St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-24

oOOtA5 AhOkAbAhH ~ th0 oSSShNA
Tilton Trial Which Reflected
on Her Characterization Re-
ported to Have Been Her Lover
and to Have Called Her the
Queen of Prostitutes.
LONDON. Feb. 23.-The case of Mrs.
John Biddulph Martin, formerly Victo-
ria Woodruff. against the trustees or
the British museum. was heard in the
high court of justice, queens bench
division, before Baron Pollock today.
Mr.. Martin some time ago obtained an
order from the courts directing the
trustees of the British museum to di-
vulge the names of the donors TO the
museum OF two books relating to the
Beecher-Tilton trial. Mrs. Martin, in
her petition, declared the first of these
books imputed that she, as Mrs. Victo-
ria Woodruff, had published libelous
and obscene literature. The second
book. according to Mrs Martins COM
plant, purported to contain statements
made during the Beecher-Tilton litlga-
ton, which, she claimed, reflected upon
her. The application was granted; but
the trustees appealed, and on Jan. %
last, in the high court of justice, the
appeal was heard. The trustees claimed
that the books were withdrawn so soon
as their attention was called to
MRS. MARTINS COMPLAINTS.
This appeal, however. was dismissed.
In court today Sir Richard Webster,
formerly attorney general under Lord
Salisbury, represented the plaintiff. Slr
Richard said that the books contained
imaginary interviews with Victoria
Woodruff, in which she was quoted as
stating that Mr.. Tllton 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 Richard Web
ster also claimed, was charged in these
interviews with blackmailing Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, and counsel as
serted that the interviews made a
| similar charge against Victoria Wood
| hulFs sister. Sir Richard Webster then
| read extracts from the works of Victoria
Woodruff. advocating purity between
the sexes. Unluckily. counsel continued,
the man whom Victoria Woodruff left
| in control of her newspaper in New
York inserted, unknown TO her, some
| disgraceful articles. Sir Richard Web
| ster, during the course of his argument,
also said that Victoria Woodruff, until
| she met Mr.. Martin, lived life of
STRUGGLE 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, aud copied. into
the book donated to the British museum,
and which was one of those she COM
planned against, had never occurred.
| The statements made in this interview.
said Mrs. Martin. were false.
| When asked whether she had ever
been guilty of immortality. Mrs. Martin
said that from 1870 TO 1857 she was daily
before the American public, and that no
charge had ever been made against her
| character.
Sir Charles Russell. the attorney gen.
eral, who appeared for the trustees of
| the British museum, severely crOSS-eX-
amined Mrs. Martin in regard to her
life as stock broker and actress in San
| Francisco.
Replying to the question 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 result OF
public opinion. When questioned in
| regard to Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
Mrs. Martin said that if the Beecher-
Tilton case was to be tried again in
London she must have time to prepare
her case. After considerable testimony
had been taken the case was adjourned