The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-02
NoRLEssE oBLIGE.
A Specimen of a Large Number of England's
Titled Aristocracy.

/ 6ObLESSE OE5l4lGE,
A Specimen of a Large Number Of England's
Titled Aristocracy.
London letter in New York World.
Among the titled British scoundrels who fig
ure IN the annals of unabashed rascality there
are rev worse specimens than the Hon. William
| Charles 4elverton, who five-and- twenty years
| ago distinguished himself by deserving and dis
owning his wife, one oe the loveliest and most
accomplished women of her day, and who, soon
| afterwards. succeeded his father as Lord Avon
more The history of this piece of villainy
| made some noise at the time because it led to a
long and important trial in the Dublin Court
| or Common Pleas; but it was soon forgot
| ten by public already accustomed
to aristocratlc blackguardism. and Yelverton,
woman his wife, and held up his head in society,
| While his unfortunate victim. fatally injured in
| her reputation by her lawful husbands untiring
mailce was driven out of the country, and had
| to take refuge in South Africa, where only few
months ago, she died in poverty
| her maiden name was Marie Theresa Long
worth; and at the time Of the trial. she won
general sympathy-at all events, among un-
preJudlced people, by her sweet and ladylike
manner, by her beauty, and by the painful ma
ture OF her position. She was then woman
something under the middle height and of per-
iect proportions. She was typical blonde with
hair OF that rich hue which you may see in
the paintings by Titan; and her features, though
not regular, were capable of the most varied ex-
preston, and were indicative of great intellectu-
al power Her scoundrel of a husband, Yelver-
ton. was about thirty-sx years of age and
looked the accomplished villain that ne was; and
the cynicism with which he gave his evidence
shocked even the most hardened habitues of
the courts. l must tell the story, because it adj
mlrably illustrates how that good old motto,
noolesse obhge. Is acted up to by our hereditary
| aristocracy. As You will see, the principle is
one thing and the practice another
MISS L0ngwOrth was Young lady OF good
family and possessed of about ST.. 500 year in
her own right Having at an early age lost her
mother, she was sent to France to be educated.
and while there she joined the communion of the
Church of Rome. In 1852 she went to visit
married sister who lived at Boulogne, and on
her return she had the misfortune to meet
9everton, who was then captain in the
British army Next year she again CHANGED to
encounter him at Naples. and therefrom cor
responderee ensued. In May 1856, Miss Long
worth nobly went to the Crimea to act as vol
nnteer nurse in the British hospitals
before Sebastopol. Yelverton Joined the
besiegers in the following September, and
when he found Miss Longworth he lost no time
| III asking her to marry HIM. She assented, and
agreed to leave the occupation in which she was
employed in order to become his wife; but lie ae-
companled his proposal with a proposition to
which she could not agree, namely that the
marriage should be celebrated secretly by any
priest VINO could be prevailed upon to perform
the ceremony.
| matters remained in statu quo until Miss Long
worth, who, meantime, moved in tho best soci-
ETY. In camp. returned to England in the fall of
1901 Next year she went on visit TO Edln-
ourg, where, strange to say, Yelverton was
stationed He there met her, and induced her
to hear him read the marriage service from a
Church of England Prayer book, afterwards tell
ing her that, by the laws of Scotland, they had
become 1pso facto man and wife. tier reply
was that of a virtuous woman. She fled from
Edinburg and took refuge with her sister in
Wales. But the reading of this service and
felverton's assurances made her uneasy; and at
last she wrote to him. consentipg in answer to
his wishes, that they should be secretly married
by Catholic priest in a Catholic church. In
pursuance of this arrangement, she met yell
verton at Rostrevor, in the north OF Ireland;
and on Aug. 10. 1857, she was married to him in
the parish church of Killowen by Father
Mooney the parish priest.
: At the Ceremony Father Mooney, as required
by law, asked whether both parties were Catho-
olics Yeiverton's answer was: Il am; but bad
one, I'm afraid; but am no Protestant" AS
the law then stood, there could pe no marriage
| by Roman Catholic priest between Protest
ant and Catholic, hence the question. Yelver-
ton had always represented himself to be
Catholic. however, and SO, of course, his reply
was perfectly satisfactory to Miss Longworth,
who heard it without suspicion The two after
wards lived together for some time as married
| people, Yelverton introducing his wife into
society, and, upon one occasion, actually
having passport made out for her as Mrs.
Theresa Yelverton; but in due course she felt
| that it was absolutely necessary that her posi-.
| ton should be formally recognized by her hus-
| bands aristocratic relatives. She was about to
become "a mother and implored Yelverton to
| avow the marriage, and put an end to the un-
| pleasantneSS of her situation.
What did the seoundrel do? 1t is almost in
| credible; but what he did was to coolly turn
| round and say to her: "You are a Catholic I
| know; but am nothing of the kind, and never
| was one. Before this so called marriage indeed,
| ever since we we're together in the Crimea you
were my mistress. You wanted to legitmize
| your relationship to me; 1 wanted to
| pacify you, to ease your conscience, and so |
went with you through this form of marriage
which was no marriage 1t did you good, so you
imagined, and it did me no harm for by the law
Of the land there could be no marriage under the
! circumstances between Protestant and Cath
| olic." To put the case briefly, he wilfully
| blasted his wife's character and periured him
| self IN order to obtain freedom to marry another
woman. The whole question was raised in an
| action which was brought to recover payment
for necessaries supplied Mrs Yelverton after her
husband had deserted her, and ultimately yer
| diet was rendered in favor of Mrs. Yelvertons
Claims but the aristoeratic seoundrel found
| means of wriggling clear, although Judgment
was given against him. He still stuck to his
story, drove his wife out of the country, lived
with another woman whom he called his wife,
and p0Snd n m nruo1 nf rpcnocfahi1itu