Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-07
ST. LEONAHB-S TRIAL.
HOW n Peer Of the Realm Eat i'm the
Dock with BurEIars-E'en Pictures es
the Tria: Of AGrd slgdan's SON fer
Assault GA Servant esirl-Y.nIaeu.
ks2Tr.stevs and is:air Speeches.


Assault GA a Servant esirl-2,szlIssen.
ssaTr.stezs and ii.@ir Speeches.
Correspondence of the Philadelphia Iress
LoSD0N, May 24.-Not enc sparl. of applause
greeted the verdict of guilty which was passed
upon Lord ST. Le0nards yesterday in the cen
traI criminal court. and only surprise was mani
Tested upon the faces OF those who crowded the
chamber Of justice, waiting the decision of the
twelve good men and trIits az to whether the
noble lord had or had not committed the as
sault with which he vas charged. Sin~ularly
enough, the son of the learned Chancellor
the late Lord SUgdeE, found himself actually
IN the same dock with Common burriars for it
happened in this wise. The common iurv before
WHOM! he was tried failed to agree. and retired
from the box: in the interval Of waiting another
case was called on, and thirteen other iurymen
began III" exercise of their cOnstit utiOna! rights
the dock being filed with fresh prisoners. In
the meantime. before the second case had fin
ished the first jury announced that they had
agreed and accordingly tn" burglars We're Or
dered to the rear. WhCa Lord St I.eonardS adj
yanced 10 the bar. whore he pTc@cAtiy heard the
foreman give in the verdict OF guilty to when
he listened, not without some datjCn of the
eye and a contraction Of the muscles Of the face
marking the mental shock sustained
TIE DEFENDANTS COaPoSURE
During the proceedings, which were not en-
lyened by any incident. Lord st. Leonards
maintained an air of composure which did not
i'll assort with the clear, ringing tones in which
he had pleaded mot guilt" Even when con-
fronted with the servant girl it was alleged he
had indeoertly assaulted he did not finch. The
details of the evidence we're sufficiently nasty
and of the unit disqualification" order COnse-
quently the court was crowded and the privi-
legged few took care to secure seats on the
hnn of $l,n I,t,, ,<NnI
with the queer nondescrpts who usually de-
light iii criminal cases. There was more than
one me;1ber OF tine house of peers-amCng
them Lord Latham. sitting by the side Of the
recorder. and some one said, deceived by a
striking likeness, that the big Col. Barpaby the
butcher of El-Teb. was present.
OF the counsel engaged in this cause celebre
which owed its nOtCrlety entirely to the rank Of
the prisoner. the most popular was of course.
Edward Clarke. 2. c.. and rising member of
parliament, one of the mainstays of the conserv-
alive party Every one made certain that his
advocacy for the defendant was successful but
he had to admit himself beaten, whilst young
Charles Matthews. stepsOn of the famous ever
green actor. who was leader to Keith Firth.
prosecuting, won the day. notwithstanding that
his affected and pOmpous delivery OF very pre-
tentlOus Grafton lost him the ear and sympathy
of twO-thirds of those present.
FEATURES OF THE TRIAL.
In fact. the charge was an ordinary one, and
no interest would have been occasioned but for
the fact ofthe noble birth OF the prisOner-al-
though his personal appearance certainly beled
his extraction. Still. there were actors In the
drama whose names have been known to the
publie-notaby that of the prosecuting solicitor.
Mr.. Lay. who had finger in the lnournful busi-
ness al Hounslow, year or two since, which
resulted in the suicide of young doctor who
was unable to sustain the disgrace of an I'M
founded charge brought against him by a de-
signing wOman-One of his patients.
Mr. Lay saw fit to withdraw from the st. Leon
ards case on the eve of the trial, and it is said
his conduct mag be made the subject of further
inquiry. Many people here who saw the Jury.
composed Ior the most part of men not much
above the status of master carpenters or jour
neymen printers, believe that it was prejudice
that the lower middle classes have to the aris-
tOcTacy which inspired the verdict But for all
that there was some justice in it. as Lord st.
LeonarGS is known as "a bad lot. and the only
ground for excuse of bis conduct was that the
girl he assaulted was not of a character to de-
serve much consideration. and She may have
had on eye to eXtOrtion in making the charge.