FAMOUS BACCARAT CASE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5212, 5 December 1927, Page 3

FAMOUS BACCARAT CASE

DEATH OF THE HOSTESS.

STORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS

The death of Mrs Arthur Wilson, the hostess of Tranby Croft in 1890, recorded in the -cables last week (states the Dominion), recalls the famous baccarat case that occupied the Law' Courts in the following year, and in which the late' King Edw’ard, then Prince of Wales, appeared as a witness. Mr Wilson and his wife had the Prince, and a number of other persons as their guests at a house party for the Doncaster races. Included in the party by request of the Prince of Wales was Sir William Gor-don-Cumming’,'. a member of, an old Scottish family, and a lieutenant-col-onel in the Scots Guards, who had enjoyed a long-standing friendship with th j Prince. It by Mr Wilson, junr., that in flaying baccarat one evening Sir William Gordop-Cum-ming had cheated by'-yadding to his stakes after the cards \ere declared. It was decided by certain members of the party to watch hiin the next evening, another table benag substituted to make it more difficult for anything to pass unseen-. y

Five witnesses deposed tli’at the process was repeated, but when the case came into the courts it appeared that instead of there being the cumulative evidence of five witnesses was only the evidence of one yvitnefes to each act alleged. Sir Edward. Clarke,, who conducted the libel ac\ tion which Sir William Gordon-Cum-ming brought, called evidence to show that Sir William’s plan of play was to “follow the luck,” and when he received his winnings from the; croupier to add more to them for the next coup, and that it was these additions that had be,en seen and mistaken for cheating by’ the witnesses. No charges of cheating had been made at the table,, but under great pressure and protest of his innocence Sir William was Induced to sign a document agreeing never to play cards again, and everybody was pledged to secrecy. As Sir William Gordon-Cumming left the house next morning his absence from the race -party during the day was naturally commented on, and the story was soon abroad within twenty-four hours. The result was that he issued a writ for slander, and the defence was made that the charges were true;. The action, which naturally created an immense sqnsation, ended in a verdict for the defendants. Sir Edward Clarke, who appeared for the plaintiff, in writing nine years ago in- his autobiography, said: “Any counsel of experience distrusts his own judgment upon the merits of a case in which he has .himself been an advocate. But so many years 'have passed, since the baccarat case was tried that I think. I am now .able to form an unbiased opinion, and I think I ought to leave that opinion on record.

“I believe that tlje verdict was wrong, and that Sir William GordonCumming was innocent of the offence charged against him.”