New-York tribune., 1896-12-28
A HOLIDAY MASQUE.
IN AN ENGLISH COURT. WITH A LETTER-
WRITER AS HIS OWN LAWYER AND
MIR. LABOUCHERE IN THE BOX.

| cranks of the holiday season; but a Christina
pantomime is now little else than a variety
show with all the ordinary attractions Of the
concert hall. The best Mosques Of holiday
humor are witnessed In the court Of justice over
which Mr. Justice Hawkins presdes. The Rus.
sell libel suit, until 1t was brought to tragic
close oy the death Of Kast, was judicial com.
edy enlivened by humorous bouts among coun.
sci and grim and caustic sallies from the bench
The prospect of holiday sport in the courts on
the eve of Christmas week would have been
poor indeed II Br ks VS. Labc cuchere had not
been improvised nterlude
This case was tried before Mr.. Justice Haw.
kins and special jury in the Queens Bench
Division 1t drew full houses for several rea.
sons The presiding Justice had recently given
q fine display Of ready wit in the conduct OF
moro serious case, and it was considered prob
able that he might improve the occasion by be.
! ing as funny as he could. Mr. Brooks was an
| nounced i'm the bill of the play as his own
| lawyer. and this excited the humorous suspicion
that he would be likely to justify the old saw
by having fool for his Client. Sir Frank Lock-
wood one Of the brightest wits OF the Eng.
lish bar was to conduct the defence and cross.
examine the ministerial letter-writer, who had
succeeded in enlisting the sympathy Of Mr.
Arthur Balfour and in obtaining grant OF ZOO
from the E,xcheuuer, al the expense OF the
Royal Bounty Fund reserved for meritorious
authors in distress. The defendant moreover.
was Mr. LabOuchere. one Of the most trenchant
writer's and livelies: speakers in England. Nat
urally the courtroom was densely crowded at
every session. Mr. Justice Hawkins. warned
possibIy by the untimely end Of Kast that judi
cial humor might be attended with fatal conse-
uuences was grave and reticent but otherwise
Of finn fha "a "
/ abundantly fulfilled.
The alleged libel in Truth" upon which the
action was based. had described the grant Of
/ eDOO as .probably the frs; instance record OF
! fhe Treasury having been victimized by the beg
/ ging letter writer" and had referred to Mr..
/ Brooks as THE master of all the tricks OF the
trade" The plaintiff. in opening the case pre-
sented this issue to the jury: was ne the
| fraudulent impostor the defendant represeneo
him TO be- or was ne what he proiessed to be
, a minister of the Gospel and an autnor VINO
had done good and honorable work? Having
: denounced the defendant as a purveyor OF gos-
ain and scandal. an adept at sandering, back
! biting and evil-speakng. "inquisitor ana censor
! general Of everything AMI everybody IN EngiSh
/ society" and the employer of an army oi spies
| scattered over the country. he produced from
/ tvpewritten no, es his autoblograpnV as minis
Ter among Methodists and Independents Win
an account of his literary achievements as an
author and political pamphleteer lie 'eier'eu
in detail to his hnan ,ial embarrassments and
justified his industry in soliciting aid from III
euantial people by the example of Shakespeare
Ren Jonson. Cervantes. Crabbe Erasmus "ou-
smith and scores Of other literary mel In writing
begging letters. 1t long eXhorta'oh oc-
cupying the main part Of TWO sessions VI ''e
7 md
bench and Jury The barrlsters present Iis'enso
IN II with cy, ical amusement. II oneren IL CUT
vlncing proof that fluent takers ou's'ue III"
profession are not justified in taking their o"u
cases into court and arguing them III pe'so"
THE EXPOSURE OF CANT
Better entertainment was offered "hen :"
Frank Lockwood took the plaintih III manu- -"
cross-examination. and revealed the h'Po0'N'
of his letters and the hollown.sS oi Ills ~
Ono letter after another was produceu anu ""
canting appeals for assistance were '"''' "'
with the style in which he was hNihs an" WV"
the condition of his bank account "' NO
,assoa that ha had written thousand or more
letters Of this kind. and that ne hau "D'a Jan.
aaarasses from "Debrett." "Keys Oficlal List
a,d vorious blue-b books. Letters 10 'he p"Ne "
t-ife to the governor of the Bank OF Engiahu'
h. represented himself "a living from haha u
-. , those were traversed by his own
a,,lss,ors that he had profted heavily oy pr''
,,,a charity and was sojourning at Mells Loose
in comfort with a gardener. two horses pony
carriage and a phaeton. The exposure was
r,orciIsss and complete Sir Frank lockWooas
voica rang alternately with indignation ana CON-
,emnt and the un lbashed plaintiff's replies "ele
received with shrieks OF laughter from the auo''
ence Before the cross-eNamnation ehden '"0
iurv held a consultation In whispers ana 'o"''
municated with the bench. Mr. Justice nav.
kins at once announced that the jury alu "o'
wish to consider the case am longer. Sir ran"
roc,,wood with a smile took his seat. con-
vinced that he had won the case and would o.
spared the labor of addressing the jury.
Mr. Rrooks with coorless face and an air "
desperation. persisted in continuing MS case
and after wasting fifteen minutes IN eNanhns
an unimportant witness. a Scotch farmer ooiu'
summoned Mr.. Labouchere to the stand i"'
audience was nj once convused with laughter
and Mr. Lahouchere himself went INTO '"e w.
with face ON a broad grin. Then followed as
grotesoue n scene as has ever been wltnesseu ~
an English court It was like fencing pou'
between an accomplished swordsnan ike :"
Charles Dixie and an awkward pumpkin VINO
had never before held steel in hand Every
answer fairly cracked with dryness and cynioa'
contempt. ~.
The answer to the first question: Wheh "'
Won first become acquainted with me- WAS
don't think ever did" and the audience r"a'e"
with delight. In your opinion l am an ""'
postor?' continued the questoner iur'he' W"
IL formed that conclusion said the WINES
with leer. can you produce any PROOF VI IVY
cadging the Treasury Il base my opho" ~.
the fact that you got the money you is"',
my literary work in your articles and m'''"""N
that | only wrote begging letters i am Pu,'s
unqualified to form any opinion upon the" Nv
erary merits" "You take great deal of interest,"