New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-04

cheat 49, HE
q s,r william Gordon Cummings explanation Tor MS
...nge conduct Is that he lost his head fou nave
.een him In the witnessbox, COOL clever ana il'e
o.rt There was nothing about his appearance or IN
his manner in the witness-box 10 SHOW tha' ne ~
hs head there Was It the conduct OF man VINO had
los+ his head when he coolly scanned the ooo"ie
nrrsented for his signature. and declaring MN hO
,,.r n,avng cards again, and said why, TINS VIII
oven prevent me from playing the regimehtai a'iie
whist, He had not lost his head then nc "ao
content so long as secrecy In regard to his conouc' WIS
maintained. ,, 4, nm
Here are the facts" said Sir Charles In con
olusion "and you must do your duty' ho"e'" P''''
full IT may be for you TO do it,
M. ,croration of Sir Charles Russell was eloquent
and lortoal He used plain forcibe language ana inc
Prince of Wales and everybody else listened in'enp
20 every word he uttered, Sir william Goroon Ouh-
ming in spite of the fearful attack to whch ho was
subjected did not seem to finch
Renewed interest shown when Arthur STANLEY
wilson. son of the millionaire owner Of Tranby Croi'
ga a.. leading stakeholder of the welllnOwn wilson
lin. NJ steamers plying between Hull, London anu
New.Yors and many other ports, was called as INC
first witness for the defence. MI wilson tesuheu !"
the fact that the first night of the baccrat play
ing at Tranby Croft he saw red counter, represent
no e5 on a piece of paper In front Of slr William
Gordon Cumming. When the latter's tableau won
Sir william had his hands in front Of him, and also
had another s5 counter In the palm Of his nght hand
The Baronet looked at Sir Edward sonersets Ihaiu'
and seeing that Sir Edward held natural ana cour,
card at once dropped the So counter from MS rght
hand and was paid on both of the counters he had
TINS placed on the table. This testimony seemed !"
upress the Jury and caused great sensation in the
courtroom. ,
Continuing Mr.. Wilson said that he saw the same
thing repeated by Sir william the same evening" anu
that he then told Berkeley Levett that the Barone'
was cheating at cards When witness informed ~t
Levett of what he had observed the latter sd tat "
was "impossible"; that witness must be mistaken
Mr. Wilson added that he then told Berkeley Levet' 10
watch Sir William Levett, said the witness, Followed
witnesses advice and he also the Baronet cheat III
the manner already described.
Mr. Wilson, who is about twenty years Oh age
was entirely composed while giving his testimony ~
the request of Charles Russell he placed the dummies
or representations of the Tranby Croft baccarat players
on the model table, which handed to him III tile
witness.box In the respective positions which the pay
ers occupied upon the evening when the strange aclos
OF Sir William Gordon Cumming were nrSt houoeu' Inc
table was then passed TO the Jry-bo1 The witness
flushed angry when asked If he was not novice IN te
game of baccarat He answered that he had played the
game often before the notorious games at Tranby Croft
and asserted that thoroughly understood the game
The court then took recess the Prince OF Wales again
going 10 luncheon with the Lord Chief Justice Lady
Coleridge and their party.
After the recess Mr. Wilson returned to the witness
box He said that he saw sir william Gordon Gum
ming cheat again. The Baronet had a 80 counter
on the table, and soon as he discovered that the
card turned up was favorable to him he pushed 81
counter forward with pencil which he held IN his
hand and received 81 The witness then detailed the
subsequent conversation which he had with berkeley
Levett in the atter's bedroom saying that when ne
told the latter what he had Levett exclaimed:
:" Ny God, to think Of LieutenantCoonel Sir william
Gordon Cumming being caught cheating at cards.
