Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-26
ROMANCE OF AN IRISH
PEERAGE AIRED IN COURT
CLANDESTlNE MARRIAGE FIG.
URES IN LAWSUIT
How the Heir of the Late Lord Car.
lingford Escaped Going to Sea in
Ship That Was Afterward Gas.
Away
Special Cable to The Herald.

Special Gable to The Herald
LONDON, Nov 25.-The story of the
romantic claim to the estate of the late
Lord Carlingford" was continued in
the Irish chancery division yesterday.
The claimant, George Goodwin Barn
ham Swifte, seeks Il declaration that
the estate of the late Goodwin Meade
Pratt Swifte commonly known as Lord
Carlingford was divisible between him
self. his dead brother, Longuevile
Meade Swifte, and one of the defen-
dants, Goodwin r. NJ. Swifte: and fur
ther, that the second defendant, Mrs
May Jane Swifte Gord Carlingford's 6
second wife) is liable to make good the
full amount of their shares in the as
sets of the late Lord Carlingford
The total yearly value of the prop
erty in dispute was stated to be about
100000
The claimant is one of the children
of the marriage of Lord Carlingford
to Miss Jane Hopkins. The marriage
took place secretly in 1912, and three
years later was publicly performed at
Liverpool The defense is that at the
time of the marriage in question Lord
Carlingford was already married to the
Baroness Metziar.
George Goodwin Barnham Swifte en-
tered the witness box and filled in the
details of the story briefly outlined by
Mr., Matheson, x. c., on the previous
day.
He produced the certificates of the
birth of himself. his brother Tongue
Vile, and his sister Julia. They were
all registered as the children of Lord
Carlingford. His father was always
called by that title. and was about to
assert his right to it when he died.
In 1863 his father married a Miss
Clarke, who was the present Lady
Carlingford," and Mr.. Swifte detailed
a scene which occurred between his
elder brother Harold and his father on
the latter's return from the honeymoon
Harold refused to go either to sea or
California, declaring that he was Lord
Carlingford's heir.
You are not my heir" replied the
father. "I am sorry, but you were
born before the Liverpool marriage in
1845."
Harold said there was a marriage in
1912 registered at Doctors Commons
and that he considered that a good
marriage.
well" said Lord Carlngford, there
was something wrong about that mar
riage, I am sorry, but 1t cannot be
helped Your brother Longueville is
my heir, being born after the 1S45 mar
riage."
Harold replied that he did not think
that was so, and that his father would
hear from him when he came of age.
rupture then took place between
Harold and the father
Mr.. Swfte then described his VOYAGE
in the Royal Alice instead of the shin
Sandrngham, as was arranged, and
the subsequent loss of the Sandring-
ham with 700 lives.
A keen cross examination by the
solicitor general followed
Did you give any instructions for
formulating charge against Mrs
Swifte (Lady Carlingford) of having.
with the assistance of her relatives, en-
deavored to entrap you to get to n ship
the captain of which was to scuttle it ?"
asked the solicitor general.
"Oh no! An unseaworthy ship" was
the reply.
And, consequently, to drown you ?"
''If she was lost" replied Mr. Swifte,
adding significantly, "and she was
lost"
"And was it done with the express
purpose of securing your death -
THAT was the suspicion"
"Do you charge that today?"
"Wel. as far as suspicion goes. I
was told on board the other vessel that
I was sent away to be got rid Of" was
the reply