Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-18

Plaintiff is q Daughter of the Late
Marquis Of Salisbury.
$4,000 COPIES OF BOOK ISSUED

Special Cablegram to The Star.
LONDON, September 1S.-The trial Of
what promises to be one Of the most re-
markable cases Of libel heard for some time
in the English courts began today at the
Old Bailey, when Mrs. Matilda Stanley, wife
of a clergyman. was charged with publish
ing false and defamatory libel concerning
Lady Gwendolen Cecil, daughter Of the late
Marquis of Salisbury.
The defendant was not represented by
counsel and decided to conduct her own
case. Charles Gill. X. c.. is conducting the
prosecution. In opening the case he said
the libel was contained in pamphlets. pub
lished by the defendant. headed: '.The Hat
field Business. The Cecil Plot. Astounding
revelations. Great Is the Truth, and In the
end 1t will prevail" -
A part of the pamphlet had to do with a
scandal between the chaplain of Hatfield
House and a lady of the household. who
was a member of the Cecil family.
lady Cecil Named.
In another leaflet Mrs. Stanley explicitly
Ms mes Lady Cecil as the lady for whom
size had been made the scapegoat. Mr.
Gill stated that the libels were the cul-
mination Of a series OF wild statements
and wild attacks against all sorts Of pso-
pie. and extending over a number OF
years. and directed against any one from
whom the accused was unable to obtain
money. The defendants father had been
employed for years by the late
Marquis OF Salisbury, and she had acted
as organist at the daily services at Hat
field House. Mr., Gill instanced a number
Of acts Of kindness the Cecil family had
shown her. They had even helped her
in obtaining a church living for her hus-
band. She constantly wrote begging let.
tiers to Hatfield House. and the fact that
these appeals remained unnoticed possi-
bly, gave rise to her resentment against
Lady Cecil.
Lady Cecil's Testimony.
The defendant, for long time. went from
place to place. staying with people from
whom she obtained money on the strength
of her statements as to her sufferings and
the allegation that she was about to mi
tiate a case against the Cecils The sums
of money she obtained in this manner were
considerable, particularly as what she said
was guaranteed by committee Of five
women. who wrote: We have no doubts
as to the true bona fides Of the foregoing
statement" meaning the charges made in
the pamphlet. 49,. = 3.-. -.
POliCe inspector Drew leStlneO tndt
copies of the pamphlet had been found in
the defendants possession.
Lady Gwendoline Cecil testified that she
remembered the defendant as an organist.
She said that last August one OF her broth
ers showed her the pamphlet. She denied
absolutely that there was any truth in the
allegations made in 1t. The defendant
cross-examined Lady Cecil.
Sentenced to Six Months.
After Robert Dunton, secretary of the
late Marquis of Salisbury. had given testi-
mony as to offers Of monetary assistance
which the Warehouses Of Salisbury had
made, and which had fallen through. Mrs.
Stanley, first supplying the jury with
copies of the pamphlet. addressed the court.
asserting in a rambling manner that she
had been the victim of libel for four
teen years. and that. in consequence. she
had lost places and had suffered terribly
The defendant then talked 80 fast that
only such terms as ruin and ''persecu-
ton could be heard by the reporters. She
prove her charge but she said that lady
member of the Cecil family had confessed
to her the guilt OF Lady Gwendoline. The
witnesses Mrs. Stanley called adduced
nothing to substantiate the allegations
made in the pamphlet, and the jury. with
out leaving the box. found the libels untrue
and that the plea of justification which
the defendant had entered had not been
proved.
Mrs Stanley was sentenced to six months
Imprisonment and the documents in the
case were ordered sent to the public prose-
cutor, to ascertain whether the author
should not be prosecuted.