The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-08-25
MRS ROSE EMMA GooDING FREE.
Arrested and Convicted Twice On
CircumStantiaI Evidence.

over the wrongful imprisonment OF
Mrs. Rose Emma Gooding, Of Little
hampton. who was twice sent to jail
for sending scandalous letters to a
neighbor woman, Miss Edith Swami.
and who has just been released. She
is now at home again with her hus-
band and two children, while meas
ures to secure compensation for her
from the government are being con-
sidered
About the first of last October Mrs.
Gooding was arrested and thrown
into jail, where she lay waiting her
trial. which took place December 13,
at Lewes, in Sussex, before Justice
Roche. 1t was charged that the let
ters accused Mrs. Swami of going
about with married man while his
wife was in a hospital. Some of the
letters were signed 'R. g. and some
with Mrs. Gooding's compliments. y
They we're sent to number of friends
and neighbors of Miss Swami.
At the first trial a witness testified
he had seen Mrs. Gooding's daugh-
ter posting letter bearing the name
Swami. Mrs. Gooding denied ever
having sent any of the letters and
the child said she had not posted any
of them, but the jury accepted the
circumstantial evidence offered and
found the defendant guilty. Justice
Roche sentenced her to ten days in
Jail.
Again Arrested.
The scurrilous letters did not end,
and after number of additional ones
had been sent out Mrs. Gooding was
again arrested for criminal libel on
March 3. At her trial short time
thereafter, Miss Swami testified that
Mrs. Gooding had thrown one of the
letters into her house as she pass
ed.
Counsel for Mrs. Gooding called
the attention of the Court to the fact
that some time before the second ar
rest Mrs. Caooding had left home for
a time to go to Lewes, and that dur
ing her absence letters purporting to
have been written by her we're de-
livered under Littlehampton post
marks. Ex-Police Sergeant Black
man testified that he had seen Mrs.
Gooding in Lewes on the day when
others testified she had mailed sour
rilous letters in Littlehampton. :
In spite of such favorable testi-
mony, Mrs. Gooding was again con-
victed on circumstantial evidence,
and in sentencing her to year in
prison Justice Roche expressed the
opinion that he had ben too lenient
with her before.
The whole case against Mrs. Good
ing collapsed when it was found that
the scandalous letters, in exactly the
same handwriting, continued going
out after Mrs. Gooding had been put
in prison. Detective Inspector Mich
oils of Scotland Yards was given the
case to investigate, and few days
ago the home office caused the court
of criminal appeals to quash both
convictions against Mrs. Gooding and
eXonerate her completely.
Public Indignation at Police.
Much indignation has been ex-
pressed at the zeal of the police and
the courts in sending to prison twice,
on circumstantial evidence, a sweet
faced innocent woman, and wife
and mother.
Interviewed after her release, Mrs.
Gooding said: "What 1 have been
through, heaven only can tell. Every
moment in prison was felt with the
greatest concern as regards my hus-
band and children. The greatest trou-
BILE 1 had was to send out to procure
evidence to prove my innocence.
Every night I knelt upon the
board that was my bed and repeated
this prayer, that I made before I
was sentenced: oh, God, bless my
darling husband, my children, my
sister, my dear mother, and my home,
and all those kind gentlemen who
are, and have been fighting my fight
for me. Oh, God, let my appeal be
granted, so that l may safely get
home
"Were it not for my people-my
dear husband, my family and my
mother" she went on, II should be
content to leave matters where they
are. But am not content to leave
them where they are"
Mrs. Gooding's husband was SOL
dier in the late war and was decorat-
ed for bravery. He is helping her in
the effort to find out who really