Evening star., 1901-07-18
VAUDEVILLE
Earl Russell's Trial for Bigamy in
House of Lords.
PLEADED GUILTY; GOT THREE MONTHS
Much Medieval Nonsense Charac-
terized the Proceedings.
STATEMENT OF THE ACCUSED

LONDON. July 1s.-Earl Russell. arraign-
ed at the bar OF the house of lords today
for trial on the charge of bigamy, pleaded
guilty after arguments against the juris-
diction OF the court
The trial was carried with all the
quaint middIe-age ceremonies The argu-
ments lasted one hour.
Both the earl and Countess Russell (Mrs.
Somerville). through their counsel, pleaded
they did not know they were doing wrong.
but had acted on the best legal advice OBJ
tainable in Nevada.
The peers reached their decision after
consideration Of the case lasting twenty
minutes
Earl Russell was sentenced to three
months imprisonment as a frst-class mis-
demeanant.
The scene in the royal gallery. tempo
rarily converted into a court of justice.
when the lord high chancellor. Lord Halls
bury, who had been appointed lord high
steward for the occasion. took his seat
upon the dais and the quaint ceremonial
began. was most picturesque.
Brilliant Robes and Tnifor,as.
The hall was a magnificent blaze Of color.
produced by the robes of the peers, the
academic robes Of the judges and the
brilliant uniforms OF high state officers
Although the house of lords was not rep
resented in Its full strength. about 200 OF
Earl Russelrs peers attended his trial
and made an imposing array as they hled
into the hall. two by two. from behind the
throne. Lord Salisbury. the premier.
brought up the rear of the procession and
was almost unnoticed as he took his seat
near Lord Halsbury.
Immediately beneath the dais sat the ten
judges in their gorgeous robes, surrounded
by a phalanx of lesser legal luminaries.
on either side of the judges were ranged
five benches filled with peers. whose rank
was diStinguishable by the varying num-
Der of rows of ermine and gold lace on
their scarlet mantles.
Ambassador Choate Was There.
The benches reserved for peeresses We're
amply filled. while the space allotted to dis
tinguished strangers was crowded with di-
plomatists and their families. including the
Cnited States ambassador, Joseph II
Choate. and the secretary of the United
States embassy. Henry White.
Mollie Cooke. otherwise Mrs Somerville.
Earl Russell 5 present wife. entered the hall
by ticket and sat facing the benches occu-
pied by members of the house of commons.
She was accompanied by young woman
dressed in gray and wearing hat trimmed
with lace. Moiiie Cooke appeared no more
concerned than the other witnesses of the
interesting scene
Among the witnesses who entered the hall
was Judge Curler Of Nevada. who took
seat beside the clergyman who married
Earl Russell to Mabel Scott. his first wife.
Ancient Procedure Followed.
The court was formally opened by series
of quaint ceremonies and the exchange Of
stately phrases prescribed in the ancient
legal procedure Beside Lord Halsbury. in
his earfs robes and a full-bottomed wig.
stood Gen. Sir Michael Biddulph. genti man
oft no rod
Weldon. esq. the norroy king of arms, il
reSplendent tunic
Our sovereign lord and king" shouted
the norroy king of arms, Charges and
commands all manner of persons to keep
silence pain of imprisonment"
Another official. on bended knee. handed
the commission to the lord high chancellor.
who. while handing 1t back to another
kneeling clerk. said:
Let all be uncovered while the commits
sion IS read
After the necessary formalfties Earl Rus
sell was conducted TO the bar He was
dressed in a gray suit and wore a red tie:
he calmly surveyed his judges and his
peers Then a clerk OF parliament cried
loudly:
John Francis Stanley. Earl Russell.
come forth and surrender to bail or forfeit
recOgnizance.
Earl Russell ArrnigneG.
Black Rod. bedecked with medals and in
uniform. approached the bar. which was
raised as the earl drew near. and surren-
dered Earl Russell Upon reaching his ap-
pointed seat. Earl Russell stood leaning
against the table and then made obeisance
three times to the lord high steward. He
remained with bowed head until the latter
addressed the accused Then the indict-
ment was read by the clerk. who concluded
with these words:
How say you. my lord guilty of felony
or not guilty.?
RefDra =
counsel objected to the Indictment on the
ground that the alleged offense was COM
mitted outside Of the dominions of his
majesty King Edward During the course
of the technical and tiresome argument BY
the earls counsel. the prosecution sum
moned Judge Curler within the bar TO con-
fer on certain points raised in counsers ar
gumenI.
The Plea and Explanation.
After the reply Of the prosecution to the
argument of counsel for the defense Earl
Russell. in voice scarcely audible pleaded
guilty. His counsel then addressed the
house in mitigation. pleading that the ac-
cused had acted upon the best legal advice
obtainable in Nevada that the ofrense was
merely technical. and that no harm had
been done Mollie Cooke
Lord Russell then addressed the house in
the same strain. saying the decree obtained
in the United States gave social sanction
to the new marriage. Earl Russell said he
proposed to remarry MoIlie Cooke as early
as possible. Concluding he said he placed
himself in their lordships hands, that he
had acted IN ignorance. and with no inten-
tiou OF willingly defying the law
The peers retired TO consider their YER
dict When they had reassembied the lord
high steward called for the prisoner The
whole house rose to its feet when the lord
high steward proceeded to deliver the
Judgment
Mitigating Circumstanees
After intimating his opinion relative to
the defendants plea that the court had no
Jurisdiction in the matter that King Ed
ward had right to Iegislate for his SUBJ
Jects all over the world. Lord Halsbury
commented on the historic name of Rus
sell.
While the crime could not be passed
over. said the lord high steward at the
same time there were several mitigating
circumstances. Lord Russell had passed
through long periods of trouble had ex-
perienced extreme provocation and suffered
much torture In consideration of and as
a result Of these circumstances their lord
ships. not desiring to fnfict The full pen
atty upon Lord Russell. had unanimously
decided that justice would be satisfied BY
his being imprisoned In Holloway prison
for three months as criminal in the first