LINCOLN SENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1921, Page 10

LINCOLN SENSATION.

CHARGE AGAINST CLERIC. SIR. E. CARSON IN DEFENCE. London, April 11. The ‘ffinal stage has been reached in the painful drama involving the good name of Archdeacon Wakeford. The Privy Council, with the Lord Chancellor, Lord Birkenhead, presiding, has for five days been hearing the archdeacon’s appeal, for which the public subscribed, against the sentence of the Consistory Court.

Sir Edward Carson, heading a strong bar on behalf of the archdeacon, made one of the great efforts of his legal life. “If the prosecution’s case can be true,” he said, “and if an archdeacon, in full ecclesiastical dress and gaiters, went twice to an hotel at Peterborough with a young woman, who was not his wife, then he’s mad. It is an utterly improbable story.” The prosecution produced new witnesses, who saw the archdeacon and the woman together on the days in question,. but Sir Edward Carson, demanding the production of “this mystery woman.” declared that the charge was the result of a conspiracy by his fellowclergymen.

Archdeacon Wakeford, Precentor of Lincoln University, was deprived of his benefices by the Consistory Court at Lincoln on a charge of misconduct, witnesses alleging that he had been seen at an hotel, at Peterborough with a woman who was not his wife. Two of his brothers-in-law, who were alsq clerics, were the principal witnesses aga’nst him. He immediately prepared to appeal to the Privy Council, with the assistance of his wife, and offers of help and money poured in from all parts of the United Kingdom. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council granted leave to appeal on the ground that the judgment of the T?incoln Court was not in accordance with facts, and also that fresh evidence had been discovered. The Privy Council dismissed the appeal, with costs against the archdeacon amounting to £SCKX).