The Charge Against Sir Charles Dilke

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 49, 3 October 1885, Page 2

The Charge Against Sir Charles Dilke

f# The London correspondent of the 'Liverpool Mercurj,' referring to this matter, says: — Mrs Crawford if very young, is very pretty, and is very well-known in society as the daughter of Mr Eustace Smith, and the sister of Mrs Ashton Dilke. The evidence is mainly derived from a sort of confession made by her nnder great excitement, ia the form of a charge against Sir Charles. He himnelf I believe, knew nothing of the indictment until the scandal was the common talk ol the town. When the lady under«to»d , wiiat| her statement really meaat aa>i implied, she withdrew it, and efforts were made to brine the husband to understand that he had been made the rictim of th« extravagance of an hymeneal woman The story that he was offered L 20.000 to hush the matter up was an insult to him ! as a man. and is a pare for rather an impure) inventioa. Sir Charles Dilkc has taken a consistent course. He ha* said "imply that the itory is not (rue ; it came upon him with surprise, and cau«*d 1 such a shock that he was physical I j prostrated; fot the lady, whatever ma; ■ be said of the story which she first tola ' and then contradicted, has enjoyed with him all the freedom of a sister. Mri Crawford, as Mrs Ashton Dilke's sistei has been like oao of the Dilke family, ] and I thiak I may go so far as to saj , that owing to the quite possible innocent , familiarity which existed,, it is verj difficult for any disproof to b» givea Mrs Crawford's original story c«»aUins sencationally r»pulsire elements which 1 afford Sir Charles Dilke's friends every 1 hope that their very hcinousness may be* come evidence of their improbability. Sir Charles has put his case into th« ; hands of the Attorn«»y-G*»eral. He leaves b>s political fate in the bands el his Committee at Chelsea.