Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-03

THE BACcARAr SCANDAL.
Luuching in the Court Roo,n--Gen. wiIiiams'
Story.

The Prince Of Wales glowered when the bold
juryman stopped him by his question when h
was upon the point of leaving the witness DO,
at the termination of Sir Charles Russelrs cross
examination in the trial of the baccarat case, a.
narrated in The STAR's London dispatches yes
terday, but toward the end Of his answers tc
the juryman the prince smiled benignly upon
the entire jury. Then he shrugged his shoul
ders and passed across the conrt to his seat on
the bench and from there, in company with the
lord chief justice, to private door, through
/ which the prince and the judge disappeared or
their way to luncheon, the former leaving the
court hurriedly for fear that he would be asked
| more bold questions By fearless jurymen before
the prince had fortified his inner man for the
| ordeal.
| During the half honr devoted to lunching
not one OF the hdics. with the exception of the
Colerldge party, left the court, but. on the
other hand. sandwiches cakes and healthy.
| looking TASKS were produced from the baskets
| and jovial promiscuous luncheon was thor
| oughly enjoyed. 1t was a picnic for many in
every sense of the word.
At about 2 o'clock the lord chief Justice re-
| turned alone, having apparently left the Prince
OF Wales, who had lunched with him, in some
place of safety, or else he had seen the heir
apparent on his way back to Marlborough
House.
GEN. WILLIAMS STORY.
Gen. Owen Williams, who was the next wit
ness, related the now well-known incidents
connected with the Tranby Croft baccarat
games. the generals testimony, in the main,
concurring with that given by the witnesses
VINO had previously been examined. Gen.
Williams who is q staiwart ''militaire," held
himself upright in the box on parade. His
line Of evidence left the impression that Cum
mings friends did what honorable men could
do to assist him. He said: Our friendship
has existed twenty years and continued unim-
gestion OF cheating on the evening Of Septem-
Der 10, when Lord Coventry asked me to go to
his room, where he met Mr.. Green and four
others Mr.. Green made a statement, which
the witness afterward recorded. showing how
Cumming was watched and was seen to in
crease and decrease stakes after play had
been declared. Before informing the Prince
of Wales he made the suggestion that a docu-
ment giving the particulars of the scandal be
prepared aud signed. After admitting that the
plaintiff had reproached Lord Coventry and
himself for giving him Cumming what he
termed bad advice" witness, continuing said
that Cumming had before asked whether he
(witness) believed the charge. Witness told
him the evidence was so overwhelming that he
could not do otherwise. When informed who
his sccusers were he spoke of their statements
as those OF mere boys against himself, man of
great experience, but he did not ask to be con-
fronted with them. Witness who knew the ac-
,users, could see no interest in their making
false charges. In the course of the interview
with the Prince of WalesSCumming said: Il
think | shall refer the matter to nv command
ing officer and the Duke of Cambridge" Net
tied at the remark witness replied "You are
perfectly at liberty to refer it to the Duke of
Cambridge, but neither he nor your command
ing officer will deal as leniently with you us
Lord Coventry and myself"
CUMMINGS VIEW OF TUE
After the affair became public Cumming met
witness and Lord Coventry to consult as to
what he should do. 1--WE replied" continued
the witness, THAT we were not in a position to
offer advice" He asked if any record of the
affair had been kept 1t WAS read to him. He
then said: That is Il very fair summary of
what happened, but l think you might have
let me down more easily" This on the
18th of January. On the eth he wrote me that
the story was in everybodys mouth. and that
there was nothing left for him to do but to
place himself unreseryedly in his coioueIs
hands. He asked me to do him justice and say
that he never acknowledged to Lord Coventry
and myself the truth of the accusations. He
stated also that unless the reports were contra
dicted there was nothing left to him but to
Danish himself forever or cut his throat. He
denied that he had in any way acknowledged
his guilt, but that he signed the paper under q
wrong impression.
On being re-examined Gen. Williams said
he never recollected the bank at Tranby Croft
becoming unlimited. Play opened at $50 or
flOO. When he told Cumming that the evil
dence was overwhelming he had heard nothing
beyond the statement of Mr.. Green. and he
tacitly acquiesced with the others.
Gen. Williams said that it was at his own sug-
gcstion that the document giving the particu-
lars of the baccarat scandal was prepared and
signed. The general made this suggestion in
view OF the possibilities of the future and
he made the suggestion that secrecy should be
maintained. Upon the document being pre-
sented to Sir William Gordon Cumming the
baronet observed that his signing the paper
would be tantamount to a confession OF guilt
and to an admission that it was true that he
had cheated at cards. This. said Gen. Williams,
was statement that he, the witness, concurred
IN, but he told Sir William that it WAS his only
hope of escape, as it was impossible to rebut
the evidence which existed against him.
On cross-examlnation by Sir Charles Russell
Gen. Williams said that the accusation against
his friend Cumming came with horrible
shock. On the second night (September g.
$780, Ct the baccarat playing at Tranby Croft
he, the witness heard the Prince OF Wales tell
the plaintiff that he (Sir William) should keep
his hands further back, because he (the prince)
could not see the stakes. The general, con-
tinuing, said that he and the others who were
present at Tranby Croft on September 8, 9 and
10 last told the plaintiff that signing the docu-
ment agreeing never TO play cards again was
the only way out of the difficulty, and If he did
not do SO he would have to leave the house. and
would in addition be warned off every race
course in England or elsewhere.
SENSATION IN COURT.
This last piece of testimony caused another
and most decided sensation in court, the gayly
dressed ladies whispering and chatting over it
for several minutes.
When Sir Charles Russell asked Gen. Williams
why he continued to address the plaintiff as
"Dear Bill after the baccarat disclosures the
witness explained that the plaintiff was suffer-
ing from an agony of mind and that he (the
generaD did not wish to add to his old friend
grief.
The witness at another part Of his cross-ex-
animation admitted that the plaintiff had re-
preached Lord Coventry and himself for giving
him (Sir William) what he termed bad ad-
vice."
With q profound bow to the counsel and an
other to Lord Coleridge the witness marched
out of the box.
Gen. Williams testimony ended the case for
the plaintiff and the trial was adjourned until
this morning.
A Fourteen-Year-OIdP Pirate
Fourteen-year-old Harry Jordan of Newark.
N. j., bought pistol and hired boat on Mon
day. Pulling out on the river he encountered