Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-27
Adopts "UnWritten Law
Frees Officer Who Killed Stacker to Save Wife's Honor

& ---v Z
TENDER LOVE LETTERS WRIT
TEN By CAPTAIN MALCOLM BE-
FORE KILLING BOGUS COUNT,
MELT HEARTS OF JURY AND
SLAYER rs Acquitted.
London, England, Sept, 27.-Thts
is the story Of Britain's 4afst "unwrit-
killed,
exceptional plot SO touched
an emotional British jury as to estab-
lish that precedent?
This:
II IS such q drama of love and war
that the great world conflict, with
all It's upheaval of circumstances and
fermept OF human passions, has not
elsewhere produced its equal.
1t might be the theme of a master
novelist. 1t is as elemental as an
eplc; IT goes to the root of human
i tells how two British juries de-
clqed Douglas Malcolm, lieutenant in
the front In France to shoot the war
Stacker who as a bogus count had
stolen his Wife's affections, was not a
murderer, and set him free. And in
tellng Of this ole tragedy it tells of
all like 1t that the war can produce.
In the coroRer's court at Padding
ton a woman sat. At first sight Lon
don called her 1.-THE woman of the
Rossetti neck" for her beauty was
classical, like that of a famous paint
n {. h was on the witness stand.
|. MRS. Malcolm" said Coroner Byrne
to t h woman with the Rosetti neck"
did your husband know the truth
of your Jason with the bogus Count
de Borch?" -.
II told him." she replied with a
RANT smile, ito divorce me-that there
u.s."
The coroner looked at her, over his
glasses. Then he picked up two pa
pers from his desk and turned to the
jury.
I'm case of my DEATH" he read, "I
" all my money to Mrs. Taylor
or V1carage cottage, Hartford Heath,
ana cancel, my previous will.
u. Douglas Malcolm"
IT was written, the coroner explain
ed, by Lieutenant Malcolm, just before
he vent to the rooms of Anton Baum
berg, alias Count de Borch," to fight
out with him the possession of the Of
ficer's wife.
hen the coroner read the second
paper, a letter from Lieutenant Nal
colin to his wife as the officer left
for the bogus counts room, where
ne shot him with his army automatic:
7 My Own Very Darling Dor
othie-Dear God! 1t is time! Every
is the most unspeakable blackguard
ever born. I shudder to think that
ne should ever dare to speak to you,
l simply cannot stand it any longer.
am going to thrash him until he is
unrecognizable. I may shoot him if I
think he has a.gun. I expect he is
TOO much of a cur to stand a thrash-
OF course / may get 1t first. You see,
!! am quite COOL. If that happens-O,
believe me, my little darling, my be-
loved soul whom I love so ab~solutely-
believe me 1t is for you"
me coroner stopped and polished
his glasses, then put them on the
table n read on without them:
than a man has ever loved a wom-
an before, and if there is anything
wrong in me it is because. + love YOU
too much.s You are l.. brave woman
la noble~S 2honorable. upright one.
With a~.sbeaptfful soul. I dbelieve in
God. I said yesterday I-didn't; but I
DO, l do, and I thank Him from the
over from France in time to save YOU
from this devil incarnate. Your honor
Is safe, thank God, thank God.
1 love you and shall go
on loving you to eternity-foreyer. I
know shall meet you in the next
world If the worst happens, When
you come to me you will come with
open arms and those beautiful eyes
SHINING = and o will say to me,
Duggie,, forgive your Forever, your
loving husband. -Dougles."
Several times In the last paragraph
the coroner stopped and turned and
looked closely at the paper and then
went on reading.
When the corener's jury began Its
dellperations Mrs. Malcolm walked
unmoved from the court room, with
out a tear in her eyes or a tremble
Ion her lips.
While the coroner was reading the
verdict of "justifable homicide in SELF
defense" Lieutenant Malcolm was be-
ing arraigned in Marleybone: police
~ a delay until the court received
as it was granted the artillery officer
arose in the dock and insisted upon
speaking. He was tall, well-buiit,
about 81. and he swayedi from side to
side as he spoke:
Il see published a wicked and
scurrilous report that my wife had in
innate relations with this man.
swear 1T Is false. You see, she is all
alone, and has no one to look after
her. 1t is false-absolutely false. De-
you hear me? It is absolutely false,
I say!"
His voice was growing higher, and
the magistrate waved his arm hastily
The lieutenant was led out of court
crushing his. soft hat between his
hands.
The trial of Lieutenant Malcolm in
Marleybone court was formal-as for,
NAL as it could. be, with the sympa-
thies OF spectators and jury, and even
of the court and prosecution, not to be
concealed.
The Jurors heard of Lieutenant NAL
colm's service in the Royal Artillery
on the French front. It heard OF Mrs
Baumbergi a war service Stacker, al
a garden party. It received details
of his career as a ladies' man in hif
pose as Count de Borch,n and of shis
own admissions that he had no right
to attic. His letters to other women,
among them 81 German woman spy,
were read.
How he exercised a strange fasoina,
ton over Mrs. Malcolm, how her hus.
band burst into a friends house to
find the count" and 'the woman with
the Rossetti neck" together in The
counts bedroom, how Lieutenant
Malcolm thrashed his wife's aeducet
and tried for months to force him
into a duel in order to save HIS wife
and spare her name from gossip-and
how a. pistol lay almost within the
- POLAR Era1Nh nd ha mo lFn,1n1 -tln-