The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-04

=
and Scotland. He had been honored
for twenty years with the intimate
friendship of the Prince of Wales, who,
in 1881, invited him to be his guest at
Sandringham. Since that period the
Prince of Wales had several times re-
pealed that invitation, and yet he (Sir
William Gordon Cumming) was now
charged with cheating at cards some of
his most intimate friends, with the OBJ
ject of defrauding them"
Continuing, the solicitor general de-
tailed the circumstances of the now
famous card party at Tanby Croft,
Mr.. Arthur Wilson's residence, during
the Lancaster meeting in September,
1890. "Baccarat," said the solicitor
general, had never been played at
Tanby Croft"
1t would be his duty, said the
solicitor general, to put the Prince of
Wales and Gen. Owen Williams on
the witness box and their testimony
would satisfy the jury that they saw
nothing wrong on the part OF Sir
Gordon Cumming, whose system of
play was to double his stakes if he lost
until he recovered his losses, and then
he reverted to his original stake.
After having cleverly outlined his
position, Sir Edward Clarke concluded
his address by making brilliant,
eloquent and passionate appeal to the
jury on behalf of his client, who,
he claimed, was plainly the
victim of circumstances and a false
desire to avoid scandal which would
have implicated his hosts at Tanby
Croft and his old friends who played
baccarat with them there.
At the conclusion of Sir Edward
Clarke's grafton, Sir William Gordon
Cumming, plaintiff, was called into
the witness box. Plaintiff entered the
witness box in perfectly cool manner
and with a certain amount of jaun-
tiness in his demeanor. He answered
Sir Edward Clarke's questions in a
clear and well pitched voice which
could be heard all over the court room,
and kept his back turned towards the
Prince of Wales. He said that TIE
Prince of Wales acted as banker
upon the occasion referred
to, and that General Williams
was the crauter. His (the plaintiffs
attention was not called till the first
night of SEPT. s to the complaint
1
| following evening. He said when
dressing for dinner Lord Coventry and
Gen. Williams came to him in his room
at Tanby Croft. The former said:
Cumming. something very disagree
able has occurred. Some people stay
ing here have objected to your man
neT of playing Baccarat." To this SiI
VIM Gordon Cumming testified that
be replied, "My God! What do you
mean?" Lord Coventry, the plaintiff
that people said he (Sir VIM. Gordcn
Cumming) had, while playing Baccarat
the previous evening, resorted to
foul play. The plaintiff said that he
then replied that this was a foul,
abominable charge and deliberate
falsehood, adding addressing Lord
Coventry and Gen. Williams). What
am to DO? You two are my old friends,
For Gods sake, say what is to be done. v
The plaintiff then remarked that he
added TO this request that he left the
whole matter entirely in their hands,
and that after dinner, at the sugges-
ton of Lord Coventry and Gen. Will
iams, he (plaintiff) had an interview
!. with the Prince of Wales, TO whom he
, repudiated the charge brought
against him, and said: Your
royal highness will see
, what terrible thing it is for Inc.
who have been attempting for twenty
years to lead a life of an officer and a
: gentleman"
, To this according to the plaintiff
the Prince of Wales, replied: What
can you do? There are i've accusers. y
Sir VIM. Gordon Cumming said that
he answered. my first impulse is to
publicly insult my accusers upon the
race course tomorrow.
To this the Prince of Wales, the
! plaintiff testified, replied: What is
] the use of that? There are five people
against you"
: Continuing Sir William said, half an
3 hour after his interview with the
r Prince of Wales he was summoned tc
3 another room where he found Lord
Coventry and Gen. Williams, who
e told him that the only way tc
avoid "a horrible scandal was to
r sign document (which had already
J been produced and read in court by
3 Sir Edward Black The plaintiff add
: ed said, why, this is tantanoun1
, to an admission of guilt. But wa!
, eventually persuaded to sign the doc
e ument, believing that l could trust my
l honor TO Gen. Williams and Lord Gov
enty, whom l regarded as being true
and intimate friends"
= Sir William futher testified that or
9 the second night of the baccarat games
7 at Tanby Croft on Sept. 8, 1890, th'
Prince of Whales was banker and thai
J Arthur Stanley Wilson made fiv'
Y ''coups,' winning which Sir VIM. Cor,
n den Cumming thought wal
t very good for a novice
f At the end of the game plaintiff con-
o tinued, the Prince of Wales laugh
r ingly said.
Cumming, how came you to win 81
Is much?' referring to the fact that hat
won 1925 in two nights.
It To this l replied: "Well, l coult
>, not help winning with such luck,
e showing the prince card on which
e had kept marked under it the holding
: of the banker and player, the exac
e number of times in which the banke
l. and player won during the playing