Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1888-02-11 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

LIBELS BY A DISCARDED LOVER.  A Frenchman named Ernest Charles Foubert has been remanded, at the Marylebone police-court, charged with publishing a defamatory libel concerning Gertrude Cross, an assistant to Messrs. Owen, drapers, of Bayswater. A second summons charged him with threats towards her. There was a third summons against him for publishing a libel concerning Mdlle. Lawrence Pons.—Mr. F. J. Green said he was instructed by the French consul to appear for the defendant. Miss Cross said she resided up to March with her parents at Romsey, Hampshire. M. Foubert about 18 months ago took up his residence in the High School, Romsey, having come from France to learn the English language. She met the defendant, and without her being introduced he began to pay attentions to her and followed her about. About a week after she came to London, and entered the service of Messrs. Owen as milliner. Defendant followed her to London, and she walked out with him four or five times, but not caring about the acquaintance did not keep any more appointments, and wrote to him saying she did not like him, and wished to hive nothing more to do with him. Some time later she received the following on a postcard, enclosed in a letter, "I have loved you, sincerely, dearly, truly. However, knowinq your past misconduct at Romsey, you have made a fool of me. I am fully disgusted of you. I contempt you, I hate you, I bate you with all my heart, I hate you with all my strength, I hate you with all my soul, I hate you as much as I loved you. I wish I could throw all the truth at your face before all the persons at your shop. I curse you, I curse you for ever.—E. F." (Laughter.) Her brother had received a letter from the defendant, who wrote a number of serious charges against her. He added that he should go to France, and on coming back would have his revenge, which would be patient, long, hard, and terrible.—ln reply to the magistrate, Miss Cross denied the whole of the allegations in the letters.—Frederick Cross, father of the complainant, and butler in the service of Lord Mount Temple, gave corroborative evidence, and added that M. Foubert attended the chapel at which his daughter sang in the choir, and he and his wife did not object to the defendant until they discovered that he was a Roman Catholic. Witness had received about a hundred letters from the defendant, some of which were of a disgraceful character. —Mr. Green, addressing the magistrate, said his client did not now suggest anything against the young woman. The letters were written under some irritation, because his overtures of love and affection were not appreciated and responded to.—Mr. Cooke, the magistrate, said he regarded the case as a very serious one. The defendant tried to win the young lady's affection, and because he did not succeed he turned round and made infamous charges against her. It was a very grave matter.—The summons by Mdlle. Pons was then proceeded with. She produced a considerable number of letters of great length, in which the defendant spoke very disparagingly of her, and accused her of matters all of which were absolutely untrue. She was maid to Lady Mount Temple for 14 years, and since then had been in business for herself as a milliner. he had acted as interpreter between Miss Cross and Foubert.—Mr. Cooke, in adjourning the further hearing, admitted the defendant to hail in his own recogniaances of £5O.  An inquest has been held at Balsall Heath. near Birmingham, on the body of a young man named Edward Argent. He had been studying hard for some time, and his mind had become SO SeriotiBly unhinged that he imagined he was being pnrstied for, having knocked down the front of the house. Ho had been watched, but was left when asleep; he soon afterwards, however, got up, and threw himself from the window. A verdict of suicide while insane was returned.