The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-02
SCANDAL IN ENGLISH LIFE.
MRS. LEiDLR SUES THE WIFE OF
GEN SMITH FOR SIANDER.


cratic rricnd--sIr Edward Clarke Cross
Examines the iouns and Angry rinintiT.
LONDON. Nov. LIN the Court Of Queens
Bench to-day tho suit OF Mrs Olivia Claudne
Leader against Mrs. Eleanor Smy,h and hus-
band for SANDER was continued. Mrs. Leader
l. the daughter Of n retired General OF tho
British army and vito OF Lieut. Leader OF tho
Suffolk Regiment. Mrs. Smyths husband is
Ma ior- Gen. James Gibbon Smyth of tho British
army. and the cause o. the suit is the alleged
imputation on the part OF Mrs. Smyth that
Mrs Leader had 81 olcn diamond brooch the
plea on tho part o! the defence being justifca-
ton. Tho court room to-day was thronged
with members OF tho aristocracy, especially
those connected with the army. who took the
liveest interest in tho proceedings. Frank
Lockwood. =. G.. opened tho case for the plain
tin. lIe told how Mrs. Leader had como into
possession OF II diamond brooch while in
EgyIt, a brooch apparently resembling one
owned by Mrs. Smyth. Mrs. Leader had dis
posed OF the brooch as she had right to do.
1t appeared that Mrs. Smyth had lost her
brooch. and seeing the one that Mrs. Leader
had owned displayed for sale In n jewellers
window. and asccrtainng that Mrs. Leader
hal sold 1t. she circulated the Islander that
Mrs. Leader had stolen the brooch from her
Going further into particulars. Mr.. Lock
wood said that Lieut.. and Mrs. Leader were
married in 1880. both Gen. and Mrs. Smvth
being present at the wedding. Lieut.. Lender
had been educated in America. whore his
father settled. After tho marriage. when Lieut..
Leaders, regiment was ordered to Egypt. Mrs.
Leader joined him there and while In Egypt
Mrs. Leader received a present from Capt. Chew
eniS Trench. Il former acquaintance. OF the da-
mond brooch. Tho Leaders returned from
Egypt to England. and Lieut.. Leader was Or
husband. 4 few days before leaving England
matchmaker named Dibdcn. receiving in re-
turn clock and 80 shiilinCs in money,
Oct. 81 Mrs. Smyth called at Dibden's estaH.
lishmcnt. lSo Sloane street. $. W.. and saw
there the f naa .rG"eh Mrs Smyn in
piled that Mrs. Leader had disposed OF it to
him. Theroupon Mrs. Smyth declared that the
it should be- surrendered. Dibden. fearing that
II he refused he might yet into trouble. gave
Mrs. Smyth then wrote to Mrs. Leader In
India accusing her OF having been IN her
& 81 th Iress ,T on IN Ssp ~ the
suggesting that it would be better for her
IMrs. Leader to send five !guineas to defray
' Mrs Leader cad Twas was a " said Mf ock-
wood. when she received the letter. ana she at
turned ut once to England TO prosecute Mrs.
Smyth for SANDER and libel. Mir. Lockwood
5 lost SroSs n" whs rS was
common pattern; for sal, in many shops in
London. Mr. Lockwood called attention TO the
she offered the brooch for sale to Stokes. Mrs.
Smyth. who had charged at first that the theft
aS 40 % to give The date Of ne the as
seq, u or thnr.ahor:s. Mrs. Leader had f5i2
ought to be sufficient proof that she was not in
| need Of money: and not likely to be driven to
,er S Tx {" m th Sx m mou,n ~
! ana th"n should Mrs. Smyth persist in her
| cruel charge the Jury would be asked TO give
0i GSors" MicH Dindep. Matchmaker of 1s?
! Sloane street was called 70 the witness, stand.
| from Mr.; Leader Mrs smyth aitcrwnrd Wis;
iets shop and saw the I re she ashsd
Thcren I' Mrs. Smyth de"Inred tint t the h;
hroYeh vas x n,s ans Ia9u'sl in
| it," Mrs Smyth. thc witness added. said that
she Dough! tho hrooch in the Burlington Ar
shop Mrs. Smyth brought n detective with her.
and asked tho witness to identify portrait
Smyth seemed excited. and eNpressed regret
that she was unable 10 give Mrs. Leader into
custody then ana there , me brooch witness S
Sir Edward Clarke. tho former Solicitor.
ELECTED an admission that the maker Of the
brooch solomon Jacobs. had visited, him. and
canned lIiats ~ Mrs Smyth Mrs smyth. Who was
| in court. is an old lady. She was attired in
M ana sat WA ssG qa s II the
by friends, zen; smyth. rowning and fierce.
witness inrrssnntly. and especially ut Mrs.
Lender. when she was called to the stand later.
other admissions Of any value to the defence.
! Mrs Leader. he said. had given her correct
window before she came in and claimed it.
| Witness had secn the notice issued by the
police respecting The brooch lost by Mrs.
Mis- Loader took tho stand coolly. She is
young and rather Good-looking: Her te-tl-
m"ny was given in nc!.arIy audible tore. with
! drbcia'i0n ard without hns!tancy. ) ho had
| known Mrs, Smyth she said. for about eight
| wears, having become acquainted with hor
Just before her engagement to Lieut.. end
er. WhIle in !.Gy,Et shnreceived letter from
| vhis brooch She showed to her husband AT the
time. S,he was ,nH,r,c,mr4nied to NJ NJ, store
Can't. I'LL cnr'i"d home the clock. which she
had received IN part payment for the brooch.
Dihdrn' 5 and disposed Of tho brooch. size Wis
| tied Gen. Smyths residence and there saw
Mrs. ,Smy,h and was With her when Mrs
! mnlnrd ten minutes. and she and Mrs Smyth
iei' the house together, The next day Mrs.
Smyh complained TO Eer that she had lost u
brooch. IN. witness ,conLoed with Mrs.
| Smyth and mentioned that she also had lost IL
| brooch ut IA. Savoy Theatre Capt. Trench.
| Who had given her the brooch, WAS now dead.
! The w,nCss said earnestly that there was not
! tho slirhtnst truth in the story told by Mrs.
! Smyth that she, Mrs. Leader. had stolen the
| brooch,
tho witness said that Capt Trench had not
| visited her a. her fathers house. She had
| IN him mt the Lyric club She did not recol-
! irct writing On ple, "f papcrnt Mrs. smyths,
! when Trench WAS there. asking him o,call
! upon her, and she did not recnliect that Mrs.
SMITH complained of the writing under SUCH
was not engaged at that lime. Sho WAS also
unaware TIA, can't Irenrh did not know her
| Miss Wherlnr had yisitoG nor in fgypt, and
she read to Mis- ,WlrHl.r Portions OF Can't.
| iegt whether she ever showed Miss Wheeler
| In" brooch received from CAPT. Trench.
| Mrs. I"ndrr produce! tho rHsr in viii oh she
| had received, as she asserted, tho brooch from
| Cart. vr"u"h,
| witness and. pirklni, Gp ~" brooch. tried to
| unt tho brooch IA Tie rus'. li"was unsuc"ess-