FAMOUS JUDGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 71, 4 January 1930, Page 6

FAMOUS JUDGE

HIS WIT AND HUMOUR. CRjPPEN CASE RECALLED. QUOTATIONS IN COURT. ! When in 1896 Air Darling, Q.C., was appointed Commissioner pjj. Assize a storm of protest hurst, and swelled into a veritable, tornado a year later when ho was elevated to the Bench. He was then only 47. and critics alleged that neither his practice at the Bar nor his political standing warranted such promotion. The Press screamed, and round-robins were openly circulated in the Temple against this “political jobbery.” Darling himself remained unperturbed ‘by all this pother. It is said that, when Augustine Birrell playfully criticised his sensational elevation, Darling retorted: “Well, I can read and write; what move do you want?” Since then Lord Darling has become a national institution. If his name is primarily associated in the popular mind with “Laughter in Court,” that does not alter the fact that he was ever a shrewd, able and humane judge. Flirting With Journalism.

How one wishes that the author of such sparkling gems as “Scintillae juris” and “.Meditations in a Tearoom” had given us his own autobiography says “John O’London Weekly.” Born in Essex in 1850, Charles John Darling was such a feeble child that his parents despaired of his life. Too delicate for early schooling, he also missed the University, and, after being articled to a Birmingham solicitor, was called to the Bar when 24. Flirting with journalism and playing with politics, he published''his “Meditations in a Tea-room” under the pseudonym “M.IV” eight years before lie actually entered Parliament —a characteristic, and prophetic, gesture! His annus mirablis was the year 1885, when he married, took silk and fought his first election, hut it was not until IS9I that he was returned to Parliament with the .nickname “Deptford’s Little Darling.” His journalism was anonymous. One writer records: Years ago Sir Charles spent" many years in an untidy office in Northumberland Street. He may remember the two chairs, the single ink-pot, and the scratching of his companion’s pen. There were no tidy brief-boxes, no tidy clerks, in that office; hut untidy printers’ hoys waited at the door for copy. And the copy produced by Mr Darling. Q,.C., was as good as any man’s. He had fallen in with a brilliant hut insufficient staff; Cust was just setting the “Pall Mall” into its stride, and often a. “leader” needed writing when there was no leaderwriter on the premises. Air Darling obliged!

A Paintingi in Court. All- Justice Darling’s Court became tlie Mecca of sensation-seekers of all classes. He was good “copy.” His wit was keen, yet kindly. The Charleswirtli, Sievier, iPemberton-Billing, and “Air A.” cases all fell to - his lot (not undesired, Gossip alleged!), but none gave him more scope for wit than the “Great Romney Picture Case” in 1917, when a New Yorker sued a famous firm of art dealers, the issue being whether or not a certain picture was that of .Airs fciddons and her sister painted by Romney. The picture stood on an easel beside the Judge, who contrived during this seven-day trial to quote Matthew Arnold, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Disraeli, Dickens, Goldsmith, Tennyson, ancl Locker-Lampson —all on the spur of the moment. Glowing testimony of his literary knowledge! It is, of course, as a criminal judge that Darling’s fame is writ largest, writ in figures of Steinie Morrison, Armstrong, Emma Byron, who stabbed her stockbroker-lover in -Lombard Street Post Office, .and “Chicago May” (recently dead), who smiled sweetly at him when he sentenced her to L> years' imprisonment for shooting at Eddie Guerin, whom she had betrayed to the police alter his escape from Devil’s Island. Dr. Crippen’s Wife. Surely his most dramatic case was that of Crippen, which possessed all the ingredients of successful melodrama. Crippen, an American doctor, arrived, in London in 1800 as manager of a patent medicine business. Mis wife, a Pole, possessed a voice of doubtful quality which Crippen had helped her to have trained. Hopes of grand opera fading, she took the name of Belle Elmore and announced her intention of appearing ai music hails. But her talents were woefully poor. Not one engagement did she get ; yet, although having no possible claim to the description of music hall artist, she became treasurer of the Music-Hall Ladies’ Guild—a step that was one day to place the rope round Crippen’s neck. Denied fame, Belle Elmore was determined at least to see life. She dressed, lived and entertained extravagantly, with, the result that the impoverished doctor soon found himself rising early to do the morning housework himself before going to business. Then he fell in love with Ethel Lo j Neve —and bought some deadly poison. His neighbours accepted his explanation that his wife had gone abroad and died.. But her friends of the Music-Hall Guild were less credulous. Their awkward ouestions and gossip brought Inspector Dew on the scene. When, portions of a headless body were found beneath the cellar floor, Crippen and Ethel Le Neve (disguised as a hoy) were crossing the Atlantic. The frustration of their attempt to escape was the first practical demonstration. of the value of wireless. Such sensational cases as Lord Darling did not try at first _ instance usually camo before him on appeal, amongst them- those of Seddon. Casement, and Smith, -'the Brides in the Bath” murderer. i Unce in the Court of Criminal Appeal : Counsel was pleading quite seriously that tlie appellant was a person of good character, against whom nothing hut murder had been alleged. “Unfortunately,” replied hi*- Lordship, “I have had to sentence to death too many persons who bore the highest character to enable me to give that argument more than its due weight.”