ANOTHER LONDON SCANDAL

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 121, 26 September 1885, Page 3

ANOTHER LONDON SCANDAL

Assault on Mr Pearce, of John Elder and Company. London, Aug. 12.— The 'Pall Mall Gazette" states that a member of the Royal Commission to in* quire into the depression 61" trade wris flogged publicly in this city this afternoon for the 'betrayal of liis as-ailant's daughter. , - A reporter of the ' Gazette, 1 ' immediately after the flogging, interviewed the assailant. 'The latter said: "I shall flog the betrayer of my child whenever he crosses my path; You may publish my name, provided youpublish his. , If he feels aggrieved, he can take action ayainst me. I should be only too giad to meet him in any way. I liave 119 fear that ho will be pluoky enough to face mo in court. I have not, done with him." The reporter then called upon the man who had received the thrashing and asked for his side of the story. The gentleman said : " The story told you by my assailant is nonsense. I have not been flogged. The man struck mo with a stick and abused me. It is merely a case of blackmail of a peculiarly bad kind. The statement that I had betrayed his daughter is absolutely false." The names of the pnrties to the scandal have not yet been made public New York, Aug. IS.— The ' Sun's" London special has the following on the flogging case : The man who welded* the stick is a Glasgow gentleman named Francis, and the victim oftho flagellation is Pearca, chief of the great Glasgow ship-building firm of Elder & Brother. 'He is" a married man, and a member of. Lord , Iddesleigh's new royal commission on the depression , I of trade. - ' • *^ *.; London, August 13.— Mr Francis, tfiegeiitlemrn who yesterday flogged Mr Pearce, ofi fine shipbuilding flrna of John Elder and Co.*-,, for alleged betrayal of the formerX daughter, to-day instituted' an action against iPfeajfce. Yesterday the latter explained the difficulties' to < a reporter of the Pall Mall Gazette '* ebyts&ying • that tlie cfyargo of seduotion was falsejantl that--itiwoiTa case of blaokmailof, a peculiarly pad } ki]dd. c -For this* statement Francis^brings^fflEiit. ' is a rich Conservativej}and/had\*been ;ael&te'd by .the,* Tories Jo stand, as

date for Glasgow in the coming election. Mr Francis is a gentleman of respectable standing in society, and is a member of the Government Civil Service, being an Inspector of Customs.

Mr Fearoe Prosecutes His Assailant on a Grave Charge. LONDON, Aug. 21.—The solicitor for Mr Pearce publishes a lotter in which he says that he has been instructed by his client to refrain from proseouting the father of Miss Frances on a charge of common assault and battery for the caning he inflicted upon Mr Pearco the other day, because of the trivial penalty which would attend a conviction, but to prosecute him on a far graver charge. The solicitor asks the public to suspend judgment on the whole cose until the merits can be developed by the Courts.