Evening journal., 1891-12-04
EARL RUSSELL'S STORY.
He Said His Wife Swore, Ragged
and Smoked.
SHE THREW THINGS AT HIM, TOO.

He Admitted a Liaison with a sSald Before
His Marriage, but Claimed That lie Told
His Betrothed and Her aHoiher-Ex-
pclled from oxford College.
LONDON, Dec AT the third days trial
Of the remarkable suit for judicial separa-
hon brought by Countess Russell against
her husband, Earl Russell, amateur plsotog-
Faphers who had the effontry TO take snap
shots at the clients, witnesses and lawyers
in the courtroom, were excluded. In their
earnest desire 70 obey orders the police halt
ed all persons carrying lunch baskets, bags,
etc, and peered into them in the hope Of
discovering a camern. Sir Charles Russell
At the opening Of the proceedings resumed
his argument for the respondent His eff
forts were apparently directed seward show
ing that the countess was Of a hysterical
nature, and that her state of health was such
as 10 lead 20 the unpleasantness between her
husband and herself
To Prove the Countess UntruthfuI.
He also tried TO show that she was much
given to exaggeration, not to say untruth-
tulness, and that pecuniary matters were at
4
aration from her husband.
Sir Charles Russell also attempted 10 re-
fute the statements made ~ 30 the violence
to which the countess was Rubieeted,at tho
hands Of the earl. According to the dstin-
guished lawyer, the young earl only laid
hands upon his wife when she persisted in
accompanying a gentleman to the Ascot
races against his, the eaTls, wishes and
commands.
The Bedroom Incident.
Sir Charles cleverly led up 10 what is now
known rs the bedroom incident, when, it is
alleged, Mrs. Vale, her nurse, found the
countess insensble upon the floor He ex-
planned this incident by saying that tho
countess left the bed of her own accord, and
that she was not well and consequently
tainted.
The earl, continued Sir Charles Sa,en be-
came alarmed, jumped out Of bed, threw a
pitcher of cold water over her and after
ward removed her wet clothes FOR fear that
she should catch cold. Here there was a
sensation in court.
Sir Charles continued for some time, be-
littling or ridiculing all the incidents pre-
viously referred 10 as forming evidence that
the enrl had behaved in a cruel manner to-
ward the countess the cruelty, according to
the counsel being nothing moro than exag-
gernted lovers qnarrels, and Of more live
~ nature than usual between young mar
ried couples, owing to the excitable tenn
] permanent OF both the earl and the countess.
She swore az Him.
Sir Charles said that at one time his client
I. had laid hands on the countess when m a
\ | rage She attempted to taar mp ~elnahla
4 lace dress. He had, counsel said, also OBJ
= iected TO her going TO Ascot, because she
\ was 10 visit a disreputable woman.
Z Upon this occasion the countess said, "Im
4 -- sorry married youp Here there was
/ loud laughter in court
4 The earl tried in vain to quiet the count
ees with kind words, but she said Don't
call me darling, you.n Was this con-
duct nice to put up with asked Sir Charles
a We're such expressions likely to lead 10 peace
4 and harmony in a household2 Could not any
\ man be excused from resenting such Ian
4 guage and behaviorl
Sir Charles said he was sorry to admit
4 that the earl had once, during the course Of
tiff with the countess, used the word
I "harrenr to her but it was said in fun and
l the earl and the countess were alone.
Earl Russell Testiaes.
Earl Russell was then called. At their
. residence at Leddington, near Hampton
/ court, the earl said, he employed gardner
named Williams and his wife, who acted as
cook for the household The two daughters
Of this couple were employed in the Russell
mansion as housemaids The carl admitted
9 having seduced one Of these girh about four
{ years ago, and said that the intimacy be-
a tween them had continued until about two
! months before he was engaged to the lady
. who n now his wife.
e The earl declared that he told his future
I wife and Lady Scott Of this liaison before
! entering upon the engagement. The girl
= brought an action against him for breach Of
= promise Of marriage. He paid her f500
y down and was to pay her one pound a week
i He is stiH paying her this latter sum The
! weakest poirt in the earls testimony was
his admitting that he did not ring for the
maid for forty minutes in the fainting
episode, when his wife was naked in the
: bedroom, because il did not occur to him.
: Perjury in the Case.
z One thing is certain, there is perjury some
= where in the case The statements OF Lady
Russell were roundly denied by the earl.
He said be objected 10 her calling on GER
tain woman because she was divorced he
also protested against taking Lady Russell
: to ASCOT, to a certain noblemans house, be-
cause tins nobleman kept his paramour
there and Lady Scott knew IT,
The earl declared that he had never in
T sisted tnht tne countess suOuiu dress nlIn-
$ If she had not requested him to allow her to
J. dress him he would not have let her done so.
r He was very much attached to her and had
a tried to make things pleasant for her. He
i positively denied that he had gone to the
g room Of the countess in search Of pistol
He had never made her turn out her pockets
and give him what money she had The
earl denied the countess statement that
d upon the occasion when he had written a
= letter to his solicitor complaining about her
5 extravaganza he had shaken her.
I She wanted to copy the letter and tried
= TO seize it, and he caught her by the wrists.
+ She then boxed his ears,
Threw a Soapdish az Him.
Sir Charles Russell then drew from the
earl his version Of the bedroom incident,
= when the countess was found nude and in q
faint on the floor. The earl said that after
: be and his wife had retired she got angry
: because he refused to go to Lady Salisbury's
o and jumped ont Of bed and tainted Wher
z she came to he said, ~How are YOU, dar
lingP She replied, Don't you dare cal
me darlingn and then threw q soapdish al
him and made for him with poker Shi
n threatened to throw herself out OF a window
/ if he remained in the room with her.
Expelled from Oxford.
The earl said his wifes ailments resultes
. from the fact that he had limited her to 81,
cigarettes day. He was not undul,
Il 4