The herald., 1896-11-26
On Trial for Libeling Earl
Russel
THE EARL WROTE LETTERS
BIotted With Tears but Unfortunately y
Still Legible
Men Who Make Love to Their Mothers
in-Law May Expect Trouble
English Samples.
Press Special Wire

LONDON, Nov. 25-The trial OF Lady
Selma Scott, mother of the Countess
Russell, John Cockerton, engineer Fred
eric Kast. groom, and William Aylott,
valet, charged with criminal libel by
Earl Russell, son-in-law of Lady Scott,
was continued before Justice Hawkins
at the Old Bailey today. Earl Russell
continued his testimony He said that
Christmas, 1892, he received card say
ing: "God grant next Christmas all will
be forgotten and you will be with the
people who love you"
The witness identified a letter written
by Lady Scott and addressed to Private
Detective Dickman, containing the fol-
lowing words:
"Anyone who proves anything will not
cnly get my thanks, but enough to start
in life, for although we have enough evil
dence to hang any ordinary man. it is
not quite sufficient for our purpose.
The earl on cross-examnation ad-
mitted his former affection for Lady
Scott, and said that on Sunday prior to
his marriage he wrote her as follows:
Parting with you seems harder to
bear as it gets nearer. I don't see why
you are not coming to the station. I
want to give you a last hug, my darling.
my angel. Bother! I am beginning to
cry"
The earl said this was simply an eX-
preston at the time of his feeling for
the mother of the lady he was about to
marry.
Replying to further questions, witness
said that he presented Lady Scott in
1889 with Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of
Christ, because he thought it would be
useful to her, and as she often told him
that she would like it. 1t was inscribed
on the fly leaf: ITO my dear Bo, the
truest woman and the most faithful
friend I have known. from her loving
Frank"
This language, the earl added, was sin
cere then, but was somewhat exagger-
ated.
Continuing. Earl Russell testified that
when his wife first left him in 1890 he
loved her and wished her to return
and In a letter to Lady Scott at that
time, he alluded to the countess 8 fol-
lows:
"She has not been actually disagree
able, but of course the stony-hearted,
self-righteous saint has not shown an
atom of kindness or softness, and 1t will
be a relief to get rid of my curse for
few days"
In subsequent visit to Lady Scott
the earl described his wife as hard
hearted fiend, and while the countess
was gone on three-months' visit to
Earl Russell's mother, the witness
wrote to Lady Scott and asked her to
come and stay with him during his
wife's absence. He said: "If you fail
to accept this concession shall know
you love me no more than that false
woman does" This characterization ap-
piled to the countess. This letter also
read: God bless you, my dear one.
God keep you safe always Oh, dearest,
I cannot write any more. 1 cannot see
the paper. Good night my darling"
In another letter two days prior to
his marriage the earl wrote to Lady
Scott: "Oh, darling, will you forgive
me? I was very naughty to you, you
true-hearted angel. I go to bed at 3, and
have splitting headache. Come soon,
my lovely one. Ever your own loving
Frank"
Earl Russell is about thirty years cf
age, and Is the son of the famous John
Russell, who was premier and first lord
of the treasury of Great Britain from
1S46 to 1852, and from 1865 to 1866, and
who, for about fifty years, represented
the Whig policy in and out of parlia-
mert.
After the reading of these letters n
discussion ensued relative to the admis-
and Justice Hawkins said: Il have
nothing to do with the relations between
Lady Scott and Lord Russell"
After a reference to the incidents Of
Earl Russell's past life had been brought
out in the original separation case, in
GLIDING the fact that he was expelled
from Oxford, the hearing of the case
was again adjourned.