The New York herald., 1870-03-01


have a report OF the nrst pieadings and testimony
which were mad and taken in the celebrated Nor
daunt divorce case. already reported In our cable
kilograms.
The Case for Divorco-Sir Charles Nor
daunt's Statement.
Tho suit instituted by Sir Charles Mordaunt on the
ground OF his wlfe's alleged adulte ry with the CO.
respondents, Sir Frederick Johnslone and Vscount
Cole, came on, for trial yesterday In the Divorce
Court before Lord Penzance and q special jury.
The question raised was the alleged insanity of Lady
Mordsunt The issue submitted to the jury was
whether Lady Mordannt was or was not insane a. at
petition was served upon her.
Tne court WIS croHded. Mr.. Sergeant Baanttne
for the petitioner sir Charles Mordaunt; DR.. Deane
@ o., Mr.. Archibald and Mr. Searle for the re.
ing brief lor the correspondent viscount Cole, but
not for the purpose OF taking any part "A the case
they were probably ali aware that Sir Charles Nor
daunt had In that court brought suit against his
tan ns PERSONS paas 0 named With that CASE CASE the the
court, In TINS instance, mad nothing whatever
20 couq qD For All she Of me present n1urv Il
mattered nothing whether Lady Mordaunt were the
most guilty woman or sne most loyal and true wife
in the world. Her guilt or her innocence not ut
present IN least Ia question: and the only matter
before the was tnis-wnether on certain day.
and since that day, down TO the present time, Lady
Mordauns was or sound mindS In that court, at
least sucn an inquiry was entirely new That court
ac case ae' Of this kind had not YET been cciore
1t. In other courts, however, these cases
were familiar enough Lae principle Of inns MS
man could be put upon MS trial who was
unable to defend himself In consequence OF what
was called q .svisi. alton OF God.n In books there
were many cases OF this kind 10 be found. He did
not know that ne could refer to q case in which the
Queen vs.. Frltn US reported In the twenty second
volume OF State Trials, at page 3lS-'Frith, having
already peen impriSonea ior ,areg months hi O was
sci Thought his state OF mind such unat he was
unfit to be tried and tue question came on for
trial as TO the prisoners sanity, Notwithstanding
his objection to such q course.n One OF the
learned Judges, addressing the Jury In the
terms IN which he (Dr. Deane) had put II. that
man could be called upon to make his defence at
appeared not 10 be capable OF DONG So There
were various Olner cases III point wnch might be
cited The present INQUIRY began on the soth Of Of
Mordaunt; and from that date her state OF mind
became the question Tor consideration. The ques-
ton was pat IN It's proper shape in July last
namely whether hannah sarah Lady Mordaunt was
the 3Otn day Of April OF unsound mind ana had
two theories OF the case. The theory which woulo
be put forward by his learned friend on the other
side would no doubt be this that there were certain
symptoms and appearances on the part of Lady
Mordaunt which might lead an Inaccurate observer
fancy that she was out Of ner mind; but his learned
friend would no douDt maintain, these appearances
were all felgned and these symptoms all unreal. 1t
would be contended that they were put on' for q
purpose. IL would be pointed out that at certain
times these symptoms disappeared or appeared ln-
consistently under diderenE aspects to her frlends
and 10 those who were comparative strangers. Ills
Dr. Deane's theory was tnat In truth Lady Nor
daunt was suffering from o disorder which how
and wnetIier It was OF the blood or the brain or Of
nervous action through the spinal cord, had gradu-
ay rom @ g, gwen ar .me was ta existing on
the present become worse and worse. He would
state some Of the circumstances or The CASE Sir
hnra Nor rnf hah a ~ nfrvQ
called Walton Hail. and there, on the 30th OF April,
Lady Mordaunt was served with the citation
wnen she came up to London, where for
some days she resided at Belgrave square,
Worthnx She remained there G until tit the isss OF OF
August, when she was removed to o place III the
nelghborhood OF Bromley, where she had remained
lew days In London, between the 26th and 30th OF
September last year. At these places and times she
was seen by various medical men, who would be
called to give evidence regarding the symptoms
when sne BETRAYED. Among these were DR..
tlnguls6ed 16S n men. In August these I'm matters
having come before hts lordship in various
st this LADY should be seen Sy Dr.
Wood That gentleman saw her several times IN
September ana October. She had been constantly
visited ut Bromley by gentleman OF the name Of
Hughes. and Saturday last she was seen Dy Sir
james simpson, OF Edinourg, man OF worldwide
tnat the symptoms which Lady Mordaunt betrayed
were these: great failure OF memory, inability to
Keep on anything ike sustained conversation,
perception. or at least Of being able to answer
any questions with promptness; particular stiff
less 0 the muscles OF the body, known to medical
men the result OF hat they called hystercal
lepsy. at the same time she exhibited symptoms
proceeding from internal disorder The pulse was
auickened. she anected with extreme heat OF
the heao GOODNESS OF the feet and peculiar state OF
the breath. She showed various other symptoms OF
DISORDER, which would be spoken to Ia evidence.
Whatever might have been Lady Mordaunt's c0ndl-
ton on the eta OF May, when three OF the medical
IA fhuf
that condition had become worse and worse,
and, II he Dr. Deanel was not mistaken,
that there was little nope Of the unfortunate ady's
learned friend on sne other side that various mo-
tIves might have induced Lady Mordaunt to SIND
late the symptoms referred to, and ne would no
doubt lay stress what might seem to be an In
consistency IN these symptoms and appearances.
But tue court would be cautious not to give too much
weight TO arguments OF that nature, for IL would
virtually be begging the whole question. One OF
the principal tests OF soundness or unsoundness
OF mind was no doubs the consistency or
thought that ne should be able to show that there
existed no such INCONSISTENCY in the present case.
cover sufficient symptoms TO enable him to form an
absolute Judgment on her case, but subsequently
tried her on the sub,ecs Of money. He had some
silver IN his nand and he said, "shoud you ike
tive; and he then said, .Why do you not draw q
check T she accordingly drew . cneck for thirty
pOuHub anu uduueu II tO ulIn, saying that she
should be perfectly satisfied II he wond
give her f1vo pounds for 1t. On another OCCASION
whom asked TO draw cheek, snc had utterly
forgotten the mode OF dong It. ON another occae
sion she was asked by Dr. Wood to sing ballad,
the words OF which were OF sentimental nature and
which she had been In the habit OF singing before
all these troubles came upon her. The words eyi-
dently struck some chord in her heart; she burst
into hood OF and said she could not sing it.
She showed extraordinary docility In anything
she was asked 70 do by DIR. Wood; for In
stance, such as asking her to take q piece
OF CHINA OF the mantel piece and To hold
1t first In one position and then another, and
yet when she was asked to sing song she utterly
Wood asked her TO sing tins same song she down
to the piano and sang 1t right of. These symptoms
showed the utter vaculty OF her MIND and the aD-
tore them as witnesses the attendants who had
waited upon her, ani they would dep0se to her ex-,
traordInary conduct They would tell the Jury that
she was III the habit or wandering about the house
during the night, sometimes dressed and some
times undressed anu Of making her way INTO the SER