Continuing, the witness said Il asked what on
earth are we TO dor Mr. Levett replied: "For
goodness sake don't ask He is in my own regi-
ment, and was my captain. What am to dof"
Later on Mr. Wilson said Il then told my mother
of what had seen, and mother said: For goodness
sake don't have a scandal here. then told her
that l would have proper table prepared lot
baccarat playing, that repetition OF the cOnduct
We had observed would be rendered impossible"
Mr. Wilson said that there was absolutely no asree
ment to watch Sir William Gordon Cummings play
on the second night of the baccaIat playing. Inc
table used for baccaret that occasion was long
previous light the Prince Of Wales banker, and
General owen Williams acted as crouper. Inc Wit
and some of his counters on the table He had oner
counters in the breast pocket Of his dress coat Inc
plaintiff, added the witness, had long, thck caTpen
ter's pencil in his hand. On this pencil the words
Tranby Croft" were stamped. sir William Gordon
Cumming staked a G5 counter, and the Prince OF
Wales gave cards to Lady Coventry, who look
seven, which was considered good caro-, ron me
pack. The plaintiff looked over Lady C0ventrys
hand and witness then saw Sir Williams hand go
out and gradually advance toward the white line
marked on the baccarat table.
Continuing Mr. Wilson said, amid breathless 81 |
lent that it .cn round 10 the Prince of Waes'S
ba T TS 'Ne the card Being 5H bad upon
hearing this" said the witness slowly, "sir William
Gordon Cumming pushed Just over the line go |
counter. II four inches away from the original e5
counter. The plaintiffs tableau won and the Prince
Of Wales paid him flyer so note) overlooking tie |
other counter which the plaintiff had pushed over |
the line. Therenpon sir William exclaimed BEG |
pardon, sir there is another tenner (e10 note) here
which you have forgotten
" The Prince Of Wales, saving ] wish you would |
put your stakes forward cOnspicu6hsly paid the
additional f1O. Later in the game Sir William 1icked
another counter over the line with his pencil
When the disclosures were made Mr.. Wilson added, |
the Prince Of Wales questioned the Witness Berkeley
seen OF wrong nature during the baccarat playing
and Mr.. Green asked 70 be confronted with the plain
that e tG time e had ssned 4 p %9n u sd
the action for damages against the defendants
begun he had never said word to anybody in rela-
Upon crossexaminstion, the witness said that he
had no for and that he s had n been @a at Cam
father thought II only waste of time my staying |
answer to n T Questions M wilson a55 a
baccarat was PLAYED at Tranby Croft in 1889. hut
father objected 10 IL and it not played there
again until the occasion Of the Prince Of waes's
visit in September 1907
The REORGANIZATION Of Mr.. Wilson was long |
one: but the solicitor General, Sir Edward Clarke |
leading counsel for Sir William Gordon Cumming. only
S1on M o 6n n % sas pqnt me minor
peated during the cross-examination, Mr. Wilson re-
peatlng his testimony to the cheating with the great
est mcOncern. Mr. Wilson'S crOss-examination WINS |
not finished when the court adjourned until tomorrow
In spite Of tie roars of laughter which greeted his
relation of his Cambridge experiences. Mr. Wilson made
a capital witness. In his cold way the youth related
as one of a half dozen examples. how he Sir VIII
lam Gordon Cumming on his side winning. look for an
additional counter, and find only 60 counter in a con,
venient position. Young Wilson said he saw the
BarOnet push this counter forward as IN add II 10
his stakes and then receive for it the extra money to
which. according to the defendants, the plaintiff was
not entitled
More dramatic still young Wilson'S story Of
an interview which he SAYS took place between him
self and Young Berkeley Lovet. how Nv dear chan"
appealed to any dear fellow and "Old fellow
stared "blact1y' back at MY dear chap and both |
agreed that "this Is too hot
The defendants on the case coming into court |
abandoned the accusation against Cumming Of with. |
drawing counters. which included I'm the original
precis. Sir f. Clarke tried to rail upon Wilson an
admission Of the defendants inconsistency on this |
point. but only elected the statement that Wilson cav
Cumming withdraw the counter one occasion only.
while the precis had said Frequently" After the |
humorous passages ~ the opening I'm reference Ia |
wilson and the fact that he worked hard as he termed