Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-03
One of Gordon Cummings AOcusers
On the Stand.
ALLEGED ACTS OF The BAROEEf.
How Sir William is Said to
Have Won His Bets.
ARTHUR WILSON'S TESTIMONY
SIR WILLIAM on THE RACK.
The Defense Begun in the Baccsrat slsnder
CASE.

Case.
LONDON. June sit was quito evident this
morning when the old and the ys-sng ladies,
the fat and the lean ladies, the tall and the
short ladies. but the invariably well-dressei
ladies took their places in the gallery OF lord
Chief Justice Coleridge's court that the con-
clusion of the prosecution in the baccarat case
without anything more than the gaming
scandal having been developed was, IL gratifv-
ing. somewhat unexpected. However. the de-
fense was still 10 be heard and great things
might vet trauspire. So the fair creatures were
not denied the prospect Of being eventually
very properly shocked.
THE FEiScE cRITlcIsEp.
Among the small groups OF men Of fashion
who loitered about the neighborhood before the
opening of the day. proceedings there was an
apparent concensus OF opinion that the Prince
OF Wales had not shown anything OF the good
sense so insistently claimed for him by hls
admirers when be went out Of his way 20 kick
an apparently falling man. That he did tins
when he somewhat unnecessarily informed the
court of his desire not 60 be longer accounted
one of Sir William Gordon Cummings friends
goes withoutsaying- The evident trepldation
manifested by the royal gentleman in enactIng
the role OF witness has lett painful impression
upon the minds Of those who were present 10
was strange, too, to observe the FIRST gentleman
OF England claNing az his beard, shutting his
Icct ana nerNO1siN drumming Rh Rht stikt Si
the box with his fingers. The trial has been
sipguiarly free from the sensational The only
really startling occurrence was the peremptory
questioning OF the prince by the irreverent
juror who SO unexpectedly wanted 20 know,
ye know" That man has made a place for
himself in history.
SIR WILLIAM uNrERTURBED.
There was certainly nothing in the appear
ance of Sir William Gordon Cumming this
II. -
have intimated an intention ON his part TO
launch himself into the presence Of q higher
court in the event of his condemnation by this
one. The court room is tlled in every part
when the lord chief justice enters and seats
himself. The select luncheon parties in the
clared open. Almost Immediately after the
court had been called 10 order the Prince of
Wales entered and occupied the seat reserved
for him to the left OF the lord Chief Justice.
OPENING TOR THE pEFESsE.
Sir Charles RUSSELL coansel-in-chief for the
defendants, then arose and proceeded 30 make
the opening address to the jury on behalf of
his clients. The distinguished jurist stood
with his right hand resting eRsily on the table
by his side. In his left hand he held piece of
paper, which he presently cast aside. and. as
he addressed the men whose verdict II, in any
event, to bring disgrace or heart burnlngs 10
some, his eyes moved slowly and thOughtfuily
from one TO the other OF the Jurors.
Occasionally he turned his face fully. grace
fully and naturally toward that Of the lord
chief Justice but oniy TO resume his direct
address to the jury. Sir Charles said that his
clients were not there in the character Of per-
sons desiring to be prosecutors or willing TO
be persecuted They had been forced, IN self
defense. TO the course which they had adopted.
There was no better evidence OF the truth OF
This fact than was TO be found in the undisputed
admission Of the plaintiff In this case. Sir VIII
liam Gordon Cumming, that those persons. has
(Sir Charles Russell - clients. were acting most
conscientiously in this unhappy affair.
With scathing incisiyeness sir Charles
scored the plaintiff for having 30 promptly
signed the humiliating and insulting document
which had been submitted to him by gentle
men who were IN everything his peers az
Tranby Croft in September last How did u
happen. asked counsel, turning sharply toward
the plaintiff who sat looking intently at hmm,
that Sir William Gordon Cumming, man
whose antecedents and associations should
make him sensible TO the last degree where his
honor was 80 apparently involved, had not on
the instant taken steps 20 bring his slanderers
70 Justice? Why did his tardy honor feel no
sting until the plaintiff had found himself in
the midst of Other embarrassing circumstancesf
Then, when the plaintiff had been confronted
with an empasse, he had turned upon those wLo
were prepared to observe the agreement of So
ciety. The conduct Of plaintiff was not that Of
an innocent or honorable man.
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFESsE.
Renewed interest was shown upon the part
of the always most attentive audience when
Mt. Arthur Stanley Wilson, son Of the
millionaise owner of Tranby Croft and the
leading stockholder Of the wel-known Wilson
line OF steamers, plying between Hull, Lon
don and New York and many other ports,
entered the witness box as the first witness
for the defense. MIR. Wilson testified 10 the
.l.. nf 9hf ftlutT-
ing at Tranby Croft September 5, he saw red
counter representing Is ON piece
of paper in front of Sir William Cor
don Cumming. When the latters tableauK
won, Sir William had his hands IN front of HIM,
and he also had another % counter IN tie
palm of his right hand. Inc baronet, accord
ing to this witness, then looked at Sir Edward
Somerset's hand. and, seeing that he held a
natural and a court card, he lSir Nlllam) at
once dropped the IS counter from has right
band and was paid on both OF the counters he
bad thus placed on the table.
This evidence given by MIR. Wilson without
any hesitation, and in a manner which seemed
to impress the jury and which decidedly I'M
pressed the audience. caused great sensanon
in the court room. The whispered comments
of the ladies, SO noticeable yesterday when
startling points were developed, was renewed
with vigor and lasted for some minutes.
THE CHEATING REPEArEp.
Continuing. Mr.. Arthur Wilson said that he
saw the same thing repeated by Sir William
Gordon Cumming the same evening, and that
he then told Mr.. Berkeley Levett that the
baronet was cheating at cards. When he (Mr.
Wilson, informed MIR. Levett of what he had
observed in Sir Williams play Mr.. Levatt said
that it was impossible" that he (the witness)
must be mistaken.
Mr.. Arthur Stanley Wilson added that he
then told MIR. Berkeley Leyett TO watch Sir
William Gordon Cumming. Mr.. Levett, said
Mr.. Wilson, followed his (Mr. Wilson's) advice
and he also saw the baronet cheat in the man
ner already described. Mr.. Levett, upon being
convinced by personal observation that what
Mr.. Arthur Wilson said in regard 20 the baronet
cheating was true, exclaimed: This is too bad"
SHOWING THE PLAYERs' POSITIONS.
Mr.. Arthur Stanley Wilson, who has come
into notoriety through the baccarat scandal, is
tall, about twenty-five years of age and dresses
in the height of fashion. He was entirely COM
posed while giving his testimony. At the
quest of Sir Charles Russell he placed the
dummies or representatives Of the Tranby Croft
baccarat players on the model table, which
was handed to him in the witness box, in the
respective positions which they occupied on
the evening when the strange actions Of Sir
William Gordon Canning were first noticed
The model table, arranged by young Mr.
Wilson was then passed over 20 the jury box
for the inspection OF the jurors who examined
IL with a great deal Of interest.