The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-27
THE STORY OF
STOLEN PEARLS.
The Startling Sequel to the Os-
rne.Hargreaves Libel Suit.
Why the Beautiful Plaintiff Was Forced to
Acknowledge That She Stole Her
Friends Jewels.

description of the sensational ending of the
acknowledgement libel suit, taken from
the St. Louis POst-Dispatch, is presented:
When the libel suit brought by Mrs. Os-
borne against Mrs. Hargreaves (both parties
to the suit being ladies we'll known in So
cetyl was suddenly and UNEXPECTEDLY ad-
JouTned on Saturday last on account of the
receipt OF mysterious letter handed to
counsel by Justice Denman, 1t was init
mated that there would be some startling
Developments in the Queens Bench division
of the High Court of Justice. The start
ling developments have been realized be-
yond all expectation, and society is now
quivering from severe shock and thor
oughly enjoying the latest sensation in high
life. In word. Sir Charles Russell, Q. c.
the distinguished lawyer, who was leading
counsel for Mrs. Osborne. the plaintiff in
this much commented on suit for libel,
has withdrawn from the case and the
most extraordinary rumOrs are in circula-
ton. When Justice Denman handed
Sir Charles the mysterious letter on Siatur-
day, counsel was observed to be very much
annoyed; Immediately after perusing the
msSive received by Justice Denman, Sir
Charles Russell held hurried conversation
with Sir Edward Clarke. q. G., who acted as
leading counsel for Mrs. Hargrayes Soon
'-%NCA
counsel, Justice Denman adjourned the case
pending an investigation into the contents
of the mysterious letter.
The document, 1t now appears, was a let
ter written to the presiding Justice by Benja-
min u Sons, the tailars of Conduit street.
In it they said that on February 23d last. a
lady asked member of the firm to change
the sum of $3.50 III gold (S2500) into an equal
sum in bank notes. The firm not having
that amount of money In their safe intro
ODD rafa 70 t.,t t,, NJ 81
and Provincial Banks branch house
IN PICCADILLY.
There she was accommodated with the $50
In bank notes in exchange for gold. I'll S
sum, it will he remembered, was the price
paid for the stolen pearls by SPHINX & Sons,
Bond-street jewellers, who purchased them
from q mysterious lady OH February sd
months after they had been missed by Mrs
Hargreaves. The latter, who had number
of guests. including Mrs. Osborne, Stopping
at her residence at Torquay when the
jewels disappeared, was much distressed at
their loss. The house was searched in vain
and reward was offered for the return of
the pearls, but all trace of them was lost
until they were purchased by the jewellers
mentioned. The latter, soon after making
the purchase, became possessed of in
formation which led them to be-
erty, in the shape of pearls, in their
possession, and Mrs. HargreaveS and her
husband, Major Hargreaves, were commu-
nicaled with. A searching Investigation
followed, and in some manner the name of
Mrs. Osborne became mixed up in the affair.
This led TO the libel suit and the recent SEN
Sati0nal evidence given in court. Mrs. 0s-
borne was suspected of stealing the pearls,
and in return ii was intimated that MIS-.
Hargreaves was the person who actually
sold the jewels to Sphinx IL Sons. The news
PAL ers OF London have devoted page each
day TO their accounts of the court proceed
IngS, the general opinion being that Mrs.
Osborne did not steal the jewels or she
would not dare TO sue Mrs. Hargreaves for
libel on the ground { at the latter had init
mated that size had stolen them,
During the course Of the proceedings the
name OF certain Mr.. Engleheart became
unpleasantly associated with that OF Mrs.
Hargreaves. and 1t was further limited that
the lady last mentioned stole the jewels and
sold them to Sphinx * Sons In order to OBJ
tain money for Engleheart, or to cover up
Indebtedness which she had incurred
through connection with that gentleman.
A STRONG POINT MADE
Against Mrs. Osborne was that she alone
of the five people who knew OF tire secret
drawers where the pearls were kept had
been proved to be in London on the day the
Jewels were sold to SpIuk Il Sons by lady
of mysterious bearing
In anticipation of the promised sensation
the Court of Queens Bench was packed on
MOuudl IlUI DlIlp, anu u uthulS silence
reigned throughout that court when Sir
Charles Russell. counsel for the plaintiff,
arose and slowly and deliberately an
nOunced that he was sorry to say that he
was compelled to retire from any further
connection with the case, and to admit that
the jury must render verdict for the de-
PENDANT
Sir Charles Russell's words, it nay readily
be imagined. created a profound sensation,
and cause fiuttering and whispering from
one end oil the court to the other. Without
waiting for the excitement to subSide Sir
Charles, continuing, said that in addition to
his withdrawal from the case and his ad-
mission that the jury must find for the de-
PENDANT, counsel must say that the serious
imputatlons made in court and out of court
against Major Hargreaves, Mrs. Hargreaves
and "another" understood to be a Mr..
Engleheart-must be withdrawn, as there
was no basis in truth upon which to found
them.
Mrs. Osborne was not present but her
husband. who was pale from nervous ex-
element, was there to represent her. Major
and Mrs. Hargreaves, who were present,
were warmly congratulated by numerous
friends. As the court was being cleared
rumOr was circulated to the effect that Mrs,
Osborne stole the pearls in order to save
her brother from disgrace, the latter being
at the time the Jewels were missed in
state Of desperate Indebtedness. The iu-
vestigatlOns of the detectives, 1t is now ad-
mitted, have confirmed all the statements
made in the letter sent by Benjamin Il
Sons to Justice Denman. In addition, 1t is
said,
THE DETECTIVES
Succeeded in tracing the bank notes paid to
the lady, who, on February ODD, changed
$3.50 in gold for $50 in notes at the Picca-
dilly branch of the National and Provincial
Bank, and these notes were found to have
been Endorsed by the plaintiff, Mrs. Os-
borne.
Thus ends most sensational libel sujt.
for it is not believed that Mrs. Osborne will
be prosecuted, her usband having, 1t is an
nounced, agreed to settle all legal and other
claims which have arisen out of his wife's
unfortunate episode.
Captain Osborne visited the Bank of En-
gland, and his feelings may be imagined
better than described when he was there
confronted with lndis utable evidence of
his wife's guilt He at once proceeded to
his home, and told his wife of what had
been pointed out to him at the bank Mrs.
Osborne saw at on that her denialS and
prOtestations of innocence would avail her
nothing; she broke down COMPLETELY and
confessed 10 her husband that she had de-
ceived him and she had stolen her friends
jewels.
Captain Osborne is a general favorte, and
on every side great sympathy is felt for him.
he holds an unexcepiionable position in So
clety, and his record in the army is good
one. He had the greatest confidence in the
honor Of his wife, and was willing to 90 to
any lengths to prove that her character had
been maligned. He was engaged to her
when the accusation was first made against
her. He heard of the charges, but She. of
course. denied them, and so deep was his
love for her and his confidence in her ip.ec-
rity that he placed no belief in the accusa-
lions, and he married her, feeling sure that
proceedings in court would establish her en-
lire innocence of the terrible charges of
theft. How he was betrayed by the woman
matter of record in the court. None but
kind words are heard concerning him, hut
his w ifa is hifterlu nondamnat -