The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-04
WOMEN Of FASHION
CROWD COURT ROOM
LADY sACkvILLE PROVES To, RE
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING ON
THE WITNESS STAND.
LETTER SEVERE BLOW
SHE IL OVERCOME WHEN COUNSEL
READS EPIsTLE TO HER DEAR
FRIEND SAYS ait Is
50 LOW"

LONDON. July 3.-The fashionable
women. including Mrs. Asqui'h. wife
Of the premier. and. Mrs Winston
Churchill. wife of the first lord Of the
admiralty. crowded the probate court
to day. Lady Sackvllle was the cen
trail feature of today's hearing of the
probate OF the viii Of the late Sir
John Murray Scott.
Lady sackville had kept the court
roaring with laughter by her lively
retorts to the examination Of F.
r Smith. Of counsel for the SCOTS,
especially by her ludicrous version Of
the story Of Walter Scott getting on
his knees and following her in that
attitude across a room. Lady Sack
vile demonst rated this knee walk with
her knuckles on the front OF the wit
ness stand IN a manner which con-
vulsed the spectators.
Linked by Art.
Lady Sackville declared that her
great link tn Sir John was her love
Of art and IL he had NOT been worth
a penny she would have liked him
just the same. Thereupon Mr.. Smith,
with unexpected sharpness, asked
Lady Sackville IL she hadn't been
waiting YEARLY for a decade of Sir
Johns life for what she expected his
death would bring her,
great emphasis. Counsel at once CON
fronted her with letter which she
wrote In the autumn Of 1911, TO an
intimate friend. a Mrs, Cook, In which
she stated that Sir John had made
new will. leaving everything he has
danEled before my weary eyes for ten
years away from us three"
Letter IL Shock,
The letter contained more. but Mr.
~ a, \ 81
the witness. Lady Sackville, who was
seated. arose suddenly. Her face
hlanched and her lips quivered. For
a moment she looked Mr. Smith fun
In the face, and then collapsed. She
sank into q chair, turned her back to
the court and sobbed for a couple of
minutes After she had partially re-
covered her composure, Lady Sack
vile declared with tears in her eyes:
1T is monstrous thing to produce
that letter, And Mrs. Cook Is one Of
my dearest friends"
Therefore" retorted Mr.. Smith,
you wrote her what was true
Il did not know that she would
I behave like that" replied Lady Sack
Vile
/ Mr. Smith then read the rest Of the
1 letter. which read as follows:
| Il am taking it Ike a man, am
/ very sorry To lose MS friendship. as
! friends are rare, but ! am very glad
/ that | am not going to be hampered
any longer"
/ Also Knew Morgan.
! Mr.. Smith relentlessly probed for
/ the meaning and motives OF the let
/ ter, but Lady Sackville could only
/ think of her friends unkindness 1t
liz so low she CALCULATED passionate
/ ly,
! MIR. Smith questioned the witness
about certain cash presents from Sir
I John suggesting that it was unusual
for lady to take money from n gen
tleman to which she replied: NO
! IKE to choose my own presents.
Then Mr. Smith asked If men gen.
orally gave her money TO which Lady
/ Sackvillc replied. Yes, there is nc
harm in It,"
MIR, Smith cited a. reference In one
letter to dear old Pierpont Morgan,
Whereupon Lady Sackville said, He
j never gave me any money" She
added that she sold him picture
/ through a dealer.