THE EXTRAORDINARY SCANDAL CASE IN IRELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 405, 28 April 1871, Page 2

THE EXTRAORDINARY SCANDAL CASE IN IRELAND.

The action brought bj Mr. Leonard Bell Poyuter, late captain of the 16fch Eegiment of Infantry, for recovery of £10,000 damages, for an assault and battery committed on him by Mr. John Yessey Porter, of Belleisle, County Fermanagh, haa recently been before Chief Justice Monaghan, in Dublin, but the jury, having been unable to agree on a verdict, were discharged. The following is an outline of the evidence taken in the course of the trial:—The plaintiff's case was opened by the SolicitorGeneral, after which the plaintiff was examined at great length. Having stated that he had been induced to proceed to Eellyhevlin by a pretended message from Mrs. Porter, who was made to state that she was waiting for him there, Mr. Poynter went on to say that he was seized by five men, gagged, and had his wrists and arms tied together, and was thrown into a boat and rowed down to Belleisle Defendant was one of the men, and during the journey on the river he repeatedly struck plaintiff on the face with his fists. On the arrival of the party at their destination the gag was removed, and " I asked him," continued Captain Poynter, " why he was treating me so, as I had never done him any harm ? He said, 'You blackguard, you know well what it is for ; the unfortunate woman has confessed.' He then told one of the men to bring a pair of scissors, and when he got these he said, ' Now I am going to put the Belleisle mark upon you.' He got my head between his knees, and cut off the hair from the top of my head, and also one side of my mustache. Then addressing the men, he remarked, ' This is the best day's work you have done for a long time. I will give each of you £5; and you, Old Craft, will get £10.' I was afterwards taken up to the terrace in frontof the house, where two large treat 138 were erected, with a transverse bar upon them. I was taken by the men, a rope was passed under my arms, and I wa3 tied up to the erection. At the direction of Mr. Porter the large bell of the house was rung, and two whips were brought to him. He said to ouo of the men, 'Is this the evening for my band to play ?' On being answered in the negative, he desired the bugler or sergeant to be sent for. When he arrived he was ordered to sound the ' assembly,' which he did. A considerable number of people arrived, to whom Mr. Porter said, ' Sec, boys, how I will settle a blackguard English officer.' Hg then beat me for nearly ten minutes, breaking the first whip against one of the trestles, I think. I was then sent away, and proceeded in a post-ear to Enniskillen." In reply to Mr. Butt. Q.C., Cjptain Poyjter said :—" I was twice nlone with Mrs. Porter. She never said to me that she would be happier married to me than to her husband. I had been alone with her for hours— for two hours—in the drawing-room, diningroom, and in her boudoir. I determined to avoid her invitations. I objected to her referring to family matters, and told her distinctly she muet not speak to me on such subjects, and she promised she would not; and, us 1 have sworn in my affidavit, I took as much care as possible to act coldly towards her, and disabuse tier of the idea that I regarded her in any other light, than an acquaintance. With this view I made my visits to Belleisle fewer, with the intention of breaking the acquaintance altogether. During my intercourse with her I never suspected her of being attached to me." The following letters from Mrs. Porter to Captain Poyuter were also read in the course of the trial : — "October 15.—Dear Captain Poynter,—lf there was the least chance of our meeting without my suggesting a way I certainly should not be the first to write, but you knowvery well there is noue; so I wrote to you on Tuesday and Friday, and asked you to come on either of those days, but, alas ! you neither wrote not came. Ah ! dear love, have you so ooon forgotten the last afternoon you spent here, and last Sunday ? How you faithfully promised you would see me again! I cannot believe you can be so cruel as not to keep your promise, but this suspense is fearful. You told me you pitied me. You would pity we more if you knew how unhappy I felt when Tuesday and Friday passed and you never came. If it is on J.s account you will not come, I now let you know that he is going from home to-morrow, and will not bo back till Thursday. You may think me very wicked; but what can I do? as, if I don't let you know, how can you tell what to do P Ah, dear love, do write to me to-night (in the envelope enclosed), and lot me know to-morrow morning ; either Bay you don't want to see me any more, or else say you will come Monday or Tuesday, between three and four, and put mo out of this misery. If you come I will not repeat what I said on Sunday, nor ever ask to see you again. Ah ! darling, don't be angry with your poor little —Eliie." " Dear Captain Poynter,—Perhaps people might make romarks if we both appeared at Innismore, and mother and sister are so strict; so I think you had better come here at three o'clock instead, and wo can have as pleasant a walk as our last. John went to Dublin this morning, and does not return until Saturday; so, of course, I am rather lonely, and hope you will come and give me an account of the ball, &c. If you get this document to-night you may write mo a line by return of post, so that I may know that it is ail right; but if I don't hear to-morrow I shall still expect you.—E.P." The Court heard evidence on behalf of the defendant, who was himself examined, and whose statement was a repetition of the charges against the C.aptaiu and his wife. The witness was much afi'ected onca or twice during the examination, and entirely carried witli him the sympathies of the audience. Other witnesses stated that on more than one occasion undue intimacies were observed between Captain Poynter and Mrs. Porter. One man said that ho snw the Captain roll Mrs. Porter on the sofa. Another said that on another occasion they sat in the dark together all the evening. The Captain had for himself a whole decanter of port wine, and was carried away. A third witness, in cross-examination, admitted that Mr. Porter broke two whips on the Captain's body. The defendant's counsel, at the closo of the address, was loudly cheered. Mr. Serjeant Armstrong, in speaking for the plaintiff said that it wua creditable to the ladies of Ireland that so few of them had attended to hear the case. If, he said, it had been tried in another country, not very far away, the Court would have beon well filled with females.— European Mail.