The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-24
She Wants to Know Who Gave the Brit
ish Museum Two Books on the
Beecher-TiltOn Trial.
ALLEGED TO BE LIBEL0US
Funeral of Bourdin, the Anarch-
ist, Who Killed Himself.
Two Red Flags Seized by the Police
An Orator Squelched-COmment OH
Benham's Action at Rio.

LONDON, Feb. 23-The case Of Mrs. John
Biddulph Martin. formerly Victoria Wood
hull, against the trustees of the British Mu-
scum was heard in the High Court Of JUS
tice, Queens Bench division, before Baron
Pollock, to-day. Mrs. Martin some time ago
obtained an order from the courts directing
the trustees of the British Museum to d.
vulge the names of the donors to the mu-
scum of two books relating to the Beecher-
Tilton trial. Mrs. Martin, in her petition,
declared that the first of these books I'M
puted that she, as Mrs. Victoria Wood
hull had published libelous and obscene lit
erature The second book, according TO Mrs.
Martins complaint, purported to contain
statements during the Beecher-Tilton li1-
CATION which, she claimed, reflected upon
her. The application was granted, but the
trustees appealed, and on Jan. q last, In the
High Court of Justice, the appeal was
heard. The trustees claimed that the books
were withdrawn so soon their attention
was called to Mrs. Martins complaints. This
appeal, however, was dismissed.
In court to-day Sir Richard Webster,
formerly Attorney-general under Lord Sal
isbury, represented the plaintiff. Sir Richard
said that the books contained imaginary
interviews with Victoria Woodruff In which
she was quoted as saying that Mr.. Tilton
had been her lover; that she had lived with
him for three months, and that he called
her the queen of prostitutes" Victoria
Woodruff, Sir Webster also claimed. was
charged I'm these interviews with blackmail-
ing the Rev Henry Ward Beecher and
counsel asserted that the interviews made
a similar charge against Victoria Wood
hulPs sister. Sir Richard Webster then read
extracts from the works of Victoria Wood
hull, advocating purity between the sexes.
Unluckily, counsel continued, the man
whom Victoria Woodruff left in control of
her newspaper in New York inserted in IT.,
unknown to her. some dsgraceful articles.
Sir Richard Webster. during the course OF
his argument also said that Victoria Wood
hull, until she met Mr.. Martin, lived a
life of struggles and suffering.
Mrs. Martin then took the stand and gave
the story of her life. During the, course of
her statements Mrs. Martin said that the
interview published in a Chicago paper In
1872, and copied into the book donated to
the British Museum, and which was one OF
those which she complained against, had
never occurred. The statements made III
1his interview, said Mrs Martin, were false.
guilty OF immortality. Mrs. Martin said that
from 1870 to 1887 she was daily before the
American public, and that no charge had
ever been made against her character.
Sir Charles Russell. the Attorney-general.
who appeared for the trustees OF the Brit
ish Museum, severely cross-examined Mrs.
Martin in regard to her life a clairvoy-
ant. stock broker and actress in San Fran
cisco. Replying to the questions put to her,
Mrs Martin said that the prosecution
against her in the United States on the
charge of sending obscene matter through
the mails had resulted in her acquittal, the
government being forced to abandon the
prosecution as a result of public opinion.
when questioned in regard to the Rev. Hen
ry Ward Beecher Mrs. Martin said that If
the Beecher-Tilton case was to be tried
again in London she must have time to pre-
pare her case After considerable testimony
had been taken the case was adjourned.