Litchfield enquirer., 1872-01-18

The Archbishop of York, whom we had subpmnaed, why, his Gaaee had openly declared, he knew not, was also of course accommodated with seat on the bench. A formidable bar, led by the celebrated Mr. S-2, was, saw, arrayed against us, though what the case they had to meet, so well had Ferret kept his secret, they knew no more than did their horse-hair wigs. Ferret had solemnly enjoined the sisters to silence. and no hint, 1 need scarcely say, was likely to escape 21y lips. The jury, special ofeourse, were ill attend ance, and the case, Doe, demise of Comp ton vs Emslale," :" having been called, they were duly sworn to try the issue. My junior, MT. Frampton, was just rising to state the case,'' as 1t is technically called, when tremendous shouting, rapidly in creasing in volume and distinctness, and mingled with the sound of carriage wheels was heard approaching, and presently MT, Samuel Ferret appeared, followed by Lady Compton and her son, the rear of the par ty brought up by Sir Jasper Thornely, whose jolly fox hunting face shone like q full-blown peony. The lady, though pain fully agitated, looked charmingly; land the timid, appealing glance she uncon- sciously, as it were, threwround the court, 1 would, in doubtful case, have secured 8 verdict, ''Very we'll got up, indeed, " l said MT. g., in voice sufficiently loud for the jury to hear-''very effectively managed, upon my word.' We were, however, in too good-humor to heed taunts and as soon as silence was re- l stored, MT. Frameton briefly stated the case, and I rose to address the jury. My 1 speech was purposely brief, business-like, and confident. 1 detailed the circum- stances of the marriage of Violet Dalston, then only eighteen years of age, with a | Mr. Grainger; the birth of a son ; and ] subsequent disappearance Of the husband; /; concluding by an assurance to the jury that should prove, by incontrovertible l evidence that Grainger was no other per son than the late Sir Harry Compton, bar onet. This address by no means iessencd the vague apprehensions of the other side 1 A counsel that, with such materials for el- oquence, disdained having recourse to it, must needs have a formidable case. The smiling countenances of Mr. S- and his brethren became suddenly overcast, and the pallor and agitation of Lord Ems dale sensibly increased.
 l We proved our case clearly, step by step; the marriage, the accouchment, the handwriting of Grainger proved this-to the letters addressed to his wife, were clearly established The register of the marriage was produced by the present clerk of the Leeds church; the initials z. z. were pointed out and at my sugges- tion the book was deposited for the pur- poses of the trial with the clerk of the court. Not word of cross-examination had passed the lips of our learned friends on the other side; they allowed our evi- dence to pass as utterly indifferent. 4 l change was at hand.
 Our next witness was James Kirby, groom to the late baronet and to the pre- sent earl, After few unimpotant ques- tions, asked him if he had ever seen that gentleman before, pointing to Mr. Ferret, who stood up for the more facile recognition of sfriend Kirby
 "Oh yes, he remembered the gentleman we'll and very nice, good-natured, soft sort of gentleman he was. He treated witness at the 'Albemarle Arms, London, to as much brandy and water as he liked, out of respect to his late master, whom the gentleman seemed uncommon rOnd of. =
 ''Well, and what return did you mako for so much iberality?'
 Return! very little I assure ye. I told un how many horses Sir Harry kept, and how many races he won; but couldn t tell un much more, pump as much as he would, because, do ye see, 1 didn't knoW no more."
 An audible litter from the other side greeted the witness as he uttered the last sentence. MT. S-, with one of his complacent glances at the jury-box re- marking in sufficiently loud whisper, '"That he had never heard more conclu- sive reason for not telling in his life
 ''Did you mention that you were pres ent at the death of the late baronet ?''
 ''Yes I did I told m that I were with in about three hundred yards of late mas ter when he had that ugly fall; and that when got up to un, he sort of pulled me down, and whispered hOarse-like, send for Reverend Zachariah Zimmerman remember it, 1t was sich an outlandish name ike.''
 ''Oh, oh," thought I, as Mr. g. reached across the table for the parish register, s'Z. z. is acquiring significance I preceive."
 Well, and what did this gentleman say to that?"
 Say? Why, nothing particular, only seemed quite joyful 'mazed like; and when I asked un why, he said it was such Q comfort to find his good friend Sir Harry had such pious thougts in his last mo- ments."
 The laugh, quickly suppressed, that fol- lowed these words, did not come from our learned friends on the other side.
 Sir Harry used those words?''
 ''He did; but as he died two or three minutes after, 1t were of course no use to send for no parson whatsomever."
 Exactly, That wifi do, unless the oth- CT side have any questions to ask. No question sCas put, and the witness went down. 'sCall," said to the crier of the -''can the Reverend Zacharian Eim- merman"
 This was bomb-shell. Lord Emsdale, the better to conceal his agitation, de- scended from the bench and took his seat beside his counsel. The Reverend Zach ariah Zimmerman, examined by MT. Frampton, deponed in substance as fol- 1ows:-"He was at present rector of Dun by, Shropshire, and had been in holy or ders more than twenty years Was on a visit to the Reverend MT. Cramby at Leeds seven years ago, when one morning Mir. Cramby, being much indisposed, re- quested him to perform the marriage ceremony for a young couple then waiting in church. He complied, and joined in
  ger. The bride was the lady now pointed to him in court the bridegroom he had discovered, about two years ago, to be no other than the late Sir Harry Compton, baronet. The initials z. z. were his, and written by him. The parish clerk, a fail ing old man, had not oficiated at the marriage; a nephew, he believed, had acted for him, but he had entered the marriage in the usual form afterwards.
 "How did you ascertain that Henry Grainger was the late Sir Harry Compton,?
 ''I was introduced to Sir Harry Comp ton in London, at the house of the Arch bishop of York, by his Grace himself
 q remember the incident distinctly, Mir. Zimmerman, :" said his grace from the bench.
 Besides which, added the rector, ''my present living was presented to me, about 1 ai iOhtaan roonfhs since Inv tho daceasad