New-York tribune., 1884-12-06
MIR. Y1TEYS REVENG r.

Mr. Edmund Yates is artistic in his rcycnges.
Lord Colcridge about a year ago denounced
the well known society journal conducted by
him for It's mcddcSomcness and lndeccncy III
prving into The private d0ings of London pe0-
ple. and pandcrlng to an unhealthy appetite lor
possip This rcbuke from the Lord Chief jus
ticc made deep impression upon the English
public. since he had been called upon to deny
silly matrimonial report which coupled his
name with that Of an American actress Mr..
Yates took the rcprlmand with good grace ana
although there were most unpleasant scandals
in the air about the Colcridgc household, re-
Trained from making the slightest reference to
Them in his journal. The dirty linen has now
been washed in an English courtroom under
tbe most discrcdtablc circumstances and Mr.
Yates has the opportunity for rctort Tor Which
he has been waiting in patient silence lie
now reminds tho Lord Chief Justice that
nothing would have been easier than for
society journalism to have stopped to the cheap
sensation -mongering with which 1t was wan
tonly charged, but that il did not break silence,
generously supprcssing the most desplcable
scandals ever enacted in an English household,
and allowing the Cocridge family in their own
,,ood time TO disclose them to the world.
This is an exquisite bit of literary revenge.
The Lord Chief Justice ought certainly 10
entertain in future higher regard Tor the
eocietv journalist who carried in his pocket
tbo kcv of that skeletons closet and never once
nooncd in. nor left the door ajar for prying
eves. althongh he was fully informed in regard
to thc contents. The door has now been iiling
omen by the family and one of the unhappiest
hall mi
Fnglmd has been disclosed
The Lord Chief Justices daughter is the
control Gyure, u mildlc-aged woman, who
had formed lukcwaim and platonic all'cu"h
r,, a widower engaged in charitable and liter
ory pursuits that were alike congenal 10 h'r'
rhis relation, under the pressure OF pcisccu-
,ion nt home. finally took the form of n mar
,i,pc engagement, into which Mr. Adams
entered IN n cold and pcrGunctoty way. Her
| father sought to break up this ilosts romance
by dis,nhcriting her. aud her brother wrote
brr n letter of advice illcd with mean mainnh-
,Iona aud wanlon lihrla ngAina her Hnitot
rhr family quarrel lnally rcsnltod IN her hd'
yrrlihing lof u position M EoNclnoHn hhu l'NV
| inr her fathers house. aud ~ her brother y
| boing sued for libel on tho Hlrongth oi tho let
fer of advice which he had written to hor. lhiH
| il the skcleton-closot III the Colerldgo houses
hold which has been exposed to morbid curt
osity. II is certainly u sorry sight. We do
not wonder that tho society Journalist, even
under strong provocatiOn, would not stoop II
lift the curtain.
The plcadngs in the courtroom have shown
that Lord Coleridgc's son IN writing to his
sister wantonly ibcllcd the man to whom sh'
WAS engaged. The verdict of the jury wa
clear and emphatic on this point, and also VIII
reference to the malicious intent OF the libel
The extraordinary conduct of the Judge II
setting aside the verdict does not impair III
force, but only serves to embttcr public feel
ing against the COlcridgc household. MI
Adams conducted his case with ability aht
frankncss, and has the satisfaction OF KNOWING
that he has vindicated his reputation anu ina
public sympathy is enlisted on his side. Bu
the legal aspects Of the case after all arr
the least interesting, although the yer
diet OF an English jury has been Bel
aside in most arbitrary fashion by
an obstinate Judge. The most distressing feat