The true northerner., 1874-11-06
Gibbon also informed Miss Turner

Gibbon also informed Miss Turner
that her father was " chassez-ing" up
and down the border, waiting chance
to dodge the sherifl's officers and waltz
over. As they rolled into Carlisle,
William Wakefield again appeared,
pulled up the carriage windows, and, in
a mysterious whisper, said he had some
thing of Importance to communicate.
He had seen Mr.. Turner at Carlisle,
and Mr.. Grimsditch was with him he
had made two attempts that day to cross
the border, and could not. He said the
inn-yard was full of bailiffs that
Grimsditch had entreated that he would
not stop in the rorm, or they would be
discovered, and that he had taken him
by the shoulder and turned him out of
the room.
He said papa requested, if ever
loved him, that 1 would not hesitate
to accept Mr.. Wakefield as husband. 7"
What did you say to this p
consented"
"What induced you to consent ?"
"The fear that if l did not papa
would be ruined"
This ended her evidence. Counsel
for the defense wisely refrained from
ross-examination, and confined them
selves to showing that marriage had
actually taken place valid by the laws
of Scotland, and that after she left
Manchester Miss Turner was willing
victim. To establish this latter prop
osition most motley assemblage of
witnesses - landlords, post-boys and
chamber. maids-were produced to show
the liveliness of the young lady. She
actually shook hands, according to one
witness, on first meeting Mr.. Wakefield.
They were in such spirits in the car
riage that the hostler asked the voluble
driver whether he had got players with
him. They played draughts at Carlisle,
and at Settle they had gingerbread, and
she laughed loud enough for two.
The cOuntenance of Mr.. Sergeant
Cross, who led for the prosecution, lost
it's cynical expression, and his iron feat
ures relaxed at this long rigmarole. He
cross-examined the several witnesses
with rough contempt.
"Well, they didnot quarrelor fght?'
"No."
My friend has asked you every
question but whether the gingerbread
was good-was it good"
Very good"
"She appeared to be in as good
spirits as young lady would be in 60
ing from school TO see her parents, did
she ?"
"She was in very good spirits 1
thought they were brother and sister. T"
"And yon actually saw her smile, did
you?"
eyes"
Indeed wonderful
The celebrated David Laing, the
blacksmith, who for forty eight years
had officiated at Gretna Green in all
cases of runaway matches, was then
called on the stand. He appeared to be
very old, very deaf, and very illiterate.
In the course of his examination in re-
gard TO the marriage, he said it twas
done in the old ordinary form of the
Church of Scotland" This reused the
ire of Mr.. Brougham, who, on the cross
examination, gave brilliant exhibition
of those powers which led Mr.. Trollope
to dub him Boanerges." He rode
rough-shod over this vulgar and litter
ate trafficker in clandestine marriages,
and made him disclose the history of a
long and decidedly ill-spent life.
He gave description of the cere-
mony which he had stated To be the
ordinary form of the Church of Scot
land, which was at once chaste and sim
pie. /" 1 ask them if they take one an
other for husband and wife, and so and
so, aid no amount of badgering could
extract from him what meaning, if any,
he attached to these words. 1t was GUS
tomary, he said, for the groom to stand
bottle of "shumpine (champagne),
which David disposed of before COM
mencing operations.
The defense, though ably fought,
could not, of course, save the criminals
in the face of the clear case made out
by the prosecution. The two brothers
Wakefield were sentencedto three years
imprisonment each. and verdict was
also.f found against Mrs. Wakefield, but
judgment against her was not moved
for.
Miss Turner was afterward married to
Mr.. Leigh. of Lyme, but died young.
Gibbon Wakefield, on his release
from prison, took an active part in col
onizing New Zealand, and appears to
have sought by the labors of mature
manhood to redeem the sin of his