The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-19
THREE MONTHS FOR
EARL RUSSELL
He Pleads Guilty to the Crime
of Bigamy.
SENTENCED BY PEERS
PICTURESQUE SCENE AT TRIAL
IN HOUSE OF LORDS.

London. July 1S,-Earl Russell, ar
raigned at the toar of the house of
lords today for trial on the charge of
Digamy, pleaded guilty after lengthy
arguments 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
ana countess tMrS- SOmerville) through
their counsel. pleaded that they did not
know they were doing wrong, but had
acted on the best legal advice obtain
able in Nevada.
The peers reached their decision af-
ter consideration Of the case lasting
twenty minutes. Earl Russell was
sentenced to three months imprison-
ment as first class nisdeamant.
In anticipation of the arrival Of Lord
Russell. the officials of Holloway prison
have prepared for his reception one of
the rooms formerly occupied by VIII
liam 7. Stead, the editor, and members
OF the Jameson raiders. It is a cOnmO-
dious apartment in which his IOrdship
can be supplied with his own food and
wines.
Scene in the House of Lords.
The scene in the royal gallery. tempo
rarily converted into a court of justice
when the lord high chancellor. Lord
ltalSbury, VINO had been appointed lord
high steward for the occasion. took his
Q
monial began, was most picturesque.
The hall was magnificent blaze Of col
or, 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 Russelis peers attended his trial
and made an imposing array as they filed
{ into the hall. two by two. from behind
the throne Lord Salisbury, the premier,
brought up in the rear of the. procession
and was almost unnouced as he took his
seat near Lord Halsbury.
Immediately beneath the dais sat the
ten Judges in their gorgeous robes, sur
rounded by a phalanX of lesser legal
luminaries. On either side of the Judges
were ranged benches filled with peers
whose rank was distinguish Bile by the
varying number o. rows of ernfine and
gold lace on their scarlet mantles-
The benches reserved for peeresses were
amply filled while the space allotted to
distinguished strangers was crowded, in
Guiding the United States ambassador,
Joseph II. Choate, and the secretary of
the United States embassy Henry White
Mollie Cook, otherwise Mrs. SOmerville.
Earl Russell 5 present wife, entered the
hall by ticket and sat facing the benches
CCcupsed by members of the house of
commons. She was accompanied by
young woman dressed IN gray ana wear
ing a hat trimmed with cream lace Mol
he Cook appeared no mos curious than
the other witnesses Of the interesting
scene
Nevada Judge There.
Among the witnesses WHO entered the
hail was Judge Curlec Of Nevada, who
took 2 seat beside the clergyman who
married Earl Russell to Mabel Scott. his
first wife
The court was formally opened by Sc
ries of quaint ceremonies and the eX-
change OF stately phrases prescribed in
the ancient legal procedure.
Beside Lord HalSbuTy- in his eari's
robes, and a wig, stood General Sir Mi
chse Bidduiph gentleman usher of the
Black Rod, ana William Henry Weldon
he ~ AZ re-
spleEdant tinic.
Our sovereign lord and king. shouted
the NOrTOy- Nlng-Of-Arms. charges and
commands All manner Of persons to keep
silence. on pain of imprisonment.
Another official, on Bonded knees
handed the commission to the lord high
Chancellor who. while handing to another
kneeiing clerk, said. let ali be unc0v-
cred while ten commission Is read.
After the necessary forma Titles. Earl
Russell was conducted 10 the bar He
calmly surveyed his judges and peers
Then q clerk OF parliament cried loudly
Jobs Francis Stan.eys Earl Russell.