A TELL-TALE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 5

A TELL-TALE LETTER.

THE LOST CODICIL.

LADY SACKVILLE IN TEARS. Br Telegraph—Frees Aseocip.tion -Oooyrlgh* London, July 3. In the Probato Division of the High Court of Justice to-day tho hearing of tho objection of Mr. Malcolm Scott to tho granting of probate of the will of his brother, Sir John Murray Scott, was continued. Sir Edward Carson, K.C., appeared for Lord and Lady Sackville, and tho Eight. Hon. I'. E. Smith, K.C., for Mr Malcolm Scott. Lady Sackville in her evidence, stated that Sir John Murray Scott, af'tor his mother's death, told witness that ho would leave her 000 and the furniture of his Lisbon and Paris houses. Subsequently he decided to withhold .£50,000 with which to maintain Knowlo House during his lifetime. Witness denied being in Sir John's house when Major Arbuthnot saw certain ladies in the library.

There was a dramatic 6cene when Mr. Smith read Lady Sackville's letter to) a lady friend, in which she stated: "Ho has mado a fresh will leaving everything that he. has dangled before my eyes for tho last ten years away from lis."

Witness burst into tears, and passionately denounced tho production of tho letter.

TEARS AND LAUGHTER. (Reo. July .4, 10.30 p.m.) London, July 4. During tho hearing of the case to-day tho court was crowded with an vnprecodonted gathering in the judge's gallery, and many society ladied participated in the souffling and crush of securing admission to other parts of tho court, to hear Lady Sackville's five hours' examination and cross-examination. On the whole, Lady Sackville testified composedly, frequently smiling. She explained the money payments to herself, hor husband, and her father, saying that all had little gambles on Siberian development and Siberian goldfields, both of which proved disastrous. The chcque for Sir John s>cott's sharo of tho iosses was paid through her, becawso ho did not want Mr. Malcolm S'cott to know that any shares had been bought, excepting through him (Mr. Malcolm Scott).

Under cross-examination, she denied saying that she intended'to wean Sir Jobn from his family. "Mr. Smith, you say I am a clevor woman. I would not be clever to say that to one's best friends."

Mr. Smith, reading the letter referred to above, suggested that her Ladyship had wearied of awaiting Sir John's death, and of the delay in receiving tho consequent benefits anticipated thereby.

' After a lit of sobbing and a dramatic sccne, Lady Sackville, in a few broken sentences, Mr. Smith's interthe letter, as showing disloyalty to Sir John. She had repeatedly, slio said, -written to him saying that ho could do aB he liked with his money. An Amusing Re-enactment. Asked whether Mr. Walter Scott really followed her across the Tooin on his knees as he did, Lady Sackville replied: "Like that," and bonding her two forefingers, moved them in turn along the rail of the witness-box. The court was convulsed, and ihe lady smiled triumphantly, adding that it was tho most ridiculous thing she had over seen.