Mrs Newman Hall’s Cross-Examination.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 11, 21 October 1879, Page 4

Mrs Newman Hall’s Cross-Examina-tion.

Regarding Mrs Newman Hall’s crossexamination, a Home correspondent of a contemporary says : “ Prominent in the lengthy proceedings in the Rev. Newman Hall’s suit for a divorce stands out the cross-examination of Mrs Hall by Sir H. James. The lady appeared calm and self-possessed, but the natural instability of her temper could not endure the severe and bitter questions of the learned counsel. She became very excited, inveighed against “ Newman Hall,” as she invariably called her husband, in language more forcible than complimentary ; tears at once and defiance, hysterics .and gesticulations combined to make her the liveliest witness dull Westminster Hall has ever seen. Sir H. James was told, “You shall get nothing out of me, though you are a very clever little man, I know,” to the intense amusen ent of the bar. I must insist on an answer,” said Sir Henry. “ When you are quite calm, I’ll tell you,” was the cool reply. “ Now, madam ,” —“ I know what you’re going to say. I could make your speech

for you.”—“ Surely you can remember if you had any brandy “ Can you remember, Sir Homy, what you drank on any particular night ten years ago ?” “ Did you kiss any other man?” —-“Can you remember every girl you over kissed, Sir Henry ?” And so on. Sir H. James needing all his skill and temper to deal with this extraordinary witness, who raised the laugh against him at every point. Finally she went into hysterics, and had to be taken out of Court, but she returned shortly afterwards as lively as ever. But Sir Henry wisely cut his crossexamination as short as possible, the lady remarking she hoped he had met his match for once. The case lasted a week, and the London dailies had every morning five or six columns of highly-spiced evidence served up, so attractive to the pure and moral British public, that the Metropolitan Railway bookstalls were cleared twice over, and the newsboys think of getting up a testimonial to Mrs Hall.”