Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-04-22

LONDON. April lS.-The dowager
duchess of Sutherland was to-day COM
mitted to Holloway prison under
sentence of imprisonment for six weeks,
imposed oy Sir Francis Jeune, presi-
dent of the Court of Probate, for con-
tempt of court. Notwithstanding that
the Imprisonment Of British duchess
in a common Jail is probably unpre-
cedented in Engla nd, the affair did
not excite any great surprise among
the public as it has anticipated that
the court would take severe action in
view of the fragrant contempt with
which the duchess was charged.
The late Duke was a widower at the
time of the marriage and had children
and grandchildren, the eldest suryiv-
ing child being the Duke of Sutherland.
The late Duke and Mrs. Blair were
married in Florida during a visit to
America on March (, 1889. The news
of the marriage was received with
anger and Disappointment by the pres
emit Duke and the other surviving chill
dren OF tn t Duke, for one of whom,
named Al, yu tdria, the Princess eff
Wales had b.'el sponsor.
The late b..sc died Sept. % last year,
aged 60 years, leaving a win highly ia
contested by the present Duke and
proceedings have been carried on with
much bitterness On Saturday last, in
the Court of Probate, before Sir Fran
els Jeune, the council for the present
Duke asked that a writ of attachment
should be issued against the dowager
Duches on the ground that having OBJ
tanned an order to inspect certain pa
pers she had deliberately placed in the
fire a document which, under the or
der she was permitted to inspect
When the case came up to-day an
affidavit was presented in behalf of the
Duchess, setting forth that the docu-
ment which she had burned was a pri-
vate letter written to her by her late
husband before MA rriage, that she had
not thought it any harm to destroy
document of that character and she
closed by fe.iIr an apology to the
court,
Sir Francis Jcunc commented in the
severest manner on the action of
which the Duchess had been guilty.
He said that it was evident that the
destruction of the document had
been deliberately planned and
that it was effected by violence and de-
ceit. 1t had been shown that when
she destroyed the letter she said it was
q letter from her to the late Duke.
Now she said the reverse--that it was
private letter from the late Duke to
her Justice Jeune added that he was
unable to say which statement was
true, hut the action of sthe dowager
duchess had destroyed the possibility
o. believing her. Justice Jeune then
imposed the sentence of six weeks i'm
prisonment for contempt of court and
sentenced the dowager duchess to pay
a fine of 2jO pounds.
The dowager duchess was awaiting
the disposition of the case in the bar
listers consulting room. There was
great scene when her friends commune
Gated the sentence to her The dow
ager duchess and her friends around
shed tears ard exhibited great indigna-
ton. The solicitors of the dowager
duchess had been prepared for the re-
suit and in expectation of the decision
that was delivered they had car
riage in waiting. The duchess
hurried into the carriage, and,
accompanied by her solicitors, rode off
at once to Holloway jail, thus depriv-
ing the Tipstatf of the court of the
unique experience Of serving a com
initial order upon a Duchess, At Hol-
loway jail the Duchess was taken in
and lodged as tirst-class offender.
When the news of the decision was
carried to the present Duke of Suther-
land he received the announcement
without emotion, remarked. Very
well, and dispatched a messenger to
his solicitor.