The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-17
THE dixie SCANDAL.
REHEARING OF THE FAMOUS
DIVORCE CASE.
Mrs. CrawfOrd's Statement Denied by
Sir Charles-PrOminent PEG.
pie In Court.

LONDON, July l6.-The rehearing in
the divorce case OF Crawford against
Crawford and Dixie, reopened by the
Queens proctor, was begun today.
Sir Charles Dixie, the correspondent,
was present, as also were Mis-. CraW-
ford and her sister. The courtroom
was crowded. The counsel for the
Queens proctor, in opening the case,
asserted that the servants mentioned
by Mrs. Crawford in her confession as
being present or witnessing her meet.
ings with Sir Charles at his house or
elsewhere, did not confirm Mrs. Craw.
ford's statements IN any psrticu ar.
Sarah, the maid who Mrs. Crawford
said dressed her in Sir Charles's spart.
ments after his departure from the ap-
pointment there, denied, the counsel
said, that she ever did as Mis-. Craw.
ford alleged,
The FIench woman, Fanny, who
Mrs. Crawford coufeis .d brought her
into relations with Sir Charles Dixie,
with her husb.nd had, counsel adj
mitted. dsappt AIRED; but S,r Charles
Dixie, himfelf, won t. stify end show
that he was not with Mrs. Crawford
on the dates she alleged he WIS ia
com lany with her and Fanny. The
woman who kept the house in Warren
sti ee+, wherein MIS- CrAW ford sal abe
met Sir Charles, would show the r.
spondent never 81, pr there, IS alleged.
Sir Charles Dilke's c)achman would
show that he rever stayed long at
Mrs. Crawford's house waiting for his
master 10 terminate his visits to Mrs.
Crawford. The coachman would fur.
Their testify that he could have seen if
anything wrong had besn done in the
loom where Mrs, Crawford had re-
ceived Sir Charles in her own house,
as the coachman, from his box, could
easily see over the whole AREA Of the
room. A Consensus of opinion makes
Of the rehealing a strong attempt to
whitewash Sir Charles Dixie. Mrs.
Cra2 foid aiheres to every statement
made in her confession.
SIR CHARLES dixie,
being sworn, denied totally all the
allegations concerning him made by
Mrs, CrawfoId in her Confession. Con-
tinuing, Sir CHARLES declare that Mre.
CrAwford's confession was an set OF
de lbera.e conspiracy against him. he
accounted for the animus prompting
this conspiracy by saying that he
hsd once, through friend, ad-
vised Mrs. Crawford to abandon
an intrigue she then had with Capt.
Forster. The captain, learning OF this
advice, charged the witness in an in.
tsrview in 1885, with trying to blast
his (Forstsr's) character and chal-
lenged the witness to duel. The
witness declined the challenge and
treated the affair as utterly ridiculous.
The witness then proceeded to fur
nish evidence suggesting that Capt.
Forster and Mrs. Crawford, finding
that discovery OF their iaison was
imminent, concocted the story aga INST
the witness contained in the lady 3
confession.
The court was crowded with nota-
bilitiee, including many well known
ladies'. The reporters had difficulty in
obtaining seats. Crows cf people
were unable to gain admittance.
MRS. VIRGINIA CRAWFORD
was dressed quietly in a brown cos
tune. She was accompanied by her
sisters, Mrs. Ashton Dixie and Mrs.
Harrison. She arrived early and con.
vereed animatedly with her counsel,
Mr.. George Lewis. Sir Chss Dixie, who
was accompanied by his wife, looked
careworn. He followed the evidence
with the keenest interest. 1t was
generally thought that Sir Walter
Phillimore, who represented the proc.
tor, was somewhat biased in favor OF
the correspondent. When summoned
as witness Sir Charles was visibly
affected. In walking TO the witness
box he almost staggered, but he soon
recovered his self possession and an
swered the questions with clearness
and decision. For instance, he replied
to the question, "Did you make love 10
Virginia Crawford" with "No; GER
tainly not" clear and distinctly and
with good emphasis on the certain
ly." Mrs. Crawford and Sir Charles
frequently exchanged g'ances. The
former smiled smusedly when Sir
Charles denied that. a liaison has ex ST.
ed between them. The spectators in
the courtroom showed great interest
in the narratives of witnesses regard
ing Sir Charles's alleged intimate rela-
tons with a French woman who
was formerly in the service OF
his father, and sfterwsrd in his
own service. Sir Charles, it was
stated, allowed her Clustering yearly,
and when she was in England always
visited her at No. IS Warren street.
Much interest was also taken in the
story of how the mysterious Fanny"
vanished, reappeared, vanished sgain
before the last Trial, respp cared after
wards and gave evidence TO Sir Charles
Dilk's so icitor, and finally vanished,
aud is now not to be found. 1t ia
generally thought that Sir Charles has
not emerged fiom the cross-examina-
ton with credit.