The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-18
LIVE DUCHESS In JAIL.
Her Grace of Sutherland Committed
by Sir Francis Jeune.
BIZ Gable to the United Press.


LONDON. April IS. 1898. The Dowager
Duchess of Sutherland was today COM
mltted to Holloway Prison under SEN
tence to imprisonment for six weeks, I'M
posed by Sir Francis Jeune, President OF
the Court of Probate, for contempt OF
court. Notwithstanding that the inn
prisoIment OF a British Duchess in a
common Jail is probably unprecedented
in Euglaud, the affair did not excite any
great surprise amoug the public, as II has
been anticipated that the Court would
take severe action in view of the fragrant
contempt with which the Duchess was
charged.
The career of the woman, who is better
known TO fame as Mrs. Blair, is too no.
torious to demand repetition here. Her
punishment grows out of the contest OF
her husbands will by the present Duke.
his son by his first marriage. AS told In
these dispatches. on Saturday last. tn the
Court of Probate before Sir Francis
Jeune, the counsel for the present Duke
asked that writ of attachment should
be issued against the Dowager Duchess
on the ground that, having obtained an
order to inspect certain papers, she delib-
erately placed IN the fire document
which, under the order, she was permitted
to inspect. Justice Jeune said that the
charge was q serious one, and at once
stopped the order of inspection. and di-
rected that the Dowager Duchess must
make answer to the charge today.
When the case came up today an afh-
davit was presented in behalf OF the
Duchess, settiug forth that the document
which she had burned was private
letter, written to her by her late husband
before her marriage, that she had not
thought it any harm to destroy docu-
ment OF that character, and closed Dy
0ffArinp an aDOiOQV to the Court.
A sTINGING REBUKH.
Sir Francis Jeune commented in the
severest manner on the action or which
the Duchess had been guilty. He said
that it was evident that the destruction
of the document had been deliberately
violence and deceit. An apology Was
proper for such an act, but the accused
could not do anything but apo
logize Moreover, since the IN
jury aud wrong were now irreparable
an apology could only be regarded rs a
Further it had been shown that when
she destroyed the letter. she said 1t was
letter from her to the late Duke. Now
she said the reverse-that it was private
letter from the late Duke to her. Justice
Jeupe added that he was unable to say
which statement was true; but the action
of the Dowager Duchess had destroyed
Jeune limited that the differences drawn
from the incident might heavily pre-
judice her case. Justice Jeune then I'M
posed the sentence of SIX weeks imprison-
ment for contempt of Court and SEN
fenced the Dowager Duchess to pay
fine of e250.
MADE SCENE.
The Dowager Duchess was awaiting
the disposition of the case in the barris-
ters' consulting room. There was great
scene when her friends communicated
the sentence to her. The Dowager
Duchess and the friends around her shed
tears and exhibited great indignation.
had been prepared Tor the result. and in
expectation of the decision that was de-
liyered, they had a carriage In waiting.
The Dowager Duchess hurried into the
carriage, aud accompanied by her solicit
ors. rode at once to Holloway Jail. thus
depriving the Iipstaff Of the court of the
unique experience of serving a committal
order upon Duchess. AT Holloway Jail
the Duchess was taken in and lodged as a
first class offender.
When the news of the decision was car
ried to the present Duke of Sutherland he
received the announcement without
emotion, remarked very well" and des-
patcned messenger to his solicitor.
HER SOLICITORS STORY.
Z Mr.. DuCane. solicitor for The Dowager
Duchess, stated in an interview to-day
that the letter which the Dowager Ouch
ess had destroyed was entirely of private
character, and did not affect the case.
The sentence, ne said. was a harsh one.
and he hoped that anyhow there would
be a partial remission of it. Counsel
would be consulted in regard TO the
course to be taken, and he would depend
upon their advice.
Mr Earnest Humbert, solicitor for the
present Duke OF Sutherland. denied, in
an interview, that The sentence was harsh
The Dowager Duchess, he said, had OBJ
tanned permission to inspect documents
in the possession of the court, and had
destroyed one of those documents. 1t
was impossible to say what the contents
of the document were. They had only
the word of the Dowager Duchess to the
effect that the contents were of a private
character. They might have been ma
terial to the restimentary disposition of
the case.