The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-03
AN OXFORD TUTOR
Maitland Francis MOreland in
Bow Street Court,
CHARGED WITH BLACKMAILING
His Attempts to E1tOrt Money From Earl
Russell Under the Guise of Widow
Committed Without Bail.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch. I
LONDON, March 2.-In the court at Bow
street this morning, before Sir John Bridge,
the chief magistrate, Maitland Francis
Moreland, described as tutor, aged sixty
five, Of % ST. John street, Oxford, was
charged with attempting to obtain from
Henry James, Lord Hothheld, the SUN of
80 and other moneys by false pretenses.
among those present in court was Earl
RUSSELL y feature of the proceedings be-
ing an alleged suit brought against him by
Ruth Morelaud, the widow, supposed to be
identical with the prisoner, who claimed to
nave loaned money to the earl, and who
threatened to send some letters, said to be-
compromising, to the earPs intended, and
after his marriage to his wife, unless this
money was paid
Earl Russell was the first witness called.
Earl Russell, during the course of his
examination, said that the prisoner was a
/ 5 granger TO him but that in 1855 be re-
celyed letter similar to the one addressed
to Lord Hothheld. Earl Russell said thai
ne 1ooLshly replied to this letter,
anu mat the next year, after his mar
rage engagement, ne received an unsigned
! letter, saying that some gentlemen without
.
ana that he had offered her ESQ for his lord
ships letter. A slip of paper, bearing
upon 1t Mrs. MOreland's address was in
closed in this mlssive. The earl to this
/ letter, replied by a short note, but he SAYS
! dld not send anyone to Mrs. Moreland He
wrote, however, that he would be glad to
receive the information, that his letter had
been destroyed as hers had been. The earl
signed this letter Your Correspondent"
Earl Russell also said that he received a
| letter on September "A, 1889, declaring that
II his letter meant an offer of ESQ for the
return OF his correspondence the matter
could be easily arranged. If not, it was
! lntlmated his indiscretion in bOasting of
/ his amatOry victories would be revealed
and their secret would be disclosed TO some
one who would only be too glad TO get pos
/ session OF 1t. Shortly before the ear was
married Ruth Moreland again wrote him
as follows: "You are to be married this
week. What would Miss Scott think of
| you If she could read your letters
which are in my possessiont
/ 1t is not altogether impossible that
she may see them before Thursday. And
/ that hundred which you owe me, of which
/ you have not paid penny, may so anger me
! that may put the letters IN my husbands
hands and confess my adultery with YOU
and cause myself TO figure in the divorce
court. Send an answer by return post or I
D
| Other letters in the same strain, said the
earl, were also sent TO him by Ruth More
land. But he persisted in his refusal to be
| blackmalled, and positively refused to send
/ the $50 so frequently asked for under
threats of various kinds Of exposure.
/ George Lewis, for the prosecution, then
/ examined the earl. Have you ever mis-
conducted yourself with Mrs. Moreland 2"
| Al have never even seen her.
/ O.-Are the statements contained in tho
letters supposed 10 have been written to
you by lady named Mrs. horeland pure
fiction:
| A.-AbsOiutely so from beginning to end.
Earl Russell, when cross-examined, said
that the letters he received were generally
signed by the writer, and that the name
Mrs. Moreland" was always enclosed on a
slip OF paper.
Mr.. Clement Cheese, a lawyer, was next
] called to give testimony. He said, in sub
stance, that the prisoner upon q certain
occasion consulted him upon a suit which
he intended to bring against Earl Russell.
According to MIR. Cheese the prisoner
claimed the sum of 600 from Earl Russell
for alternating his w1fe's affections. As the
real Mrs. MOreland is known to be q vener-
able wnlte-halred lady OF some sixty win =
tiers, this piece Of evidence caused laughter
at the young earPs expense. In continual
ton, MIR Cheese said that he entered into
communication with Earl Russell on the
subject and that the latter Indignantly
denied that there was any truth in the allie
cations made BY Mr. Moreland. The prose
cution then showed that the prisoner
hand writing was identical with that Of the
Matchmaking letters, and Moreland was
formally committed for trial. Bail was
not asked for, and the prisoner, by advice
Of counsel, said that ne would reserve hi
defense for presentation at the trial.