New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-19
THE CUMMING CASE.
AND THE VARIOUS VIEWS OF 1T AMONG
VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.


ming. The verdict In the Baccarat trial makes him
an outcast Never again in England can he live his
old life lie will be cashiered from the Army, ex-
PEELED from his clubs-or possibly allowed 10 re-
sign though ] think not,-wholly banished from
society, wholly dropped by acquaintances and
friends. The ostracism which the Prince OF Wales
was the first TO enforce against him must be
forced by his set, and by other sets. To a man
who has cheated at cards, and been found out, and
upon whom q jury has set the seal Of legal con-
demnation, no return is OPEN
Whoever else may be lenient to such an offence
ne he has committed Society is not lenent. There
Is still q code OF honor among those who compose
it: not, on all points very STREET, Dnt, on this
matter of cheating, hard rs death. IL Is even felt
that the attempt by the Prince OF wales ana Lord
Coventry and General Owen Williams TO hush the
scandal was too good-natured. They erred out Of
regard TO their old friend. What saves them from
censure is the precauton they took TO protect their
AGAINST being cheated by Sir William there
after. His pledge never again TO touch card
wos no adeouate penalty for his offence, but 10
yoe n security that his associates were not to be
robbed in the future as they had been IN 'he past
The trio showed so much consideration Tor society
that society shows much for them also, ana does
not udOe their mistake in this respect too harShy
Sir William Cummings family and some hiti-
mate friends stood by him to the end lney IT,
fused to believe him guilty. They shut their eyes
10 the evidence. They expected the jury 10 oo
likewise To the two damning facts, or groups oil
facts against him, namely, that five persons, e'cn
friendly 10 him and incredulous OF his gullt' saw
him cheat. and that his demeanOr when charged
with il was such as to convince the Prince ana
Lord Coventry and General Owen Williams OF MS
guilt-to these decisive facts they allowed no
weight No more, / hear, did his counsel OH
Edward Clarke, Her Majesty's Sohcitor-OenerA'
lie clung to his somewhat unprofessionai pehei III
his clients innocence, just as bis colleague on
Richard Webster, did 10 his BELIEF In the Innocence
Of Mr. Wilfrid Murray Hurlbert. Each of these
two distinguished lawyers had monopoly OF 'heir
credulities; monopoly, that Is ouOsie I'll" i""'A'
circles of their clients
Won have heard from Sir Edward Clarke as
much as Won will care for about the public position
and services and rank and ancient family OF OH
William Cumming About the man himself less,
7 suppose. NAV be known. He was conspicuous
figure in society. He was in the very smartest OF
the smart sets. Socially speaking, he had every
thing q man could have. Whoever Is laeutehahI
Colonel in the Scots Guards is already consider
able nerson. Sir Edward Clarke, acquainted with
the minds of the average British jury, made the
most of his clients name OF his lineage, OF MS
baronetcy of his intimacy with the Prince ana the
MARLBOROUGH House set and OF oil his various
titles to fame He had right to do that' Duc MS
was not quite the inside view either, nor would
no as n skilled advocate, have cared TO present
tho inside view TO O Jury in all its fulness
He would have had to say, for example, that
Sir William had an evil repute about women; Tor
his conduct 10 women; for what he said OF them,
and for what be said TO them. Yet II he had
opv nonularity. in the broad sense of the word,
n was among women The nickname given him.
which will not venture TO repeat In print, proves
Il Men did not like him. Nobody, to use the
social slang of the period, put on so much sde
nc Sir William Cumming There was something
orrocant in his manner, which neither his rank
nor his achievements were great enough TO lusufy.
What his comrades thought OF him may DO lnlerrea
from the remark of one of them, made before 'nis
nresent scandal had been heard Of. II oeneve'
said this man, there is one imquity OF "hioh
Bill Cumming would not be guilty, and that U.s.
| cheating at cards" 4 singularly unlucky esu-
| mate.
Nor was it an unvarying opinion. There have
| been rumors before now. He was desperate
gambler: his means, though good, were not suill-
Gent 70 sustain long run OF illluck at high play.
| If IL be indeed true that he had cheated before
| he made that fatal visit 10 Tranby Croft, 1t may
| also be true that impunity made him reckless
| and that he had resolved on his line OF conduct
| in case of discovery. Mr.. Green is reproached
for not having gone to Sir William privately, toid
| him he had been seeh cheating, and given him
| chance TO leave the house privately. DO you
know" said one of his friends, what Cumming
would have done? He would have said TO Green,
Il saw you cheat; and if exposure had followed
he would have said, L was the first to accuse MN
and he accuses me to save himself What ureen
did was quite right" That may give you some
further notion of the esteem in which this COM
panion of the Prince was held by those who
| knew him.
| Beyond the pale of London society, the most
curious opinions are held and expressed. 1HeIe
| has been, and is, kind of spurious and maudlin
sympathy With Sir William Cumming. III was
| expressed in the Kisses with which the verdict
of the jury was greeted in court, and in the misses
which saluted the Wilson's as they left the build-
ing The middle class notion TO be that cheat
ing does not matter. 1t is wrong 10 play baccarat
it is wrong to see your guest cheat, if cheat he
does 1t is wrong to defend yourself if. after
discovery, he brings an action against those
| who accuse him. So far as one can understand
| it. such seems to be the ground Of the censure
pronounced on the Wilson family by the shop
keeping Briton. 1t hardly requires TO be dis
| cussed but it has TO be noted as part OF the
history of the case or rather Of opinion upon the
case 1t was supposed that this opinion or feeling
might penetrate to the iury-room and ensure
disagreement if not verdict for the plainuH
Perhaps it might have, had Sir William broush'
his action at once. instead of waiting all thoSe
months till he had to choose between the chances
of an action at law and the certainty that, fab
ing an action, he would be caahiered
Even in mere enlightened quarters the WIZ
sons are good deal criticised; and their conduc'
with reference to the whole scandal Is judged
with harshncss. They have Ia bear with the
odium of social success obtained in difficult CIR
cumstances. They are guilty of being VerS
rich. and of desiring to profit By their riches