The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-06-12
THE GREAT SCANDAL
The Tsial in the Case of Sir William
Understanding Against his Ac-
cusers Brought TO Close.
THE CLOSING $ cENEs.
tLondon Dispa;ch.)

(London Dispa.ch)
When the case was finally given to the
jury everybody seemed relieved. The
Jury were absent only fifteen minutes.
During the few minutes that the jury
were out the plaintiff sat quietly in his
usual seat reading big batch of letters.
His brother-in-law, LORD Middleton, and
other friends who sat near Cumming, were
very nervous and clearly showed it by
their actions and continuous, hurried
whispering.
The FIVE defendants were also nervous
and chatted in low tones with their
friends, evidently being most anxious to
hear the result and to get away from the
scene of their seven days of torture.
When the clerk of the court suddenly
announced the jury was ready to report
there was a movement of surprise through
out the audience. The jury re-entered
their box looking rather frightened and
very nervous. After the clerk OF the
court had polled the jury, the lord chlcf
justice addressing the jury, said: "6en-
tlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon
a verdict"
EYES," almost whispered the foreman,
standing up and bowling.
as it for the plaintiff or for the defend
ants?" asked the lord chief justice.
"For the defendants" answered the
foreman in low voice.
The announcement of the verdict was
received with slight Kissing from the GAL
leries where the ladies congregated and
upon the part of some Of those in the
body of the court, who were in sympathy
with the plaintiff. The court had difficult
ty for some time in suppressing these
marks Of principally feminine disappro-
baton of the vcrvict They we're, how
ever, eventually suppressed and as the
court room began to be vacated by the
deeply interested chatting audience the
curtain may be said to have been lowered
over the Tranby Croft comedy.
When the verdict was pronounced,
Cumming, to all appearances, was the most
unmoyed man in court. He folded his
arms and looked straight at the jury but
otherwise did not move q muscle OF his
face, not showing the slightest trace OF
emotion. His brothcr-in-law, Lord Mid
dleton, however, flushed scarlet and then
turned very pale.
Mrs. Arthur Wilson and Mrs. Lycctt
Green were also noticed to turn pale when
the verdict was rendered and were evil
IDENTIFY badly frightened when they heard
the Kisses which greeted it.
The two ladies stood for several minutes
whispering earnestly with their counsel,
and then, accompanied by their husbands,
they passed slowly out of the court with
bowed heads, nobody speaking to them,
and to all appearances objects OF much
dislike. In fact, so frightened and down.
cast was the bearing of the defendants,
unless Berkeley Lycett be excepted, that
anybody would have taken them for peo-
pie who had just had crushing, wither-
ing verdict rendered against them instead
of being, according to law, victors IN
long series of we'll contested legal bat
ties, in which the honor of an entire fam
lily was pittied against the honor of the
man who has just been non-suitcd 1.-THE
Wilson win" had as if by magic
spread from the court room to the crowd
outside and from there all over London,
and it was again made evident as the de-
PENDANTS drove away by the chilling man
ner in which they were regarded, that
popular sympathy was with the guest OF
Tranby Croft, whose future was now as
black looking as that of a man condemn
ed to a long time Of Imprisonment for
some hcinous crime.
In the meanwhile how different was the
greeting extended to Sir William Gordon
Cumming When Wilson had disappear
ed, Baronet stood up and gratefully smil-
ing, shook hands with Sir Edward Clarke
and with others who pressed around
him with many cheering words of SYM
patty for the man whose career was thus
blighted beyond hope. The soldicrly
form of Sir William instead Of shrinking
beneath the blow which had been dealt
him seemed to be proudly drawn up TO its
full height as he walked slowly but stead
ily to the little table close by put OH his
overcoat, carefully placed his hat on his
head and accompanied by Lord Middleton
walked out of the court by one of the
private exits, followed by plying glances
of the ladies who Still remained in the
galleries anxious to have the last glimpse
of the victim of the Tranby Croft bacca-
rat playing.
Sir William and Lord Middleton were
no sooner recognized as they entered the
latter's carriage than they were loudly,
repeatedly and enthusiastically cheered
by the dense excited crowds packing
every approach to the new law courts
This reception contrastcd wildly and
most Significantly with the totally different
manner, the dead silence, with which the
Wilson's were greeted as they drove away.
One of the jurymcn who was interview
ed after the court had finally adjourned,
said that there was no doubt, from the
first moment lie entered the private room,
as to how the verdict would go. Each of
the iurymen, he said, was asked whether
he was for the plaintiff or for the defen-
dant, and each reply was given without
hesitation and Immediately, "for defend
ants" One juryman frankly admitted
his sympathy with the plaintiff, but was
SO struck with the unanimity of opinion
which prevailed in favor of the defend
ants that although he would have liked to
have found for the plaintiff, he said that
he could not conscientiously do so in the
face of the evidence which had been pre-
sentcd on behalf Of the defence. The
juryman said in conclusion
that it appeared to him that the jury had
made up their minds as to the verdict
before the Lord Chief Justice had sum-
med it up and made his charge.
The Princes Testimony.