GENERAL BUTLER AND LADY CAMPBELL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1484, 16 February 1887, Page 2

GENERAL BUTLER AND LADY CAMPBELL

A T-.,-UOHIN\; BUi VAIN APPEAL. During the laafc two daya (iaya the Lon'lon correspondent of the Auckland Herald writing under date London, December 22> ■ >udou tocir>ty, eati itad wttn th > detail ■f the Oampb-l' cause celebre, ha* b«H ilsouaslng the extraordinary rld«r of thjury regarding General Butlar, It has »b i'ien wondering »t his queer conduct i narrying * great artiste wh >se firet pictnr b'iß Oi'.maan " Roll OhII," ia newn 1 1 evei> riot Bhop. Hois the author of a b^o »Ued "Tha Great Lone Land." The ieneralMs v Oathoiio, a diplomatist, and k aoldier, aud well regarded m all aotiProles. Hid club, tbe Junior Unitto ervioe, called a meeting to conairie; vhcthtr he ought to bn expelled or not . V court martial is hinted at for condoc ,ot becoming a soldior and a geutliuaa. Honce anything rel*tiog to h - .«pn a mofl becomes for the present 1 publio feature, vit .. O'^.i Lewis, his solicitor, said toUy that ev.-iry eflf.rt w»s made to induce itn to return. " I ua«d personal entr> ay jfiv;ite representations, the influence <> f-eUtivea, of high ecoleii»tio3, and of the highest military authorities, but it war .0 use. I served him wth a eubjeem. I sent one of his counsel over to Diuai o represent *-hnl he owed it to L*d> 'o^n as well as to bimaelf to at'end, b»t Ul to no purpose. I had some time »g written urging him to let. m» take his ev^(enca m case anything should happei t lira. Ha replied that, he refused to neet a va^ue aud i definite charge oi »dnHery with any r.t.her reply th'-oa that ol *>)B<rute denial, hiv 1 nnn aa any partiou ar and epeoin'o a< Ult om were brought trains' him he 1 lodi • himselr tb;>t. »1 vhfttever sacrifice ot vine and convenience he would return to give thorn direct, >pe"ifio. and absolute contradiction. ' tave that ia writing but afcerwnrd, whet he VHsjoa and andpfined charge was con veited Into a specific, although man' Uronaly improbable accusation, he hac changed his mind, aud ho would not come vtid when he hag changed hia mind xm lowor nn oarth cm induce him to nn change it." Lady Campbell wcote to him this letter " Dear General Butler, — You wil •pmember that wh^n Mr Lewis In mj ireeionce at his» offioe proposed for youi >wn convenience that vnu be eramlnod r regard to the oase now pending, yon s<x(( it would be unnecessary, aa you int?ndec ,0 return to JSn»land and appear m persot it the trial, Thia was so obviously da Virable m the Interests of ynnr owr •.hpract-^r, that nothing fartber then couU have been urged upon yon, and it is there ore with profound amftzuuent that I nnv learn you changed this inten Jon. Y)i must know that your failure to appear a she trial will inflict a monstrous injffatic on me, and put me to oruel and unneco* H.»ry 'ioa:>le) m ?he vindication of m; character /rom unfounded inference drawn my hj enemies and youra by »h single fsctof your having oal'ed npon m m Lord Oolin'a house These Inference oan be instuntiy dissipated by a eing 1 *traig!itf'irward and raanlv denial on yon part, and this denial I have a right ti expect from you »s 1% frond, a gentleman aud a soldier. Hoping soon to lean bat you have resume \ your original m rentlnn to appear m person, I reraai' yours truly." He 88-T. this cv** 1 ; answer : — " Dinan, France, N ov 23, 1886 " Dkar Lady Colin Campbell. — I be> '.0 acknowledge receipt of you- letter o the 15th November, and m reply, oan onl; repeat that my resolution of not appearint v evidence at the forthcoming trial remains unchanged." She n«xt thus implored bis wife :— "2, V*c»oria Mansion, Westmioister, "December 15, 1886 •'My Dear Lady Butler,— l do not kn<>v< <f y :u are aw*ra <f a'l the eff'rts I have made to induce your buaband to return t( •is original intention < f appearing m per Bon at the trial, but at those tff. rts an< ail the many others I have caused to bi made on all sides have failed utterly ii producing any effe t, 1 write now to yot to nv>ke a last appeal to your womnnhooc to try and persuade your husband t< repeat tbe denial which hn has alraadv mnde m his statement and m his letters f c Mr Lewis of a year Bg >. It is simply my lifo, as well as my honor, that are at st>ke 'or if your husband does not appear thtcaße must go against me, nnd to lose thie oa-o would be my death blow. Will you, ■herefora, stand by and see onothe> woman done to death before your eye? I when you oan eas?ly prevent it ? I pray and beneech you to help me m this darkest hour of my life, and get your husband to ' reconsider this hia last decision and appear m curt. " Whtit harm can it possib'y do to him to deny a fact already disproved, namely, about his two visits to me. i have been and am fighting as bard a battlo as any woman ever had to fight. Have you, then, aa a woman — let alone as a friend who has known you and yours for so long — no pity or eorrow for me ? If you have you will induce your husband to come forward and do what ho can, ns any honorable man would help me m a battle, which, remember I am fighting as much for his honor as my own. As you hope for mercy m the last oay show mercy to mo now, and lighten the load which is almost past my endurance to bear, by persuading your husband to appear." Lady Butler answered it m this sphinxlike epistle : — " Les Kehones ; Dinan. Dec. 15, 1880 "Dear Lady Colin Campbeil, — 1 beg to cay that I am fully aware of all the efforts you have mude and have caused to be made to induce my husband to appear and give evidence on oath at your trial. Your appeal to me touohed me deeply. I tVOuKi I could help you, but I beliovethis case to have passed out of our hands arid to have gone before a tribunal where human aid is impossible. I remain, eiuosro y yourf , " Elizabeth Butler " With this correspondence m full publicity, it is generally i elieved that i-ir William Butler must now " enter Coven try," so far as club and military life are concerned .