The Baccarat Scandal

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 147, 4 June 1891, Page 3

The Baccarat Scandal

[ PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. I " ' Lokdon, Jnne i. r " Sir W. Gordon Cumming was examined. ,-He denied the allegation that he ,was cheating 1 , but admitted 'ihaviiigsigned a document undertaking iot to touch caTds for the rest of his 4ife,- which 1 , he explained, was done in order to prevent scandal. June 2. In cross-examination to-day, Sir W. «Oordon- Cummin g admitted having Tvon £225.frotn the Prince of Wales.' -Ha had never sought to confront his because his friends had :f ailed to suggest that it was advisable. The second night (9th September) they were playing, the Prince of Wales, he Temembered, expressed a wish that the players would exhibit #heir stakes clearly. Witness now Jbelieved tbat the advice given him to sign a declaration of guilt was extremely bad. The Prince of Wales -and two of his friends, Lord Coventry and General Owen Williams, had -written to him jointly that in the face the overwhelming evidence, it was for him to deny his guilt. • The plaintiff proposes to call the IPrince of Wales as a witness • H.R.H. the Prince of Wales was •examined in the baccarat case to-day. r He' stated that he did not see any irregularity in Sir W. GordonOumming's play and it was Lord 1 Coventry who first suggested that the - f <Tpladntifr\ aras not. playing fairly. -'SChere were so many -of those present tv ho said they had witnessed, the un-. zfair'play that he could not help believing the.^ccusatioa. - The Baccarat case was resumed today, Sir Charles Russell's crossexamination'of Sir Gordon Cumming is regarded as damaging to the plaintiff's case. The plaintiff, under .examination, resorted to absolute innocence as regards the play, and explained and explained that his ginning from the Prince of Wales and others was owing to the system of ■his , play. . The examination of the Prince of Wales was brief and his Evidence colourless. He said that (he statement of five eye-witnesses that .they had observed Sir~J. Cumming -cheating evidentla influenced his judgment in the matter. General Owen Williams was examined, and" 'admitted that he did nofcsee any cheating, on the part of the plaintiff ; still, he and others signed the confession in order to secure the required «ilence. The witness declared that -Ihe Prince of Wales lold- £ir J. Cunaaiiing that, to j>iay with his hands on the table did not look well. .... . • . . July 3. . . In his evidence, in the baccarat case "H.R.H. the Prince of .Wales said that in tbe.interview he had with Sir Wm. •Gordon Cumming at Tranby Court on the night of the alleged cheating, the •latter denied the charge. Witness ■did not.observe any cheating: himself, but tb.B charges made by others were so unanimous that there was no other i * course ' but to believe Sir William guilty. The case for the plaintiff has closed.