BEAUTY AND THE— BARRISTER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11481, 14 January 1903, Page 8

BEAUTY AND THE— BARRISTER.

A SOCIETY DIVORCE CASE.

REMARKABLE VERBAL FENCING MATCH.

(I'EOM OCR OWS CORRESFO.VDKNT.)

LONDON, December 6.

All the attention of "Society" during this week has been engro.<*oii by the great divorce case, •which ha.s already lasted six days, and has become a cause celebre. Sir Charles Hartopp seeks to divorce his wife, Millieent, nee Wilson, far alleged misconduct with Lord Cowley, wlio was divorced by his wife some years ago for proved misconduct of an exceptionally gross nature ; rw'hile Lady Hartopp charged her hutrband with misconduct, and also with personal illusag'e to herself. A tremendous array of famous counsel, retained by one or another of the various parties to the suit, may be "noticed" daily in the Court. They include the following K.C.'s:—Sir •Edward Clarke, Mr Inderwick, Mr Laweon Walton, Mr C. F. Gill, Mr Duke, Mr E-utfua Isaacs, Mr Bajgrave Dean, and many otrier prominent barristers. Ateo, there might be "noticed" a. vast gathering of the "ITpper Ten," -who thronged the Court daily, a large proportion being ladies in the most gorgeous and fashionable of atiire. Lady Hartopp is only 29 years of age, and has been married seven year*. .She is a daughter of Mr Charles Wilson. M.P., and one of a bevy of lovely Wilson girls who have long been recognised l belles in London. As for her husband, Sir Charles 'Hartopp it is plain, even from his own evidence and from the letters which he put in that he showed a grave lack of conjugal affection and respect for his beautiful young wife; that he bullied her about tier friends,, and insulted her with gross accusations, such as must inevitably have irritated a- girl of her stamp. Hβ denied tiiat he ill-used her, and then admitted that he "could not remember whether he had done bo or not," an admission from, which his audience drew their own conclusions. Practically the basis of his charges consisted in "the fact that Lady Hartopp claimed a good deal of freedom of action; that she visited Lord Cowley, iind ww visited by- him to an indiscreet extent, and that undua familiarities had passed between them. On the other hand, Lady Hartopp, while flatly denying all the charges of impropriety, frankly admitted a good deal of " free-and-easiness " with Lord Cowley, who was not only a life-long friend, but also a distant relative. 'Mosd of the allegations appeared to dissolve on analysis, and the two points which remained to tell most against Lady Hartopp were (1) that she liad offered her husband £20,000 to divorce her, and (2) the notoriously bad moral character of her chosen associate, Lord Cowley. But he utterly denied any misconduct with Lady Haxtopp. The pre-eminent feature of the case, however, was the extraordinary verbal fencing-match between Lady Hartopp and her husband's leading counsel," Mr Lawson Walton, K.C., one of the keenest and most formidable cross-examiners of the day. To stand a cross-examination at his hands on such a charge was an ordeal from which, any woman might well have shrunk. Lady Hartopp faced it not only with the utmost coolness and courage, but apparently even with relish. Veteran reportere declare they never heard a more skilful match ot keen intellects. Lady Hartopp discovered with unfailing quickness every trap spread for her feet by Mr Lawson* Walton, and inya-riably avoided it. Never was she caught off her guard. Every attack was met "with the neatest parry and riposte, all being effected with the utmost apparent good humour. She was not content with acting on the defensive. She lost no time in carrying the war into the enemy's quarters. I could not help fancying that Borne personal bitterness must exist between those two—the famous barrister and the famous beauty. For Lady Hartopp obviously laid herself out to provoke and torment hier antagonist in every possible way, to make him lose liis temper and look foolish. She was constantly providing skilful little pitfalls into which' he invariably tumbled headlong; tempting him into verbal indiscretions, or setting traps'to «how him off to disadvantage. She irritated him into shouting at her, and then prettily Tebuked him. She made him complain to the Judge, -who had to Tule him in the wrong; she led him on to pressing questions which, when at last they were answered with apparent reluctance, made the questioner look unspeakably foolish. In ehort she fairly tickled him into madness, and then held him up to ridicule. She usually chose to lean gracefully over the front of the witness box, and give her answers direct to the jury, who manifestly liked it, whereas it intensely annoyed the cross-examining counsel, at whom ehe would not look, except when she administered «i peculiarly sharp little stab.

