUNT OF AN AhEaI-
CAN "HIRAOLE CIaCLE'-JUDGE EDMONDs, JUDGE
TALLNADGE AND "ISkUhEaABLe" PERSONS PRES
nNr, xrc.
In London, April q, Mr. Benjamin Coleman, OF L
Angel court Throgmorton street. ard Of 81 Pembridge
villas Bayswaer attended before Lord Mayor at the
Justice room Of the Mansion House a summons charg-
ing him with writing and Publishing defamatory libel
of and concerning Mr. Sothern, the actor. Mr.. William
Kent of Paernoser row, also summoned before the
court his capacity OF publisher OF the periodical IN
which the alleged libel appeared.
The excited very great interest," and the
crowded during the investigation.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantne and Mr.. Montagu Williams
acted counsel for Mr.. Sothern, the prosecutor; lr
Lewis ST., OF Ely place, appeared for the first named
defendant Mr. Coleman, and Mr. Chamberlain of Basng-
hall street, for Mr.. Kent
The charge against Mr. Coleman, of the two, the
int esting, though il not heard FIRST The
opened by Mr. Sergeant Baantine OF the
importance TO his client whose moral character
had been seriously impugned The libel complained Of
he said, appeared in publication GALES. the Spiritual
MdgIzse, the shape of article purportng TO have
been written by the defendant Coleman There it was
stated, among other matters that not material in
respect Mr. Sothern, speaking OF him reference to
the time when he resided in New York. "he created quite
sensation by admitting the 18th # accusation brcu3M
Ggnst him By c1taia yang actress that he had then
occurred astersks-afer placing her IN state Of
Desmerc influence" There could, said the learned Ser
ant, be but one construction put upon the paragraph
he had quoted-namey, that Mr.. Sothern had committed
rape, something equivalent to rape upon the lady
when under state OF mesmeric influence; and it was
difficult to imagine anything foul put print
against man, seeing that the result Of II would be to
osracze from all society Ano her part of the libel
he sad embodied in the following sentence still
ferriDg to Mr.. Sothern -" He was good looking, gay
vvacous fast young whose pretty wife continually
TSe again
of the writer of the article who adverting to them in
foot note, said, have omitted those passages which
relate to matters into which do not desire to enter
Such statements said the learned counsel calcu
lated 10 SOW dissension in family, and to make mser
able home which, up to the present timc, had been
happy one. Since the days, he added, when puDisc
opinion put end to the of publications like the
Sdit and the A9e the English press had been happily
free from calumnies such those in question, and
which, he submitted contained a cruel and scandaous
Mr. Mark Andrew Chvers was called He said in
ply to Mr. Montagu Williams, he sub editor Of the
Times and resided at No Clements inn. He produced
letter. dated the 18th OF February, addressed to the
editor and signed 'The writer Of the article in the
Spiritual Aa0dsne upon it. in bis twatness) handwrit.
ing the and address Of the sender written Mt
tho time from memorandum and that letter appeared
in the Times on the following day.
buildings printer Identified 'aS the letter as being the
handwriting of Mr. Coleman the defendant with which,
be said, he was well acquainted
Balantne he said he was actor at the Haymarket
theatre, and resided at the Ceda Kensington; he
now permanently settled in this country and was an
Englishman by BIRTH though at residing in the
United States; he he'd read the article in question: and
had doubt it applied to him; he was a married man.
