The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
ONCE A SPY OF GEORGE w.
sTHANGE HISTORY OF 4 FORMER
RESIDENT OF ST. LOUIS.

collected Evidence For the Great
est Divorce Trial in HIstory-Nas
Royalty Paid, brought His Wealth
Respected Citizen For Years, Lost
II AlI-His Pathetic End.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
twenty-five years ago some workmen,
who were excavating for . building on
Olive street, a little east of Grand, I'M
earthed skull and some of the larger
homes of a human skeleton. There was
no vestige of a coffin, no stone of any
kind. nothing to show the identity of the
ore whose last resting place had been so
rudeiy entered. and so the bones were
thrown unceremoniously into the dirt
cart 10 be hauled away to help fill some
depression. Yet those bones were the last
mortal remains of one who had been the
most trusted servant of a king, who had
taken an important part in one of the
most remarkable legal proceedings of this
or any ether age. and who, because of his
part therein, had been rewarded with gold
by his master and with curses by the peo-
pie. The story of William Stokes forms
the strangest chapter of local annals
When George " of England was Prince
of Wales, and was astonishing Europe
and disgusting the decent British with
his prohigacy. the king, his father, sent
Lord Malmesbury over to Brunswick to
ask the hand of his niece, Caroline of
Brunswick, for his Maynard son. The old
duke was more than willing, and Caroline
Mt CHI
her joy. She had reached her 18th year,
was little more than buxom, and not at
all pretty. The best that Malmesbury
could say for her was that she had ex-
pressive eyes and impertinent shoulders.
She had some sense, but no judgment,
and her tongue gave voice to her thoughts
without regard to surroundings or the peo-
prieties. Her education was defective,
and she was unframed in the etiquette
of courts or even of the best society of her
time. With such physical and mental
disadvantages, it is not strange that her
father had failed to find an eligible part
ner for her, even from among the petty
German princes, and the unexpected pro-
posal from King George, calling her to
position far above anything he had ever
hoped for, caused a great stir in the old
duoal palace Malmesbury, after he saw
and became acquainted with the princess,
was apprehensive as to the result of the
union, but he had been sent to ask her
hand and bring her back with him, and
his authority went no further. When Car
oline was presented to Prince George she
kneeled, as Malmesbury had told her she
should do. The prince raised her, embrace
ed her and then called to Malmesbury:
Harris, bring me a glass of brandy"
He disliked her from the first, and made
no attempt to conceal it. He was tipsy,
it is said when the marriage took place,
and afterwards treated her brutally With
in a month they had separated never to
live together as man and wife again. This
was in 1885 ff-..
Twenty-Five years after George III. died
and his son, 1.-The first gentleman of Eu-
rope and the first blackguard of Chris
tendon, assembled the throne as George
~. The first problem which confronted
him was what to do with Caroline. AS
Princess of Wales she could be kept in
comparative retirement; as Queen of Eng
land she had certain rights which could
not be denied her. There was apparently
but one solution-she must be divorced.
But in England even king cannot secure
a divorce without grounds. These, how
ever, had been already provided For sew
eral years the princess had resided on the
continent, most of the time in Italy, Her
conduct while in England had never been
above reproach, and when she crossed the
channel and felt herself free from re-
straint, her naturally gay disposition
cesses. Two years before the old kings
death spies had been put upon her track
to collect evidence for the contemplated
divorce trial. One of these spies, and it
Is said, the chief of them, was William
Stokes. OF Stokes antecedents little is
known. 1t is evident, however, that he
was fit tool for the work in hand. He
was married to an estimable English wo-
man, who, unable to bear his profigacy,
left him in 1907. He at once installed his
housekeeper, woman named Ann Smith,
in her place. What particular service he
rendered Prince George in securing evil
dence against his wife Is not recorded.
1t was evidently important, however, for
he was rewarded with the immense sum
of $4,000 in gold.
Based on the reports of Stokes and his
felloW-spies, the ministry of King George
prepared bill of divorce entitled Gan act
for depriving Caroline Amelia Elizabeth,
Queen of Great Britain, of and from the
style and title of queen of these realms,
and of and from the rights prerogatives
and immunities now belonging to her as
queen consort." This was presented to
the House of Lords, and the trial COM
menced Aug. IL, 1920. England had been
wrought up to a fever of excitement by
the preparations for the trial, The
queen, in spite of the obstacles thrown
in her way by Lord Liverpool, had re-
turned to England, determined to vindi-
cate her character and assert her rights.
She was received with open arms by the
people, who mad taken her side from the
first. Everywhere she went great crowds
of sympathizing citizens accompanied her.
Her house was surrounded day and night
by thousands of her friends. She was
looked upon as a prosecuted woman, and
the chivalry of England rose up to pro-
tect her. The ministry were hooted at
and insulted at every opportunity. Never
was there a legal proceeding that created
such a national furore. The defense was
conducted by Lord Brougham, and re-
suited in. the defeat of the bill. The
queen, 1t was shown had been foolish, but
no act Of real immortality was proven.
The divorce bill was defeated, but the
ministry prevented the coronation of the
queen, and thus indirectly secured their
object.
Stokes was not at the trial His work
was finished before that, and the temper
OF the people was such that 1t was unsafe
Tor him to remain in England. So with
MS housekeeper and his sister, he came to
America and directly to St. Louis, bring
ing all his gold, which in that day was
worth as much or more than $1,000, 900