New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-26
THE COLIN CAMPBELL CASE.
LORD COLIN IN THE BOX AND SIR CHARLES
RUSSELL'S CROSS-EXAMINATION.

than in the case which for the last fortnight has
occupied the court and the attention of tie pubic.
To this tribunal nothing ss sacred. The nysteries
of matImony, to use the phrase ocourringin letter
of Lady Colin Campbelps which you have pup
lisbed. are all:unveed to Ethe general gaze The
relations between Lord Colin and his VIE are
inquired into with materiaIistic minnteness which
might put class OF medical students to the blush.
The nodesty of the Divorce Court is the modosty OF
the Dissectng Room. Physical passion and physical
ailments are probed not with the spirit OF purely
scientific curiosity, but in the keenness OF pro-
fessional pursuit of q verdict. Counsel sometimes
preface q particularly crude question Win an
apology, but suppose Sir Charles Russell took the
deciding line when he said in his opening address
to the jury "This Is not case for apologies; IL Is
q case for stating facts" And beyond question
facts have been sated-and not always facts eitner
with the most appalling plainness oil speech. NO
case in modern times been tried out soeaporatc-
IT, so cynically, az this Campbell case. Darwns ln-
vestigasions into the love-making of wocd-pgeons
and rabbits were not carried on with more COM
plete Indifference to the seusibllites, II they nave
any, of those interesting animals
Not less remarkable is the disclosure OF the spirit
in which Lord Colin Cam pbell has dealt with his
wife. No man has gone lower than no has gone
to 20 lower would be impossible to any man. On
some of the worst points neither refer you TO
the testimony, nor repeat it, nor even hint at IT.
There are some things which even the English
papers have not yenrured to print. but you
know in a general way the story OF the early
married life of these two young people, anu you
may tax your imagination to conceive the run
horrors of Lord Collins treatment OF the peautiiui
creature whom he married. You Will tax u III
vain What the effect was on her sine has described
in a passage of which the pathos is the greater
because none was meant. There can be few Things
sadder in this world than the laying bare OF the
hideous processes by which grlish Innocence anu
girIish illusions were destroyed. To be toid oy
her husband that she had been prescribed to him
by the doctors D-perhaps that paints Lord
Colin an well as any single phrase that Is in any
degree auotable SO much for three days court
ship followed by q lingering engagement and
marriage which for some months WAS no marriage.
and became such only in pursuance Oh medlcai
prescription.
Lord Colin said his say on this and other matters
in the witLess-box with a cool etrontery whicn
itself was proof enough of the GENERALIZATION OF
what may have been once loyal nature hesrd
bis cross-examination by Sir Charles RUSSELL IL
came out that Lord Colin, who has tried director
sbfps and other financial experiments. Is now
LAWYER He has had an experience by which ne
NAV profit and will, l dare say. rise i'll his pro-
fession-he is only thirty-three. But the stage IS
v hat he is best fitted for. No comedian could nave
PLAYED this difficult part better, lie mas many
natural advantages. Alone among those camp
bells" Lord Colin is good-looking. Under medium
height. ike all his brothers. his hgure Is slght
enough to enhance his stature. he mas the hisn
forehead which the Duke of Argyilhas bestowed on
al, n,s s,us and it is full at the TEMPLES and the
MINER angles Brown hair sweeping in "a well-con-
s;d.,ed curve across this line brow light brown
.ve. sometimes sinister in expression flowing
mustache lighter still features all OF tue sort
! which one OF the many mcnals on whose stories
his case rests called high class features HIS bear
inc would, | doubt not. strike the same mental as
eoually high class and this verdict would DO con-
! frmed by better judges. Lord Colin really has an
air of refinement of good breeding. OF distinction.
! For the purposes of his cross-examination he
! nave rs his very best society manner. III he were
pressed too hard faint flush came into MS cheeks
and the tone of the answer became slightly. very
.liently. superclious. But he adopted IN the be-
ginning and kept to the end the note of the draw
;no.room. The voice was never raised, there was
M pasture beyond clasping the hands or caressng
the two gold rings which he wore on the third
| 6nysr of the left hand tho attitude was correct
or was mill fatigue showed itself III haf-loung-
inc nosture one elbow. generally the left, resting
on the oak rail of the witness box. de met the
most inconvenient interrogatories with composure
Obviously be had thought out his case. Ii lie ala
mot ALWAYS convey the mpression OF man striving
tn ell the exact truth az the whole truth, ne al
least convinced his audience that he bad definite
views az to what facts made for his own side OF
the case and what did not.
n. understood all that was to be gained by an
anuearance OF insensbility; by assuming that
what others might think base or unmanly IN his
conduct could not be base or unmAnly when done
NV Lord Colin Campbell. Sir Charles Russell
sted him whether he had not sworn at his female
nurses ard struck them. Lord Colin answered
.srsnelv that he had no doubt been irritable and
vary likely had raised his hand. Perhaps there are
NOT MANY men who would complete confession OF
that .ort without some token of shame. but none
arnaar.d on Lord Collins face. He explained with
eutire self-complacency how he had set spies on
b;s wife how she had been d0gged by his orders al
! home and abroad. how bent he was upon dlsgracine
| her no ~ he had set his heart upon her RUN. He
was questioned about his attempt to arrest his wife
| in Paris and consign her TO q prostitutes prison
| us responJed with polite Indifference that he had
left that matter very much In the hands OF his
soIicitor Judge, jury, bar the whole courtroom
expected some protest, some attempt &c denial
| some outburst of indignation ut an accusation &C
horr;hTe There was none. To Lord Collins mind
this unspeakanie oubrABc WIS '"' 81 ""i.,J
incident of the campaign no had undertaken. lie
was ready to pursue 1t and her to the bitter end
To the infamy hitch it brought upon him he was
or seemed. perfectly lnssnsible.
II the questions came too rapidly or pressed toe
| hard nm a weak spot he would not be hurried. He
GAINED time just he would have gained time 81
| The dinner table for repartee to an awkward
,hrust: beg pardon. Sir Charles, will you repeat
the uuestion ~ or what year is It you refer to y
Or again: al am not sure that understand you
Sir Charles The use Of the Sir Charles implied
according to the unwritten code which governs
social intercourse in London. that . conversation
was being conducted between two men on terms Of
nsrfect equality 1t struck mo that Sir Charles did
not quite relish the assumption. and that more
| than once he made Lord Colin pay dearly for what