The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-07-20
British Army ohicer Who Served Two
Years in Prison Rather Than
Testify Against His
Wife.
SHE HAS NOW CONFESSED
ideal suffrasette Colony In India
Where the Woman Sits at the
Head Of the
Table.
[By Ed. l. Keen, London Correspon'
dent OF the United Press


[By Ed. L. Keen, London Correspon.
dent OF the United Press.]
LONDON, July 20.-There may be
some difference OF opinion as to how
far a man is justified in sacrificing
his honor as well as his liberty on
behalf OF an erring wife, but there Is
no question of the admiration felt by
the people OF England for the splen-
did chivalry of ex-Lieut. Cecil Aylmer
Cameron.
Charged with conspiracy with his
wife to defraud insurance underwent
ers out Of the value of an alleged
stolen necklace, Cameron cheerfully
suffered two years Imprisonment and
the ruin Of his military career rather
than defend himself at the expense OF
the woman he had promised to love
and protect. Now that he Is again
free and his wife has publicly confess
ed that she alone was guilty, deter
mined effort is being made by promf-
nent soldiers and statesmen, among
them Lord Roberts, Lord Cromer, the
duke of Norfold, Lord Landsdowne,
Lord selborne and many other peers.
members of parliament, clergymen.
and lawyers to have the case reopen
ed so that Cameron may be exonerat-
ed and the stain removed from his
name. Their petition to the king
bears 1000 signatures, and Lord Gro
mer. who is pushing the matter. says
he could just as readily have secured
10O, 900. SO great is the popular SYM
patty for the man who stood by his
wife"
Cameron comes from family OF
Scottish heroes; his father won the
Victoria Cross in the Indian mutiny,
and his grandfather was wounded IN
the battle of Waterloo. He had serv-
ed nine years in the Royal field artil-
( lery, when. compelled to leave his
work in India on account Of his wife's
i'll health, he returned to Edinburgh.
Shortly thereafter his wife showed
him valuable pearl necklace which
she sale had been bequeathed to her
BY a woman friend named Eileen
Walker. They had the necklace In
sured at Lloyd's for $4,000 and three
| months later on her complaint that 1t
had been snatched from her neck by
| a man in the street claim was filed
with the underwriters for its value.
! AT the trial 1t was proven that Mrs.
Cameron never owned the necklace.
that there was no such person as
! Eileen Walker, that it had not been
stolen. and that in fact she had OBJ
tanned 1t ION approval from local
jewelry shop only long enough to have
the underwriters appraise 1t and
make out the insurance policy.
/ AS it was impossible for the hus-
band to defend himself without injur-
! ing his wife he refused to take the
4 stand. Both were convicted. Mrs.
Cameron was soon released on ac-
count OF ill-health but the husband
served out his term in the dreary
Scotch prison. Besides, he was dis
honorably dismissed from the army
In her confession, made to the secre'
tary for Scotland, Mrs. Cameron said:
"po believe, oh! do believe me-
Through my silence my husband was
unjustly convicted, although absolute.
lly innocent. He is suffering cruelty
for being so extraordinarily loyal to
the poor sinful woman he married
but even at this late hour hope that
he will vet forgive the folly and sin
of which / alone am guilty"
Having thus been publicly excul
pated by his wife, Cameron now al
firms his entire innocence, saying tina,
until the time Of their arrest he fully
. believed that his wife had owned the
necklace and that 1t had been stoler
and the men who are trying to re
/ habilitate him are convinced that ne
, is telling the truth. There can be
: no doubt that great injstice has
, been unwittingly committed" say:
: Lord Cromer. "and that It ought to b'
/; redreseed Under the circumstance;
Mr.. Cameron's conviction was inevi
table but it was due entirely to hi
chivalrous wish to screen his wife.
It is not generally known that Their
is one little corner OF the British EN-
pire where woman Is not only consider
. ed the equal of man but according :
q system that has prevailed there 10
g the past thousand years, she Is accore
9 ed many rights and privileges denie
e to the stronger sex. The Nairs,
{ strange people inhabiting the wester
a portion of the presidency of Madras
in the southernmost part OF India al
+ pear to have been the origfal suffrs
0 gettes When a Nair man marries, n,
l. estate becomes the property OF n,
d wife The wife does not become men
T. Der of his family, but he becomes
d member of hers. The daughters, nc
S the sons, inherit the property that III
It ed to be the fathers. In the famil
life, Ma is the whole show, and Pa
' 49, -