The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-10
Defendants in the Famous Gamb-
ling Suit Acquitted of he
Charge Of Libel
COL Gordon Cumming Convicted
of Cheating, and His Career
Hopelossly Blighted.
Tho Verdict Roundiy Kissed by tho Spec
tat0rs-EfYect OF tho Finding-pop-
ulnr Dissatisfaction.

was not present this morning when the
court trying tho baccarat scandal case was
convened. The lord chief justice had hard
ly taken his seat when Gen. Owen Williams
stepped to tho front of the bench and said,
his face pale and his voice husky: my
lord have to ask your protection. Yes
terday Sir Edward Clarke thought prop
err
Here Solicitor General Sir Edward Clarke
Bprang to his feet and, inter ,upting Gen.
Williams, exclaimed: III ask your lordship
to interfere and that Gen. Williams should
not be allowed to make statement, as he
has not the privilege of doing So"
To this Gen. Williams hotly replied: 81
was accused of an abominable charge"
Here the lord chief justice interfered. say
ing: II do not remember the expression,
but | not think you can be allowed to
speak," Gen. Williams persisted in being
heard and remarked angrily: "We were
accused of sacrificing an innocent man.
This statement was made without any evil
dence being brought forward for its justiti-
cation"
Lord Coleridge interrupted the general.
rernarking with considerable warmth: 81
u,
Immediately commenced his summing up,
while Gen. Williams retired frowning and
greatly discontentel to his seat. Lord
Coleridge called the attention of tho jury to
one particular observation which was made
in behalf of the plaintiff in the course of
the trial. In was to tho effect that there
was moro in the case than appeared
on the surface. Against this the
lord chief justice remarksd: II most en-
phatically protest that the jury has nothing
to do with things that are not on the snr-
face. You have to confine yourself to the
single issue and what You heard and what
has been proved during the trial"
The chief justice said that if the jury
found that the defendants had spoken the
truth their verdict should bs for the defend
ants but # the jury thought the charges
they made were not true and that Sir Will
lam Gordon Cumming did not do anything
wrong while playing baccarat at Tranby
Croft in September last then their verdict
must be for the plaintiff. Continuing, the
chief Justice analyzed at length the evil
dencs given bv the plaintiff. which evidence
he said ia we'll worthy of consideration.
When the chief justice defined the law Of
libel as different from the law of slander,
and when he gave special instructio ls in
regard to the amount of damages which the
jury should, if they 30 desired assess in tho
event they found for the plaintiff it was
consideted that Lord Colerdge's instruc-
tions decidedly favored Sir Vim. Gordon
Cumming. But when the chief justice
analyzed the evidence Of defendants and
that of Gen. Williams, the prince of Wales
and Lord Coventry, it was judged that this
was n effect an endorsement of their evil
dence. In this connection Lord Coleridge
said Cumming did not come there to make
Il fortune and that his character would be
sufficiently cleared by the jury awarding
him. should the evidence warrant it.
small amount of damages. Lord Coleridge
also described at length the high position
and brave career of Sir VIM. Gordon
Cumming, saying the latter went to Tranby
Croft as an houored guest and "if might
be permitted to say. as a sort of prize guest
of whom hostess might be proud
Referring to the prince Of Wales' connec-
tion with the case, Lord Coleridge said:
People may say what they like, but they
guests as the prince of Wales, Lord Covsn-
lily, and Lord This and Lord That in their
house. Laughter. Then, as to the posi-
tion of the prince of Wales, and az to the
desire for secrecy manifested by the party
at Tranby Croft, was 1t not natural that
such wish should have existed? 1t must
be remembered that such incidents were
brought before a hard Judging world,-not
before the royal and Bubservient world of
Tudors. but before the world whose sense
and Judgment had to be consulted. Surely
it was not to be said against 4 man that,
under the circumstances, he was anx-
ious to keep the scandal quiet"
While admitting the improbability of a
man of Sir William Gordon Cummings
position and wealth lowering himself to
cheat, and to cheat friend, and he the
prince of Wales. too, Lord Coleridge made
strong point against the plaintiff in call
ing the iury's attention to his failure to
face his accusers. Lord Coleridge dweIt at
length upon this point, his remarks not be-
ing IN favor of plaintiff.
The audience, especially fashionably
dressed ladies in the galleries, paid but
little attention to the summing up of the
charge of the lord chief justice. On the
other hand, Cumming and all the defend
ants paid undivided attention to every
wo uttered by the lord chief justice.
When the case was finally given to the jury
everybody evidently seemed relieved. From
the time the jury retired to deliberate upon
the verdict until they returned to the
court room only fifteen minutes elapsed,
showing apparently that they were of one
opinion as to the merits of the case. When
the clerk of the court suddenly announced
that the jury was ready to report
there was n movement of surprise through
out the audience, the short absence of tho
jury being regarded as decidedly nnfavor-
able to plaintiff. Everybody may be said
to have been in II breathless state when the
jury entered the box. looking rather fright
ened and very nervous. The announcement
of verdict for defendants was received
with Il slight kissing from the galleries,
where ladies where conRregated. and upon
the part of some of those in the body of the
court who were in sympathy with the
plaintiff. Court officers had some difficulty
in suppressing these marks of. principally
feminine, disapprobation of the verdict.
They were, however, eventually suppressed
and The court adjourned.
When the verdict WAS announced Sir
William Gordon Cumming, to all appear
ances, WIS the most unmoved man in the
court. He folded his arms and looked
straight at the jury, but otherwise did not
move muscle, his face not showing the
aligbtest trace OF emotion. Lord Middle
ton. his blood relative, however. flushed
scarlet and then turned very pale. Mrs.
Arthur Wilson and Nj s.. Lycett Green were
evidently badly frightened when they
heard Tho hisses which greeted the verdict.
The two ladies stood for several minutes
whispering earnestly with their counsel and
then. accompanied ny their respective huS-
bands, passed slowly out of court with
bowed heads, nobodr spenking to them and
TO all appea arances objects of much dislike.
The Wilson's win as If by magic spread
from the court room to tho crowd outside
and from there nll over london, aud t was
again made evident as the defendants drove