The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-24
NJ - q --- % 81 -
Kings Pardon for Child Criminals.
n = b NEW preroRatiye has bee

/ sid y FTgsTIf y
Kings Pardon for Child Criminals.
I'll =, NEW prerogatlve has been
gB/\ vested insSthe British crown
A through a Jaw Just enacted
4 y by Parl lament under the name
OF the children's bill, and which
mas received the sanction Of the King.
Ono Of Its clauses provides that "sen-
tence Of death shall not be pronounced
upor, or recorded against child tunder
fourteen) or young person (between
fourteen and sixtecn), but in lieu
thereof the court shall sentence the
child or young person to BIO detained
during His Majesty's pleasure" This
virtually endows the monarch with
the prcrogative OF Keeping in prison
for life or Of freeing at the end Of q
few months any boy or young girl Just
under the age 8of sixteen who, BY
the crime Of murder, would. save for this
new law, have incurred the capital sem
stence. The King Will exercise in this
mutation OF capital sentences his pre-
rogative through the Secretary of state
for the Home Department, who VIII pc
responsible to Parliament that no
in connection Herewith.
In fact, the youngsters thus detaine e,li
for murder during His Mnjesty,s
pleasure" Will be on much the same
footing as those who have escaped
the penalty of felony on the ground
OF mental irresponsibility; and the 10
cation OF the place of their detention,
the duration thereof, and their restoIa,
jtion to liberty are all matters DECIDED
BY the oi,sal warrant t q the p seart
ment. and do not depend IN M any = y - way Y
add that the Home Secretary VIII hc nc.
in the matter on the recommendation =
ers, and only with the consent OF the
monarch. i,
Cases OF youthful murder are far
more frequent than most people Wouia
be willing to believe, and II Is on as
between ten and twelve were tried lor
fine murder OF boy of their own age,
whom they had drowned In order 70
obtain possession OF his clothes.
The Duchess of Newcastle. who IS
lying so dangerously Ill at PrlV ;.e
,oSpected to recover, is the mother, OF 81
the duke who Is 30 frequent,a vlsl.or
to the United States. and VIII. pc e, re- g.,
membered by many In TINS ms GOWN NM YIN.
successful attempt to regenera,tte May
Yohe after the latter had ibecoinet
her MISUNDERSTANDING through her mar
rage to Lord Francis Hope.
The dowager duchess t ev'd rantien e
and by Kindness wean May from me- ne
defects OF character, and nj hes ~.
the station into which she mac , n,a
ried, and for her eventual eleSatioi' -, ~
the rank OF Duchess of Newcastle.
since he Lord Francis is the heir to his
childless brothers dukedom ana h2ia,
.ors. But the dowager duchess had to
give up the attempt as nopeiess' a anI
then May abandoned her museum, a the
strength of which he was aole 70 po
tain q divorce and to contract another
and more congenial marriage. 49,.
The dowager duchess's own n M,
bntn she M and her har husband the
duIse were completely dominated by
her terribly imperious old mother, Mrs.
Henry Thomas Hope. who retained :
fortune. There were other reasons,
too to render the marriage UNHAPPY
The late duke. son of the Statesman,
Duke Of Newcastle. who accompanies NJ. q
visit to the United States near fifty
years ago. was rathe sorry indlv s.e..
ual in many respects. and no one M .as.
astonished when. "a few months alteta
his death his wlsGT Thomas Hohler
tons, and to whom she5remained deep
~ devoted until his death in 1872.
She then turned for consolation ~
.philanthropic work in the East tad End
slums of London and became 50 deeply
Impressed with the missionary work
being done there by the Roman Cain
Ollie Church that she became son-
her spiritual adviser in the matter.
She became more and more enthusiast
tic about her work among the poor,
and In order to find greater scope Tor
her numerous charitable enterprises
and to get into more PERSONAL contact
with the homes and needs of her poor
.protegees. she gave UP her mansion
in Mayfair and took up her, residence.
entirely in large house house IN n, Mnates
House, where she gathered around her
few women of birth and means and
charity. like herself. Tt is no secret
that she has oversize ched her strength
and her constitution in connection with
this work. and that L. she is now dy-
ing. 1t is not so much by reason of her
age. since she Is sixty SIX, az ~ is
that She has worn herself completeE
has two sons and several daughters.
her eldest son being the present Duke!
Of Newcastle. her second son Lord
Francis Hope. while Of her daughters.
the wife OF Don Alfonso Doria, the
present chief of the tllustrious Roman
ducal and princely housegof that name.
and Lady Florence Pelham-C Clinton.
The dowager duchesss death will
not benefit her children to any ap-
prectable extent, or43her own mother.
old Mrs. Hope treated her very badly
In tho matter Of money, and left nearly
allaferS fortune away from her to the
younger Of her two Asgrandsons, Lord
Francis Hope, who squandered most
of 9 It even before he married May
Yohe. Indeed 1t isl5 Thought the In :
sane extravaganza OF his ante-nuptial
days that he has been obliged to lease
4Deepdene to Lady William Beresford.
|Dowager9 Duchess Of Marlborou CHI and
to sell the world famed Hope diamond.
For some reason or other there seems
to have been an Impression. even in
ENGLAND, that the 4marriagss VI. the
tlate8D Duke of Newcastl tie to Miss 9Adela
Hope the now dying duchess, was q
l1mesalliance. and that she was Of
Bourgeois parentage. This is very far
from being the case. for her father,
though all his enormous wealth was
| acquired by trade, was a scion OF
that Hope family Of which the MARQUIS
OF Linlithgow Is the chief. and like the
latter, descendant Of. Edward Hope
one Of the leading citizens OF Fldin.
burgh In the reign Of Mary, queen OF