Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-13
A SOCIETY SCANDAL.
A Complicated Divorce Case in til" Londol
Courts.

A Complicated Divorce Case i'll tn" London
Courts.
LONDON, November 12.-The Sebright
divorce case was brought UP for prelml-
nary hearing to-day. The action Is brought
by Mrs. Sebright, who asked to have her
marriage declared void on the grounds
that she was induced to consent to have
the ceremony performed by fear, ana tnat
the marriage has never been consummated.
= ne plaintiff is the daughter OF Lady Scott
of Southampton, and is noted Tor her
beauty, The defendant is wel-known
London club man. The plaintlifs trends
assert that the defendant, covetlng her
nriyate fortune OF 100000, managed
!" t''ju ;nveiele her into financial trans
actions, which finally ieil upon
her for settlement at the time when she
had to choose between refusing to pay ana
be compromised, or escaping by marriage 10
the defendant, and permitting him TO !lqui-
date. At the hearing to-day Mrs. Sebrlghts
counsel admitted the marriage, which he
said was performed at the Registrar iast
January. He contended. however, thau
no marital relation had ever taken place;
that the parties had never lived together,
and that there had been no improperly IN
the financial transaction which had caused
the marriage Sebrjght had induced petit
toner to accept certain bills, and she had
been led to believe that the marriage
ceremony between her and RESPONDENT
would relieve her OF financial
liability incurred. The Judge said he
Thought that under these circumstances 1T
would be impossible to nullify the marriage
and announced that he would hear the tes-
timopy with a view to deciding ii there was
4.> ~
Sebright was called to the stand and sworn.
She testified that through her father she
had inherited, in her own name, Sl3O,O Ooo'
in addition to a reversinn OF $15O,OOO on
the death of her mother. She had met Sc
bright when she was but Is years OF age
and an acquaintance had been continuous.
He proposed marriage to her after they
had been acquainted short time only,
but her mother declined to permit an en-
pagement. Mr.. Sebright continued his
visits, however, and was received on
induced the witness to engage herself to
him unknown to her mother. After this
he persuaded her, from time to time, to
| sign ''bits of paper" which he supplied.
Event tually the witness ascertained that
she had appended her name to notes and
bills and had made herself liable Tor sums
amounting to S16,G25. When they were
served upon her she appealed to Sebright.
He said the only way she could save her.
self from ruin was by marrying him. Ihls,
the witness said, she refused to do. Mr.
Sebright next requested the witness to meet
him alone. She did so. He took her to q
place unknown to her, but whlch 81 s,ie
learned was the registry office. o,ie
wished to leave the room the moment she
found where she was. Count Balbarney'
a friend OF sebrighta Xh91 hg91v yaaifd teG her
that he would shoot her if she dared TO &C,
show that the was not acting with iree VIII
in the marriage which he was about to
have performed between them. He thef
forced a ring on her finger, and witness
threw it off again and tried to leave tht
room. Sebright seized her by the arm aho
. forced her back, and made her sign the reg
ister. The witness said she did not neal
the registrar read the form OF marriage
} nor hear him say anything. 81 was
too unset and too dreadiuliN
Sr;vbtened." she declared, "to hea
ANYTHING at the time" Ih'
Pcy:sirar. being sworn, dcposed that whe!
i Mrs. Sebright was before him she was as'
d tated, but that she repeat ted the hlarrlas
!, declarations without hesitation, ana a's
o the marriage form when Sebrlsht tooh he
Is hand. The witness added that supst
: ouently the lady threw the marriage I'm l1
on the floor, but signed the registry WIZ. IL.
ont hesitation or demurrlng. Lady eco1
Mrs. Sebright's mother and two doctor'
testified that the petitioner was compietei
0f broken dove mentally and physically a1te
t.. the ceremony, and was always trehu'o'
n. and crying and in constant fear.