The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-10


allowed to make statement, ns be has no. the
privilege OF doing So" To this General Will
Jams botiy replied: sI was accused Of an abom-
Unable charge
Here tho lord chief Justice inssrfered, saying
al do not remember the expression, but do not
think you can be allowed to speak" General
williams persisted fl being heard, and remarked
angrily: ave were accused Of sacrificing an
innocent man. This statement was made with
ont any evidence being brought forward for It's
justification" Lord Coleridge interrupted the
general, remasking With considerable warmth:
81 cannot hssf any statement from you," and
Immediately commenced his summing up,
while General Williams retired, frowning and
greatly disooncerted, to his scat
The chief justice said that II the jury found
that the defendants had spoken but the truth
their verdict should be for the defendants. II
the Jury thought the charges they made were
not true, and that Sir William Gordon Cumming
did not do anything dishonest while play bac-
carat at Tranbycroft during September last,
then their verdict should be for the plaintiff
Continuing. the chief justice analysed at length
the evidence given BY the plaintiff. which evil
dence, he said, was well worth consideration.
During another portion of his charge LORD
Coleridge said that the presence OF the
Prince OF Wales at Tranbycroft was
a sufficient season to explain Lycett
Green's objection to creating disturbance In
tention to the actions which he objected to on
the part OF Cumming.
Lord Coleridge then called the attention OF
the Jury TO one particular observation when
was made on behalf OF the plaintiff in the course
of the trial. It was to the effect that there was
more In the case than appeared on the surface.
Against this" the lord chief justice remarked,
81 most emphatically protest. The jury mas
nothing to do with things which are not on the
surface. You have to confine yourself 10
single issue, and TO what you have heard ana
what has been proved during the trial." When
the chief justice defined the law of libel as being
different from the law of SANDER, and when he
gave special instructions regarding the amount
which the jury should, If they SO desire, assess,
in event they found case for the plaintiff, twas
considered that Lord Coleridge's instruc-
lions were decidedly favorable to SIR William
Gordon Cumming, but when the chief justice
analysed the evidence it was judged that this
was In effect an Endorsement of their evidence.
In this connection, Lord Coleridge said that
Cumming did not come there to make n fortune,
and that his character would be sufficiently
cleared by the jury awarding him, should the
evidence warrant it, q small amount of damages.
Lord Coleridgo also described at length the
high position and brave career of Sir William
Gordon Cumming, saying that the latter went
to Tranbycroft as an honored guest, and ''as
sort of prize guest, of whom the hostess might
be proud"
Referring to the Prince OF Wales connection
with the case, Lord coleridge said: "People
may say what they like, but they are all very
much pleased to have such guests as the Prince
OF Wales, Lord Coventry and Lord This and
Lord That in their house. ILaughter.l Then,
as to the position of the Prince of Wales and as
70 the desire for secrecy manifested by the party
ut Tranbycroft, was il not natural that, with
such monarchia1 institution as ours, such a
wis ali nj hay eyfa INNS
bered that such incidents were brought before
a hard judging world, not loyal and subservi-
ent world OF traders but before u world whose
sense and Judgment had to be consulted.
Surely ii was not to be said against man that
under those circumstances he was anxious to
keep the scandal quiet"
After luncheon the lord chief justice resumed
his charge. While admitting the improbability
that q man OF Sir William Gordon Cummings
position and wealth would lower himself to
cheat ahd to cheat his friend, the Prince OF
Wales, too, Lord Coleridge made strong point
against tho plaintiff In calling the attention of
the jury TO his failure TO face his accusers.
'tWe have now come to q very important
point" continued Lord Coleridge. SIN my mind
! have carefully searched for, but have been I'M
able to find, any contradiction of the st atement
that Cumming was informed OF Lycett Green's
desire to be confronted with him. II am
wrong" added he, turning TO Sir Edward
Clarke, ~ desire to be corrected" Sir Edward,
for the plaintiff said that there was no evidence
Green's desire to DO confronted by
him tplaintiff1. Thereupon Sir Charles
Russell, for the defendant, promptly
arose and read from General williams testi-
mony. The latter had said in court that he had
informed Sir Gordon Cumming Of Green's desire
TO be confronted by him. When both had said
all that they wished to on above point, Lord
fl,1o fAr~a4 x~cl - &$
not being in favor OF the plaintiff. The
audience, especially the fashionable ladies in
the galleries, paid but little attention to the
summing up and charge Of the lord chief justice
On the other hand, Cumming and all the de-
fendants paid undivided attention to every word
said by the lord chief justice. When the case
was finally given to the jury, everybody seemed
relieved.
From the time the jury retired to deliberate
upon the evidence until they returned to the
courtroom, was about fifteen minutes, showing
that they were apparently Of one opinion az to
the merits of the case When the clerk of the
court suddenly announced the jury ready to
report, there was movement of surprise
throughout the room The short absence of the
jury was regarded as being decidedly unfavor-
able to the plaintiff Everybody may be said to
have been In n breathless state when the Jury
entered the box, looking rather frightened and
very nervous.
The announcement OF a verdict for the de-
PENDANTS was received with kissing from the
galleries, where the ladies congregated, and
upon the part OF some OF those in the body of
he court who were In sympathy with the
plaintiff. The court officers had some difficulty
n suppressng these marks of principally femi-
lime disapprobation OF the verdict They were,
however, eventually suppressed and court ad-
Sourned.
When the verdict was announced, Sir William
a.x.T trNr fner 10 ell -.
most unmoved man in court. He folded his
arms and looked straight at the jury, but
otherwise did not move a muscle, his face not
showing the slightest trace of emotion,
lord Middleton, his blood relative.
however, flushed scarlet and then turned
pale. Mrs. Arthur Wilson and Mrs Iyeett
Green were evidently badly frightened
when they heard the Kisses which greeted the
verdict. The two ladies stood for several
minutes whispering earnestly with their coan-
sci, and then, accompanied by their respective
husbands, passed slowly out of the court with
bowed heads, nobody speaking to them, and 10
oil appearances objects OF much dislike.
"The Wilson's win," as If by magic spread
from the courtroom TO the crowd outside, and
from there all over London, and IL was again
made evident, as the defendants drove away,
by the chilling manner in which they were re-
garded, that popular sympathy was with the
plaintiff.
In the meanwhile how different was the greet.
ing extended TO the defeated ntigant, the un.
successful plaintiff, Sir William Gordon Cum.
ming. While tho defendants were with sinking
hearts leaving the courtroom, he remained
calmly seated in his usual place When the
wilson's had disappeared the baroaet stood IN
and gratefully, smilingly shook hands with sir
Edward Clarke and Others who pressed around
him with many cheering words Of sympathy for
tho man whose career was thus hlip hfed heVord