New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-10
MRS. OSBORNES SENTENCE.
NINE MONTHS IN PRISON AT HARD LABOR.
AN APPEAL FOR LENIENCY MADE BY MRS. HAl'

london March Mrs Florence Ethel Osborne
hoainst whom the Grand Jury few days ago
returned a true bill for larceny ana perjury was
arragncd for trial in the Old Bailey to-day "nt
pleaded guilty to the charges against hei' anu
was sentenced to nine months luprlsonne"' az
hard labor.
This ends so far the public Is cohcerhcu'
case that has excited worldwide comment 'io'
n her marriage Mrs Osborne, then Miss hliiot''
visited her intimate friend, Mrs. llargre"V'S at
the latters house in Torquay. While there MIS-
Uarrreaves showed her friend quantity oil
valuable ewclrv and also explained to Her hci
custom of conccaing the icWclry in secret drawer
of n table or desk. Shortly after MISS Ellio''
returned to London Mrs. liargrcaveN missed some
of ber cwclry. including some valuable pearls.
Finally her suspicious fell on Miss fHloU' II"
,uirics were made and At length il was ascer-
tained that a woman had sold the pearls L"
Spnks & Son, jewellers in Eracechurch-S' III
tic meantime Miss Elliott bad married Captain
Osborne. AN officer in the British ARMY who'
though he had heard of the charges against Miss
Elliott did not believe them
After the marriage Mrs Osborne was accused
of the theft but Indignantly denied IL ana hh'N
instituted proceedings against Mrs. liargrcaNes
charging her with libel This suit came 10 ulal'
and Mrs Osborne created the impression lha' sic
WAS greatly malgned woman but few days
later her counsel, Oh hNo h"'NN''' 80
admitted in court that his client was guilty oi
Tho theft OF course the libel suit fell TO 'hc
cround and shortly aftcrward warrant was
issued for Mrs OsborncS arrest. she, however.
had fed the country, but on February shc IT,
turned to England and surrendered. ne heNe
day she was arraisned before the Lord Mayor VI
London on the charge of obtaining moheN ~
false pretenccs. The Treasury did not prosecute
this case and Mrs Osborne discharged she
tod no
and was remanded in the Bow Street Police court
for trial today at the Old Bailey on charges OF
larceny and perjury.
4 large crowd of fashionable people, including
MANY women assembled this morning. ana as
soon as the court was opened there was "
reperal scramble for seats. At . 30 O'Clock, Gap
lain Osborne entered the court room alone lie
WAS followed by Mrs liargreavcs and her hnsnahd
In a few minutes the prisoner was escorted INTO
court by female warder and at once placed III
1he dock. Captain Osborne took his seat beside
tho dock Mrs Osborne kept her handkerchief
Ia her eyes and wept bitterly. She was called
upon 70 stand up and the charges OF THEFT ana
ncrinrv were read 10 her When the reading WAS
concluded, She pleaded guilty 10 both the charges
She was weak and her voice was 80 low th"'
il was impossible for her TO he heard on uie
bench. and the warder was Obliged to repeat MIS-
Osbornes words.
MT.
prosecute the case for the Treasury. arose amid
profound silence and said he would rccite the clr.
curstancos of the ca.r Justice Smith inter
posed saving he had read all the dcposltions, ana
was fully alive to all the facts Of the case MI
Fulton then said he only wished 10 explain thar
perjury was the charge which induced the Treas
ury to prosecute, for il larceny alone was con-
cerned the prosecution would have oeen iei' !"
private persons.
far Mrs Osborne.
then in a subdued and emotional voice, addressed
the court for mitigation of the sentence. lie sug-
cested that there had been no motive lor ,ne
theft, which must have occurred whle Nhs' o'
borne was laboring under temporary aDerrauo"
Of the mind.
Sir Charles then read the correspondence ''''
had nassed between Captain Osborne and the
Treasury after the prisoners grand1dtHei Iau P'''
the authorities the $3.50 paid by the opInks ior
the Jewels and all the other costs amounting 20
81 900 Captain Osborne wrote to the fhpil1
Prosecutor i'm January that his wife was most
anxious TO surrender, but he had absolutely lor-
biGden her TO endangcr the life OF herself ana her
unborn child bv rendering herself liable to pass
in nrison ,bc time between January and June, III
which latter month She expected 10 ne cofi'"
Tho Treasury refused 10 enter into an agree
ment and on January 20 Captain Osborne wrote
MY wife is convinced that she ought l" sur
rcnder ANYWAY" Su Charles Russell said he did
NOT make the appeal for mercy because the
prisoner WAS a lady, vet the anguish ana hnmll.a-
fion she must in the future feel at the loss oi
her friends respect and the grcvoHs wrong hie
had been guilty Of would be more punishment
than any sentence the court could impose
At this point Mrs llargIcayc, rose from her
seat at the Solicitors table, and, speaking with
great emotion, said: Ny Lord. az ana my
husband arc tie chief sufferers -
1
/ can listen 10 YOU.
Mrs. Uargreaves, however. persisted in fnis'-
lnp what She had 10 s;.y, and continuing, Sic sal
Il am going TO plead Tor mercy for the accused.
am perfectly convinced that Mrs. Osborne
MAS no, in Eer night unnd when she took the
levels | beg Of you TO deal as lenicntly as pos
s,ble with her have Known and loved the
prisoner all her lille
During Mrs. larereavcs5 remarks Mrs Us
borne showed the deepest emotion. IL wos
thought that she would faint, and second female
,yarder s,epped quietly to her side to help sup
mort her should she fall Everybody in the court
was much affected The painful scene was added
10 when the clerk of the court, turning to the
prisoner, asked Florence Ethel Osborne have
YOU ANYTHING to say why the court shodld not
pass judgment upon YOU
Mrs. Osborne sobbing violently, replied III "a
whisper, Nothing
The judge then proceeded 10 sentence one Pii'
opcr. He said You stole these goods from your
friends when visiting them. You converted
the levels into money which you appropriated
for your own use When you were suspected oi
the theft, you commenced ALI action Tor hnei' anu
sat by the side of your counsel for days suggest
ing to them that your friends were culprns. M Iiau
YOU succeeded by your wiliul perjury, the mar
greaves would have left the court with an III
deible stain upon them. The MAXIMUM puhsh-
uent for YOUR crime is seven years GINS re-
mark caused a sensation in the courtroom, put
nm not Going TO pass such sentence on YOU