Evening journal., 1892-11-01
SUING FOR ISLANDER.
The Leader-smyth Case Continued Today
in London-The Plaintiffs Side of the
Case Presented.

Case Presented.
LBy Telegraph to the Evening Journal.l
LONDON. Nov. LIN the Court of
Queens Bench today the suit Of Mrs.
Olivia Claudine Leader against Mrs.
Eleanor Smyth and husband for SANDER
was continued. Mrs Leader is the
daughter of retired general of the
British army, and wife of Lieutenant
Leader, of the Suffolk regiment. Mrs.
Smyths husband is Major General James
Gibbon Smyth, of the British army, and
the cause of the suit is the alleged inn
putation on the part of Mrs. Smyth that
Mrs Leader had stolen a diamond brooch,
the plea on the part of the defense being
justification, or, in other words, the as
sertion that Mrs Smyth was justified by
facts in saying anything that she had
said upon the subject.
The courtroom today was thronged
with members of the aristocracy, es-
pecially those connected with the army,
who seemed to take the livelist interest
in the proceedings.
Frank Lockwood. Q. c., opened the
case for the plaintiffs. He told how
Mrs Leader had come into possession of
diamond brooch while in Egypt a
brooch apparently resembling one owned
by Mrs. Smyth. Mrs. Leader had dis
posed of the brooch as she has a right to
do. 1t appears that Mrs. Smyth had lost
her brooch and seeing the one that Mrs
Leader had owned displayed for sale in
jewellers window and ascertaining
that Mrs. Leader had sold il, she circu-
lated the cruel slander that Mrs Leader
had stolen the brooch from her.
I Il aI. A.
and Mrs. Leader were married in 1889,
both General and Mrs. Smyth being pres
ent at the wedding Lieutenant Leader
had been educated in America, where his
father settled after the marriage When
! Lieutenant Leaders regiment was or
dered to Egypt Mrs. Leader joined him
there and while in Egypt Mrs Leader
was presented with a diamond brooch.
! The Leaders returned from Egypt to
England and Lieutenant Leader was
ordered to India in February 1891 Mrs.
Leader remained in England until the
end of September the same year, when
she followed her husband A few DAYS
before leaving England Mrs. Leader sold
the diamond brooch which she had re.
ceived from Captain Trench to watch
maker named Dibden, receiving in re.
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money.
On the following October 31st, Mrs
Smyth called at Dibden's establishment
and saw there the diamond brooch. Mrs
Smyth ascertained who had left it there
and declared that the brooch was hei
property and demanded and obtained it,
Councillor Lockwood continued. Mrs
Smyth then wrote to Mrs Leader il
India, accusing her of having been il
her Mrs Smyths) dressing room OF
September % the date Of the sale of tn
BROOCH to Dibden, and suggesting tina
it would be better for Mrs. Leader t.
send five guineas to defray costs in tn
matter and thereby avoid publicity.
Mrs Leader was astounded said Mr.
Lockwood, when she received the lette
and she at once returned TO England &
prosecute Mrs. Smyth for slander an
Mrs. Leader had e542 in the bank whei
she started for India which ought TO b
sufficient proof that she was not in nee
of money and not likely to be driven t.
theft by any lack of means. Mrs
Leader would explain the facts to tn
jury on the witness stand, and the
J should Mrs. Smyth persist in her crus
} charge, the jury would be asked to Civ
exemplary damages.