with four young children and living terms Of
perfect comfort with his wife; there not single
syllable Of truth in the passage connecting him in the
article In question with young actress
By Mr. Lewis in cross. examinaon-I was originally
here before went to America; If you ask me of how
should say Of dozen at least; that was from 1854 TO
1855; for about two years. think, amused myself In
psops 10 nseve In made no
sit at the table sometimes; Thomas Haddaway
Of the miracle circo; was then known by tho name
Of Douglas Stuart very great number Of persons be-
sides those engaged in theatrical pursuits formed part of
the ''circe;" Judge Edmonds used come and SO did
Governor Talmadgc, in fact nnumerable people came;
what did was for amusement merely, and cannot
collect exactly now what did; think we kept tho |
'irace CIRCLE for about two years. generally
about once week. sometimes three or four might be
there. and sometimes twenty; the mediums called me
. medium, and thought they knew best-(a laugh)-
1 don't admit that practiced any deceit; simply
entered into the matter as joke; you put the word
spruasm to be false; was eudeavoring to establish
its truth or falsehood by mechanical means arrived
many men cleverer than myself thought otherwise.
.nnk II VIII be four years next September left
many people dc SpnnSs Ii that
IA augh lido not honestly believe that anybody believes
have got do not believe that any aciay sane man
any man who has not got screw loose really docs be-
lieve. Iaughter) l cannot understand how anybody
can believe IN IT, That Is what mean. uaughteE) I |
writing letter TO Glasgow paper. The |
printed slip You now produce looks like copy of 1t.
The number of the ''crcle' usually twelve They
were Of every position In fe they invited right
and left Since my return to England have TO n Ger
tain extent pract sed sprtualism, but very little and
always at private houses
Mr. Lewis-Have you endeavored there to induce peo
pie to believe in its bona fdesS
Witness-Yes; Just the would with any other
trick He coDtinued:-A gentleman one occasion
took out summons against me. What did on that
occasion vas TO expose spiritnasm. You ask me II
barkcd like a dog certainly did make some sort Of
unearthly noise and there three people
the room who did precisely the same thing We all
pursued each other with knives. 1t was all done a
Joke, and everybody knew It joke. really
not say what the gentleman to whom you refer believed
wards withdrew the complaint.
Mr Lews-werc you Obliged to apologizef
Witness-l not apologize
By Mr.. Sergeant Balantne- Rightly or wrongly con.
ceive that spritualists are mpostem never admitted
the truth Of the accusation made against young
far aware there Ia not single prctencc for the
psnueton that there any unkindly feeling between
This was the case for the prosecution and Mr. Lewis
for the defence, contended that all the defendant had
done merely 70 reproduce In effect In the Spiritual
newspaper substituting astcrsks for expressions which
he believed would be offensive 70 kT. Sothcrn. He bad
until the Blanks were ied up With The enpressons for
which the asacssks substituted he submitted the
passages relied upon aid MOI bear DOT The chasre Of bsl
70 have The whole truth known, 70 resort 70 form Of
proceeding which closed tbs mouth Of the defendant
ssii upon a letter which had been put %. and
which NJ. Sothern had addressed 10 the Glasgow
0as'e. in December last IN roply TO an article in
the Spiritual Aooustne Ia much too hong bc
even summarized hcrc, but the gst Of II was that,
following Industrious preocdcnis Mr. sothern used an
assumed when he entered his profession and only
resumed his own name the advice Of his friend
MI James Waack; that tho party Of spirituaiiss'
not composed chiefly Of actors and actresses though
II would have been none the worse II II bad but was
composed V tUers oen1emes Of high pcsuon Who actu-
.,ed by common curiosity and interest joined in
thorough, practical and exhaustive Investigation Of the
phenomena OF spirituasm that they quite ready
Tor either resuo believe u It were true, to reject Il
solved IN due time 70 expose IT, The concluded
by denouncing u a. q swinde. There were thousands
or PEOPLE 10 this country continued Mr. Lewis who be-
hcved In sprituaiism nevertheless. and he submitted
that was hard language 10 apply 10 II by who had
at one time, 70 say the least been himself ready 10 put
faith in H. and that the article alleged ~ lbeous
being written In reply 10 Mr. Sothern's letter TO the
Glasgow paper was only fair reort upon his scurrty
The Lord Mayor said he thought II would be very I'M
Desirable on his part TO express any very strony opinion