Some of the points in this verbal fence ■were very good. After quoting an affectionate letter from Lady Hartopp to her husband, Mr Walton asked 'her if that expression lof her feelings was sincere. Lady Hartopp replied with much sweetness: "Oh, I am a very sincere woman!" This was said with a certain indescribable air of almost infantile innocence, with which the witness usually dealt her little pinpricks, and it elicited an immediate laugh in Court. This somehow upset Mr Lawson Walton on the spot; liie retorted angrily: " I did not ask you for a general declaration of character," but Lady Hartopp smiled pleasantly, and rejoined, " But you asked me if I was sincere!" which " nobody could deny," and counsel thought it better to pass on! Mr Lawson Walton evidently is not well t»p in racing matters. He tried to fix Lady Hartopp with an excessive interest in racing. She gently replied that she always tried to take an interest in tilings which interested her husband. He then questioned her about a bet of £20 on the famous French horse Holocaust*, but pot mixed up between the Knglish and French Derbies—Epsom and Chantilly. "You were at Cliantilly?" he asked. "I was," said Lady Hartopp. " And at the French Derby, too?' " Chantilly is the French Derby, ,, corrected the witness kindly. The Court roared. " Oh, ah ! I see; I did not know," said the crossexaminer, in a- helpless puzzled sort of manner. '" But at any rate Holocauste didn't win, did he, and you lost £20; isn't that so? ,, "I really don't know ■whether he won or lost," answered Lady Hartopp calmly; "I had nothing on him,"

"But you said you had £20 t»n him," rejoined Mr Lawson Walton, looking more at sea than ever. " Oh, but that was at Kpsom! I had £20 on him for the Derby, but not at ChantHly." More laughter here came in, and Mr Lawson Walton gave up that tack in despair.

Then a letter was referred to which Lady Hartopp declared she had never .seen, arid had never heard of until now. The crossexaminer proceeded: " How long is it since you saw your mother?"' '• This morning," re-plied the witness. " Did you tell Tier you did not know she was subpoenaed as a witness?" asked counsel. " I tell the jury." replied Lady Haitopp, with emphasis, "that I know nothing about it." " Kindly answer the sptx-ih'c questions," shouted Mr Lawson Walton angrily. " I have answered that specifio' question," said Lady 'Hartopp, with quiet contempt-. Counsel gave it up! Tlten he asked: "You know that just about that time there was a lady who had left her husband, and Ifcid gone away with another man, and he was afterwards divorced by his wife? Do you know whom I mean? If you will look at the letter you will see the name." Lady Hartopp Hwiftly turned to the Judge: "My Lord." she said, 'Am I to ?ook at thkt letter?" The Judge promptly appreciated the point, and d-eeided in her favour. " X 0 ,,, be said to counsel, " I do not think it would be quite right, as she knows nothing about that letter. Write down the name; I quite agree that it •hould nut be mentioned.''- "Yon know

whom I mean?" said Mr Lawson Walton, interrogatively to the witness. She wa-> down on him like a flash of lightning.

