The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-25
ART OF BLACKMAIL
Maitland. the Law Tutor of OK
ford, Placed On Trial.
A WIDOW is USED AS A DECoY
Her Kind Letters to Young Lords-A Negro
Desperate Startles Town-Curtis' Case
in the Jury's Hands.

Especial 10 TEE HERALD-ExAmiaer Dispatch.l
LoSDoN, F'eb. 24.-Maitland, the law uu-
tor Of Oxford. arrested Feb l3, oil the
charge OF blackmaillng number Of veal
thy and titled under graduates Of Oxford
university by meaus of bogus widow,
was brought UP on remand this morning at
Bow Street police court. The court room
was crowded with young lords and other
fashionables. Edwin Francis Stanhope,
tenth earl OF Chester6 field, thirty
years of age, was among the first witnesses
called He said he had received a letter
identical with the one received by Lord
Hothfeld. The letter was worded as fol-
lows: "My Lord-I am very young widow.
Ny husband died in India a fort
night after the marriage My
annuity, though not large. is sufficient
for my wants. but it will mot bear the
strain Of another's debts, hence my
writing to your lordship. l became secur-
ity for an old gentlcwomen and she cannot
pay. am tall and graceful, with perfect
figure and in features am like the Prin-
cess of Wales. My house is large, well
appointed, and in the best part of Oxford,
ss you liked without anyone knowing it.
All that ask is ESQ, part now and part
al other times; but, above all, perfect
secrecy. AS am highly connected, l have
position to keep up. This writing is in
tentionally formal, and not my current
Italian hand. | am very young. have
The honor to be my lord, your lordship's
obedient aeryant, Mrs MAITLAND"
Reception of the above lstter was, &C.
cording to circumstances, followed by
others, containing threats of exposure
law suit, ETC., unless the money was forth
coming, and In some cases the prisoner
actually brought suit against some of the
young lords.
In the second letter received by Lord
Hothfeld, reference is made to the failure
of the lord TO see Mrs. Maryland" when he
called at the house. 1t appears that the
wrong maid answered the bell. The letter
concludes: II do not like young fellows
AS ynu were born in 1874 you would be
prudent to keep my secret. l knew that it
was your lordship that called, because l
had written to no one else. Do not show
this TO anyone, but come and love me. Mrs.
Maryland"
Lord Orrhathwait was the next witness
called. His evidence was similar to that of
Lord Chesterfield. Counsel representing
Lord Lindsay, the Earl OF Csrnarvon,
the Earl Of Alesford, stated that thsir
clients had received similar letters. There
were submitted to the court q lot of letters
signed Mir. f. Moreland, which threatened
legal action On behalf of Mrs. Maryland
When the peers were disposed to fight the
case they would receive notice that the
action had been discontinued. Legal papers
were taken out in behalf of certain Ruth
Moreland against Earl Russell, of recent
divorce suit fame. This suit was for a
hundred pounds half Of which, it was said,
had been lent by the plaintiff to
the defendant. The remainder. it ap-
pears, Ruth Moreland claimed was
due her for the delivery of certnin
letters. 1t was afterwards shown that
these letters were in the same writing.
The earl carried them to his solicitor
These documents were placed in evidence
and showed that the writer threatened tC
confess TO Earl RusselPs bride the fact
that he had been intimate with the writer.
The writer also Threatened to publish csr-
tain letters of decidedly incriminatine
character unless the hundred pounds was
paid. Earl Russell, it was shown, then
made certain inquiries regarding his cor
respondent. He denies that he ever saw
the writer. This action upon the part Of
Earl Russell came TO the ears of the-write,
OF the threatening letters, for more of then
were Forthcoming. The esrls correspond
ent again threatened to show certain mis-
sives which she said she had in her posses
sion to the countess unless her demands
were complied with. In the prisoners
house, which he occupied with his wife,
woman Of about sixty, and two youns
women said 10 be his daughters, the police
fouac and took possession of number o.
interesting documents showing that rh,
Matchmaking work of the law tutor mus
have been much mora extensive than wa:
outlined to-day.
Rev DR.. BiEgs, junior proctor, OF Oxfort
university, testified that be called on tn,
prisoner and questioned him about tn,
identity Of Mrs. Maryland. Morelaud toll
him that Mrs. Maryland was a handsome
and wealthy Nihilist who was anxious Z
obtain the sympathy and influence of tn
rcost exalted persons in England, and VIII
carried her devotien to tbs cause Of Mill
Ism to such an extent or extreme that sh
would no doubt, in Moreland's opinion, OF
for her lovely person TO a nobleman WIN
would assist her TO attain the great end
which she had il view. Moreland was re
lnanded for week. The magistrate sal
Lord Hothfeld deserved the thanks of tn
public for resisting and exposing the black
mailer.