The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-19
Alright ROYAL FARCE
EARL RUSSELL BEFORE HOUSE OF
LORDS.
WITH MEDIAEvAL CEREMONY.
HE is ARRAIGNED BEFORE HIS
PEERS.


Court Sentence of Three Months.
Says He Did Not Intend 90 Violate
the Law, and viii Marry Mrs.
SOmerviIIe Over Again when He
Gets Out-The Large Attendance of
the Peers in Their Handsome
Uniforms Made "A Magnificent Spec
tacIe.
London. July 1S.-Earl Russell, ar
raigned at the bar of the House of
Lords to-day for trial on the charge
of bigamy, pleaded guilty after long ar
guments against the Jurisdiction of the
court.
The trial was carried on with all the
quaint middle age ceremonies. The ar
guments lasted one hour. Both the earl
and Countess Russell (Mrs. Somerville)
through their counsel pleaded they did
not know they We're doing wrong, but
had acted on the best legal advice OBJ
tainable in Nevada.
The peers reached their decision af-
ter consideration of the case lasting
twenty minutes.
Earl Russell was sentenced to three
months imprisonment as a first-class
misdemeanant.
Magnificent Spectacle.
The scene in the royal gallery, tenn
porarily converted into a court of JUS
tice, when the lord high chancellor,
Lord Halsbury, who had been appoint
ed lord high steward for the occasion,
took his seat and the quaint ceremon-
ial began, was most picturesque. 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 the high state Of
ficers. About 200 of Earl Russell's peers
attended his trial.
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, sur
rounded by phalanX of lesser legal
luminaries. On either side of the judges
were ranged five benches filed with
pcCISs WilOoG ldlAh w eS QiollH6
by the varying number of rows of er-
mine and gold lace on their scarlet
mantles.
The benches reserved for peeresses
were amply filed, while the space al
lotted to distinguished strangers was
crowded with diplomats and their fam
lilies, including United States Ambas-
sador Choate.
Mollie Cook, otherwise Mrs. Somer-
Vile, Earl Russell's present wife, en-
tered the hall by ticket and sat fac
ing the benches occupied by members
of the House of Commons.
Among the witnesses who entered the
hall was Judge Koelher of Nevada, who
took a seat beside the clergyman who
married Earl Russell to Mabel Scott
his first wife.
with an Ancient Ceremony.
The court was formally opened by
a series of quaint ceremonies and the
exchange of stately phrases prescribed
in the ancient legal procedure. Beside
Lord Halsbury, in his earps robes and
full bottomed wig, stood Gen. Sin
Michael Biddulph, gentleman usher oi
the Black Rod, and William Henry
Weldon, Esquire, the Norroy King oi
Arms, in a resplendent tunic.
"Our sovereign lord and king" shout
ed the Norroy King of Arms, charge:
and commands all manner of persons Il
keep silence on pain of Imprisonment"
After further formaities Earl Rus
sell was conducted to the bar. He wa:
dressed in a gray suit and wore rec
tie. A clerk of Parliament cried loud
ly: ~, ,,,
come forth and surrender to bail or for
felt recognizances!"
Black Rod, in uniform, approached
the bar, which was raised and sur.
rendered Earl Russell. Then the in.
dictment was read by the clerk. Hi:
counsel objected to the indictment OF
the ground that the alleged offense wa:
committed outside of the dominions o.
His Majesty King Edward.
Earl Russell Pleads Guilty.
After the reply of the prosecution t.
the argument of counsel for the de
fense Earl Russell, in a voice scarcely
audible, pleaded guilty. His counse
then addressed the House in mitigation
pleading that the accused had actec
ilDon the best legal advice obtainabl'
| in Nevada, that the offense was mere
ly technical, and that no harm has
been done Mollie Cooke.
Lord Russell then addressed thu
House in the same strain. Russell
| said he proposed to remarry Molli'
! Cooke at an early time.
The Judges ruled that King Edward
had a right TO legislate for his subject
| Ali over the world. but their lordships
not desiring to intlict the full penalt.
| upon Lord Russell, had unanimousi.
| decided that justice would be satisfied
by his being imprisoned in Hollowa!
prison for three months as a crimina
-.