, 1891-06-09
ROYALTY ROASTED.
Sir Edward Clarke's Speech in
the Baccarat Case.
Particular Attention Paid TO
the Prince of Wales.
The Plaintiff Loudly Gheered
by the Audience.

LONDON, June Sin the baccarat trial
today the solicitor general, In summing
up, dwelt strongly upon the fact that the
prince OF Wales, Gen. Williams and Lord
Coventry had all passed their opinions on
Arthur Stanley Wilson's statement, which
latter had since been modified and upon
the fact that the prince OF Wales, Lord
Coventry and Gen. Williams testified that
they had not seen a single suspicious act
upon the part of Sir William Gordon
Cumming. Sir Edward Clarke dilated
upon the facility with which people
imagine things when they have been
previously advised of then possible ex.
istence and which never really happened.
He said there was nothing in the accusa-
tions against the plaintiff that could not
he explained by the system of play hat
Cumming adopted, though the Jury were
asked to believe hat the plaintiff had
descended to adopting the tricks of the
lowest sharper.
The solicitor general commented sar-
castically upon the ornamental position
occupied by the mead of the Wilson family
who, counsel SAID, was not consulted
throughout the proceedings and who, ap-
parentlY. had to give way to his son-in-
law. Mr.. Lycett Green, who was deputed
to defenC the family honor. "A man at
the mature age of 81 said the solicitor
cuttingly. referring to Green, who rode
to hounds four days in the week. When
Green heard the Prince OF Wales say
Give him another tenner. | wish PEG
pie would PIT their stakes in a c~onspicu-
GUS place. he (Mr. Green) came to the
conclusion that Sir William had been
cheating. and rose from the table full of
valient resolution, but, changing his
mind, Green wrote 10 his mother-in law
in tones of elevated morality, and then re-
turned TO play again and afterwards dI-
rected the attention of the Prince of
Wales, who was again present, to the af-
fair, and who, without hearing Sir Will
liam's version of the occurrence, con
demned his intimate friend.
What was Sir William Gordon Cum
ming reason for signing the document
about which so much has been said"
asked the s%olicitor general, looking
straight into the Prince OF Wales eyes.
pause, ito save the Prince of Wales"
Among the mass OF people" Sir Ed
ward continued, utter1DR each word with
startling distiuctness, 1T is known that a
club or inn could be prosecuted for play
ing baccarat, and in a great part of the
community there was a feeling that this
unhappy incident ought never to rave
been allowed to become known, because
the circumstance we're those which were
at variance with the feeling, with the con-
science OF the people.
Then there was the strange and
subtle influence of ROYALTY" still more
- l..
general, land Sir William Gordon
Cumming action in signing that docu-
ment was due to the influence which has
adorned HISTORY and which has made
many a knight do an unknightly and dis
honorable deed to save the king, because
they gave their honor freely as they
would give their lives for the interests OF
dynasty or to conceal the foibles of a
prince"
A slight ripple of applause, which was
promptly suppressed, broke out IN court
as the eloquent iurist uttered the last
words In a most touching and impressive
manner.
The document, continued Sir Z iward
Clarke with increasing force and amidst
the most deadly silence throughout the
court room, was signed by Sir William
Gordon Cumming in order to save the
Prince of Wales from scandal. The
motto of Sir William Gordon Cummings
race is Without Fear He came into
the witness box without fear, confident of
a verdict which would wipe this stain from
his noble record of service with his gallant
regiment OF brave soldiers"
Sir Edward Clarke's plain language
throughout when he referred to the
Prince of Wales, and when he made the
assertion that the document was prepared
by Lord Coventry and signed by Sir Will
lam Gordon Cumming. solely in order to
shield the Prince of Wales from scandal.
caused one of the greatest sensations of
this sensational trial, and those who heard
the remarks made in court were so i'm
pressed with them that they we're generally
discussed afterwards and were commented
upon in club and other circles far into the
night and early morning.
The solicitor general quoted, as the
basis OF these startling allegations, an ex
tract from the Earl of Coventry's diary,
IN which the following words occur: We
were induced to recommend this course
because we desired to avoid a scandal, and
in order to keep the name OF the Prince
of Wales ont of il"
Sir William Gordon Cumming, as
well as the Earl OF Coventry" said Sir
Edward, " is loyal to the Prince of Wales.
who has been most kind to him, end Sir
William Gordon Cumming signed that
document because he was willing To
sacrifice himself. as his cd friends were
willing to sacrifice him in order to save
the reputation Of one the recollection of
whose friendship will always be bright in
his memory" The ~solici'o OF general said