The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-21
NOBLE CRIMINALS.
The Shirley FamiIy's Contributions TO
Judicial Literature.

NhWAGhAA AAAbSANbWhCs
The Shirley family, in the possession Of the
CarldOm OF Ferrers, and vast estates in LelCel-
tershre and StgnOTdshire, have made consider
able contributions 10 judicial literature.
The trial OF Lawrence Shirley, the fourth earl,
for the murder Of his steward, johnson, is one
OF the ugiest cases in the ugly literature OF
murder. My own impression is that Lord Fer
Tcrs was mad; but though the plea OF insanity
is often SO successful, yet if a nobleman
commits murder, he is very unlikely kind Of
criminal to derive any benefit from it,. He
appears, like so many other criminals, to have
worked himself habltually into fits of passion
in which he was hardly sane. Passion, oftener
than anything else, causes murder, and in
many more cases it causes death through some
sudden access of disease. In this case Lord
Ferrers declared that he bore poor Johnson no
malice, and did not know what he was doing.
He left large legaCies, never paid, to the chill
dren Of his victim, and also made Compensation
to other persons whom he had injured in fits of
passion. The king refused to commute his
sentence, but he had the poor satisfaction of
going to Tyburn i'll his own landau, and being
hung by silken rope. His widow became
uncle of the present lord, and ii has been stated
that gibbet has been erected in Charley Wood
for the purpose of hanging him in efigy.
A much more pleasing reminlscenCe of the
family OF Ferre1s is preserved in Mr.. T. B.
Potter's walks Round Loughborough," and
by Sir Bernard Burke, OF which we give a
resume:-
"The seventh Earl Ferrers inherited some of
case of one of his line had led to such sad re.
suite. Dsliking the splendid seat of Staunton
Harold, probably from the painful associations
connected With It,, he erected mansions on
other portions of his large estates. Rakedale
Hall was one of these, Ratclif Hall was another.
He had quarrelled with his only son, the ami
able ana accomplished Lord Tamworth, and
Ihe later mad died without any reconciliation
haYlng taken place. One morning a woman of
pleoelan appearance came to the hall, and at
nrst requested, aud then, being refused, de-
manded an audience of his lordship. She was
at last ushered into the study, and she led by
the hand little girl of three years old, tor
whose support, as the grandchild of the Earl,
she supplicantly pleaded for some assistance. She
looked down on the child, and, relaxing and
relenting, said, Ay, you have Tamworths eyes,
This likeness to Lord Tamworth, the little ones
innocent prattle, and perhaps some compunc-
tious feelings tor his late GOODNESS to his sou,
made a strong impression on the Earl's heart.
He took the child on his knee; his stern heart
was softeued. and from that moment he formed
the resolution of adopting her. During his
lifetime she never left him, but became the
solace OF his declining years. He bestowed great
pains on her education, and by his will ap.
pointed Mr.. Charles Godfrey Mundy, of Burton
Hail, her sole guardian, with an allowance of
three thousand pounds a year for her mainte-
nance during minority, and bequeathed her the
beautiful manors of Rakedale, Ratclf, ETC.,
with large amount of personal property,
Miss Shirley, as she was always called, was
removed to Burton Hail; for she had been en-
tirely separated from her mother, who had mar
rjed an humble innkeeper of Lyston, receiving
a small annuity, on condition that she should
not have any intercourse with her daughter.
Zone day the mother was brought in by one
of the domestics as visitor; the young ladies
pursued their drawing, none OF them being at
all conscious of any relationship between them
selves and the rustic stranger. A picture or
two had been described, but the Woman's eye
could u OF be diverted; she only saw her daugh
ter, and in her oVerpOwering emotion threw
herself on her daughters neck, The scene
need not be described further.
There was a stipulation in the will of the
late Earl, that Miss Shirley should spend three
months of every year upon the Continent.
During O sOjourn in Italy she was introduced to
the young Duke de S!Orza, to whom she was
afterwards united.
"The little girl whom first introduced to th c
reader in the character of an humble suppliant
at the door OF Rakedale is now the Duchess de
Sforza wife Of one Of the most distinguished
men in Europe, and owner of Rakedale Hall
ITSELF and the fine estates that surround it. The
Duke and Duchess reside on the Dukes ances-
tral home in Romagna. They rarely visit
England. -..,
wife were observed sRetching, for several days
in succession, the remarkable ancient manor
house of the ShiTleys, called Rakedale Old Hall.
Gwen the children of the village learned tC
love the strangers for their gentle manners, and
stan more, perhaps, for the presents that were
bestowed upon them; and there was universal
gloom in the village, when the artist and his
Wlie announced that they would not return
again. The morning after their departure a
ietter was received by the principal farmer,
conveying grateful thanks TO the inhabitants
lor thelr Kind and hospitable attentions, and
enclOslnS check for a handsome sum for dis
tnontlon among the cottagers and their
chi IoTen' Inc letter destroyed the incognito'