The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-17
SENSATIONAL TRIAL.
THE DIIKE- CRAWFORD CASE
ReOpened by tho Queens Proctor,slr Charles
Takes tho stand and Denies In toto alI
the Assertions Made by Mrs, Craw.
ford In Regard to the scandal,

LONDON, July l6,-Ths rehearsiug in the
Dixie Crawford divorce case was COM
menCed in the Divorce Court this morn
ing, The court room was crowded. Mrs.
Crawford, accompanied by her sister, was
present, The counsel for the Queens
Proctor, in opening the case, asserted that
the evidence did not confirm the con.
iession Of Mrs, Crawford. Sarah, Dllke's
housekeeper, denied dressing the respond
ent, Mrs, Crawford, at Sir Charles Dllks's
house At the time stated in the confession
OF thei former, The woman Fanny,
oaid 10 have been Sir Charles mis-
tress, together with her husband,
had disappeared, but 1t would bs
shown that she was not with the respond
ent, Mrs, Crawford, on the dates alleged
IN the latter's confession, Mrs, Rogerson,
the lanllady OF the Warren street house,
where Sir Charles Dixie and Mrs. Craw-
ford are supposed TO have met would
show that the respondent never remained
there as alleged, Sir Charles CoaChman
would show that he had never stayed long
at MIS-, OrRWlord's house, aud also that he
could see over the room In which the
meetings between the respondent and co.
respondent took place. The opinion pre-.
walls that the court will make strong
attempt to whitewash Sir Charles Dixie,
Tho respondent, Mrs. Crawford, atoutly
adheres to her former confession.
Sir Charles Dixie being sworn denied
totally oil the allegations concerning him
made by Mrs. Crawford in her conles.
sion. Continuing Sir Charles declared
that Ma Nrn Do M C.,,,o,, ,,,, =, -, = a
OF deliberate conspiracy against him. lie
accounted for the animus prompting this
conspiracy by saying that he had once
through q friend advised Mrs. Crawford
to abandon an Intrigue she then had with
Captain Forster, The Captain learning oi
this advice charged the witness
during an interview in 1885 with
trying 10 blast his (Forster's) char.
aCter, and challenged the witness
10 duel. The witness declined the |
challenge and treated the affair Gs utterly |
Ridiculous. The witness then proceeded |
to furnish evidence suggesting that Gap.
tain Forster and Mrs. Crawford, finding |
that the discovery OF their liasOn was im. |
mnent, COpcoCted the story against the |
witness contained in the latter's Confes-
sion.
The court was Crsmmed with notabili. |
ties, including many well known ladies'. |
Tho reporters had difficulty In obtaining
seats Crowds OF people were unable to |
gain admission.
Mrs. Virginia Crawford was dressed in |
brown costume. She was accompanied by |
her sisters, Mrs. Asheton Dixie aud Mrs. |
Harrison.
When summoned as a witness Sir
O6arlos was vlsibly Affected. In walking
to the witness box he almost staggered, |
but he soon recovered his self possession |
aud answered the questions with Clearness
aud decision.
For instance he replied 10 the question, |
"Dld you make love to Virginia Craw.
ford, with, "No, certainly not" clearly |
aud distinctly and with good emphasis on |
the certainly. .p 177'
The spectators in the courtroom show
cd great interest In the narratives OF the
witnesses regarding Sir Charles alleged in
Innate relations With FrUnCh woman |
who was formerly in the service OF his |
father, and afterwards in his own service. |
Sir Charles, it was stated, allowed her G4O |
yearly, aud when ,Bhe was in England
always visited her at Us Warren street. |
Much interest was algo taken in the
story ol how the mysterious Fanny"
vanished, reappeared, and vanished again |
before the last trial, resppeared afterwards |
and gave evidence to Sir Charles Dike's |
solicitor and finally vanished,