'• You heard what his Loidship said," *''<-' remarked severely, adding imperiously. "Write down the uame!" Mr lawson Walton was furious, and completely iost his balance. "I do not object u> your taking any advantage you can," he observed with an angiy sneer; "you'll need it all before the end of the case." Lady H.'Uopp merely smiled provokingly, but Mr Indenviok and Mr Deane both roe* to protest, and Mr Lawson Walton's indiscretion now brought the Judge upon him heavily; " I don't think you ought to have made such a comment as that," he sail severely: "thus Ls not the. proper time for such remarks or to comment upon the evidence." Poor Mr Lawson Walton was actually reduced to the pathetic plea, " But she commented on me, my Lord!" "Y«s. but then she is not experienced in the ways of the Court as you are. Please don't make comments!" " I won't if she doesn't," was the rejoinder alone available. Then he interrogated Lady Hartopp about her associations with Sir John VVillougliby, to whom her husband had formerly objected. "Do you consider it right for a married woman to receive valuable presents from a gentleman without her husband's permission , /' , he aeked. "What do you call "valuable presents?'" counterqueetioned Lady Hartopp. This again annoyed Mr Laweon Walton. "Kindly answer my question, madam," he vociferated, "and don't interrogate me! I will repeat that que-stion, madam! I say 'valuable presents!' Do you consider it right for ai.y married woman to receive valuable preeents from male acquaintances without the consent of her husband?" "As Sir Charles did not object to him giving m« a watch, I did not sec why he should object to a few need pearls, , ' calmly responded. Lady Hartopp. "Have you got tha present with you?" "No; I returned it to Sir John." "When?" "In 1900." "Then you think the watch established a precedent?" "There was no objection to the -watch." "And could you go on taking anything?" "Anything? Oh, no!" "Then we will see what you did take. You had this present of «eed pearls with a diamond clasp. What do you call seed pearls? ,, "Don't you know what seed pearls are?" asked Lady Hartopp injjocently. The audience laughed. "Answer Hie!" shouted Mr Lawson Walton; "is tliat wliat you mean?" "I have described them," said Lady Hortopp carelessly; "I thought everybody knew what seed pearls were." "Very- well, then, you call them '«ed pearls?' " "I d 0 ,,, <she added, with an air of reflection and of surprise at her questioner's ignorance. There wa.s another hearty laugh in Court. Mr Lawson Walton did not Join in it. "Did Sir John Willoughby give you a diamond star?" ''Oh, no," replied the witness. "Did he give you a diamond heart ptrdantV" "Never," was the reply. you swear that?" "Of course I do," replied Lady Hartopp, energetically adding with deceptive shyness, "I did have a diamond heart pendant given to me!" "Ah," exclaimed counsel with manifest gratification ; "and who gave you that?" " A g< ntleman," replied the witness with modest primness. "What, another gentleman?" exclaimed Mr Lawson Walton. "Yes, another gentleman," answered Lady Hartopp with an ingenuous blush. "Who was that?" asked counsel sternly. "Oh, I don't think I ought to mention hie name; he is a married man," replied the witness demurely. "Answer my question," roared Mr Lawson Walton angrily; "what was his name?" Lady Hartopp blushed, smiled nervously, and hesitated. "I insist!" repsated Mr Walton. "Well," said Lady Hartopp, slowly and timidly, "it was my brother-in-law!" Anotlier roar of laughter in Court, the Judge himself being unable to help joining; counsel speechlees with emotion.

Being asked what was the degree of re-' lationship between herself and Lord Cowley—"Would you like me to tell you? ,, she a&ked sweetly. "Well, our grandfathers were brothers, and our grandmothers were cousine." More laughter, renewed when counsel asked what (sort of relationship tlut would make. Lady Hartopp smiled, but did not .attempt to answer tue conundrum. "You apparently started your life at Gaddesby, in the society of Lord Cowiey ; he conducted ywu.thereY" was nest put by counsel. "I "»m afraid you lire under a misapprehension," was the witness's meek reply. "Did you care for Lord Cowiey?" asked Mr Walton. "He ka. grejjt friend of mine," replied Lady Hartopp. "Did he care for you?" "He also thought I was a great friend of his, I hope," responded Lady Hartopp, with perfect composure. "I suppose you lunched together, and walked together, sat together in your boudoir, and he dined with you, and you spent the evening together, then you separated, and the same thing took place at his house?" persisted counsel. "I think you are not quite correct," was the quiet repljr. "What is fchb inaccuracy?" Mr Walton'asked, "There is a great deal of inaccuracy, as you wifll find if you try to prove your "statements," answered Lady Hartopp, significantly. Nex* morning came a fresh eensation. When Lady Hartopp entered the Court for the resumption of her cross-examination, exqtikitetiy dressed, she went over to where Mr Lawson Walton salt, and spoke a few words to him in her most engaging manner, and with her sweetest smote- This excited much interest. Whatever it was she said he did not seem to take it at all kindly, but, apparently, answered briefly, and without once looking up at the pretty speaker. But then came a most dramatic scene. Directly the Court was formally opened Mr Charlea Wilson, M.P., father of Lady Hartopp, rose from 'bis daughter's side, and asked permission to make "an appeal!" to the Judge. "It is," he went on, "to ask protection against the studied insolence of yesterday's crossexamination. lam afraid of my daughter's health giving way under it, aid breaking down." Mr Justice Barnes: "I will take care that nothing is done which is not proper. I think you must get your counsel to protect her. If there is anything you wish to complain of at any moment, I am sure Mr Inderwick will attend to it."

Mr Wilson, turning toward! Sir Chartee Hartopp, and speaking warmly, said: "It is sufficient degradation to be tied to that lying scoundrel." Mr Lawson Walton interposod: "Before resuming my cross-examination I should like to answer Mr Wi.scn's pe-rsonal observations."

"I think you had better not, , " said Mr Justice Barnes, and the incident closed. So, shortly afterward, did Lady Hartopp's oross-examination. which had no further features of interest.

The which has already occupied seven (lavs is still proceeding, and will go en wjH into ii?xt week-

fWe learned by cab> that the court decided that the charges had not been proved by either side, and dismissed both petitions for divorce.]