The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-23
"A Contested EarIdOm.
BOY FIVE YEARS OLD THE CLAIMANT.


An unusual incident, says the London D0jLy
N6lCS occurred in the House of Lords few
days ago. A little fair-haired, blue-eyed boy,
five years old, presented himself at the bar of
the House, and their Lordships, sitting in the
Committee of Privileges, were asked to pro-
nounce him Earl of Wicklow, and virtually to
decide that he is heir to the extensive estates
of that earldom in Ireland. rival claimant
for the vacant peerage contended before the
committee, over which Lord Redesdale pre-
sides, that the child was illegitimate or sup
positions; that he was not the lawful offspring
of the member of the Wicklow family through
whom he claims to inherit the title and prop
erty; and the unsatisfactory proceedings in
the House of Lords, arising from the sus-
picious absence Of a most important Witness
show that the case is invested with gave
difficulties.
1t appears to be conceded that, if the child
is the lawful son of the late William George
Howard, he is entitled to the earldom The
barony Of ClOnmOre was created in l77S in
favor of Ralph Howard, NJ. p. for Wicklow,
who had large estates in the county, and was
a scion of the Howards of England His wife
was created Countess Of Wicklow in 1913, and
at her decease, in 1907, her son became first
Earl of Wicklow. The last possessor of the
earldom died without male issue, and the
present dispute is between colaterals
The story told by the widow Of William
George Howard at the bar of the House of
Lords is simple enough. She says that early
in life she was governess. In 1862 she met
Mr. Howard, who was the nephew of the
Archbishop of Armagh, at the great exhibi-
tion of London, being introduced to him by
a mutual friend, Mr.. Bordenaye. The init
macy thus commenced led to a marriage in
1868, at Kensington Church. The child was
born in 1864. Mrs. Howard states that the
event occurred when she was about to go to
Ireland to find her husband, in the hope of
weaving him from bad associates, with whom
he appears to have been connected. When
about to set out on the journey she was sud
denly taken i'll, and compelled to return to
her lodgings, where doctor was summoned,
but before his arrival the child was born.
This evidence is directly confirmed by Miss
Rosa Day, the sister of the person who kept
the lodgings. She says that the infant was
taken from the bed in which Mrs. Howard
was lying and given to her, and that the child
was brought up by hand, and was for long
time under her observation.
These witnesses have, however, been sub
iected to a discrimination of unusual
severity, in the course of which it appears
that before she knew her husband she had
been acquainted with Bordenave, and that
after the marriage she had at one time occu-
pied lodgings in the same house with him
during her husbands absence She denied
all familiarity with him before the decease of
Mr.. Howard but admitted that since that
event her :" line of conduct towards Borde-
nave had been changed, and she had resided
in the same house with him for the last two
or three years. The mystery was consider
ably increased by the secrecy observed in the
communications between the married pair
during Mr.. Howards lifetime. The widow
deposed that her husband kept the marriage
secret because he was in great pecuniary diff
culties, and afraid of his creditors. When
asked why a certain doctor had been engaged
to attend her in her confinement, she replied