A STRANGE TRUE STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 180, 3 August 1887, Page 6

A STRANGE TRUE STORY.

The Langworthy Marriage.

CHAPTER XLVII. THE " TIMES " BOYCOTTS MRS LANGWORTHY

"Mr Chamberlain,1' said one of his greatest friends, " has one great fault. He never forgives." In this Mr Chamberlain resembles the '' Times.;' Mrs Langworthy, it might have been thought,was too small a victim for the Thunderer of Printing House Square to remember for punishment. It may be so. It' may be that the real reason why they refused to_ report the case was not resentment, but Bircham., Whatever may have been the origin of the decree, the fact remains that the columns O* the "Times" may be searched in vain for any record of the actions by which Mrs Langworthy vindicates her character, even though she lost Tier suit. This was mean. Mrs Langworlhy's case, as this story proves, is full of elements of intense interest. It abounds in legal points of great importance. As mere "copy" it is better matter than the report of almost any case heard in Court, but. the "Time? " refused to report it. In the Law Notices of Saturday, June 20th, the case of Lang■svorthy v. Lansworthy appears at the head of the list as "published in the "Times. But in Monday's " Times" there is no report of the case—no hint that the marriage had been admitted and the fraud confessed. Not a word.

In like manner the entry appears again in the "Times" Law Notices, June 22nd arid "July 7th', but no report—not even a, cursory mention of the proceedings. Surely this is not exactly the kind of treatment which might be expected from the leading Jlnglish journal, even when the injured lady does happen to be Irish. Biit it •may be-suggested that the press of matter, or the pressure of ffreat issues, may have caused the editor of the "Times "to overlook the case. But Mrs Langworthy took the most effective means to draw attention to it before her case came on." She wrote to the editor on the eve of the trial, stating that the press alone could enable her to clear her character, and imploring his aid in securing pub-, licity to the report of her case. When the trial was over, finding that it was not reported, she sent the " Times " the repoit as it appeared in the " Morning Post," and begged them to be kind enough to give the report the benefit of the publicity of their columns.

,But to all these appeals the " Times " re-. mained stone deaf. Not one word about her case was allowed to appearin the leading journal until the appeal against Mr Justice Butt's decision was heard before Lords Justice Colton, Bowen, and Fry. Then the boycott was relaxed, and a brief report, touching solely upon the question of the discretion of the judge to refuse to make the decree absolute, was allowed to appear. Now, why did the "Times" boycott Mrs Langworthy ? Perhaps the incident in the next chapter tnay throw some light into the inliuences which may have been at work.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

"IP YOU SAY ANYTHING MORE AEOHT MRS

liANfJWORTHY, WE'LL MAKE IT HOT FOR YOU.',

There is an excellent fortnightly journal published in the City which enables Englishmen to keep themselves aw courant with all the movements, financial and political, vhich affect the welfare of South America, it is a kind of fortnightly history of a continent, disclosing an almost unknown world to the eye of the reader who turns over its pages for the first time. It?, title is the " South American .Journal and Brazilian Rendelvt PartMail," and it deals largely with the affair?, financial, social, political, &c, of the Argentine Republic. It was to this journal that Mr Lang worthy had addressed the lying letter that he knew of no such person ts Mrs E. M. Langworthy, and as Mrs Langworthy had resented this, the incident had led to the editor knowing something of the truth about Edward Langworthy. After the decree nisi had been pronounced he inserted in the " South American Journal" an article commenting in by no. means unmeasured terms upon the case. It was almost the only, if not the only, newspaper comment upon a revelation of cruelty without palliation or excuse, which, when set forth even, imperfectly in our columns, has made the name of Edward Martin Lang-: worthy despised beyond that of almost, any other living mortal. But mild as it was, it was too much for Messrs Bireham. j The following extracts embody the opinion expressed by the " South American Journal" of July 25, 1885, on the subThe position of Mrs Langworthy— married and yet no wife—has created a feeling of universal sympathy on the part of all who -have made themselves acquainted with the facts. lam afraid you would hesitate to print the frank terms in which I might justly characterise the conduct of Mr Langworthy towards this unfortunate lady, without travelling beyond the .sworn, records of the Court before which the circumstances of this sad case have been brought for judicial decision. The President of the Court made the following statement in pronouncing his decision? vhich 1 take the liberty of quot- ' ,j n g:—(Judgment follows) Thus the affair stands, and it is to be .hoped that a substantial alimony will be allocated. By the way, I may observe that the social iposition of the lady'sfamily is undoubtedly ;mor.e than equal that of Mr Langworthy. It seems to me that she has suffered a great wrong, for which no mere pecuniary consideration can possibly afford adequate compensation. Whether it is that a natural regard for the unblemished respectability of their firm prompted them to such unprofessional zeal to order that the infamy of their client's conduct might not sully the whiteness of their name, or whether it was due to some other cause, it is impossible to say. All that is known is that no sooner did this article appear in the "South American Journal" than a jepresentative of Messrs Bireham waited, upon the publishers. And what -had the representative of Messrs Bireham to say to the publishers of the 3ne.journal.in all England which had the corn-age and humanity to say a word for Mrs Langworthy ? That! ' - • 1. He informed them that they had no rijrhfc to ■publish reports of what had passed in prjvafce in th& judge's chambers (the decree/nisi- being pronounced, by the judge afc lunch in his own room). •2. That they only knew one side. If they knew the other they would see matters in an altogether different light. If they (Messrs Bireham and Co.) liked, they could paint Mrs Langworthy black enough. 3. That if aiter this warning any further similar comments appeared in the "South American Journal" they would make it hot for them, as proceedings would be taken for After delivering which ultimatum, the representative of Messrs Bireham withdrew ' It is incredible ! Perhaps it is— to those who do not know what lengths Messrs Bweham's representatives have not gone to serve the interests of Mr Edward Langworthy. But that it is the fuct is attested by the editor arid publisher of the "South American Journal," who made a statement to the above effect no later than yesterday, which statement substantially accords with gijeufispwit Riven by Mrs Langworthy of their report to her immediately afteir *■»* threat was delivered, •

CHAEEEfe XLIX. STOTHKR-JSC-LAAv IN COURT. ; The day fixed for the interpleader was! February 3. The issue to be tried was j whether the goods arid chattels seized at Southampton the previous April belonged to Mr Lancrworthy or to his mother. That they were addressed to .him or to his manager was proved beyond dispute, That lif Mrs Langworthy had not interfered they ; would have been in his possession and used by -him was equally undisputed. But old Mrs' Langworthy swore they were hers—all hers—bought with her own money, and therefore not liable to seizure on account of I her soil's liabilities.

When Mrs Langworthy, jun., heard that, her mother-in- law was to be witness at the interpleader she was full of curiosity, not unmixed with hope. She had never seen the stern old dame—perhaps even now she might relent. On the morning of the interpleader, Mrs Langworthy, jun.. arrived at the Court. She was very coid in her thin spring jacket, for she had sold her beautiful marten-tail cape the previous Saturday for 10s, in a second-hand clothes shop in Mortimer-street—to such dire straights was she reduced for want of actual necessaries of life. On mentioning her name to one of the porters, she was received obsequiously with " Your room is ready, madam ;'' and he bowed her into a cosy room, with a large bright lire, with a kettle boiling on the hob, and placing a chair, he said, before closing' the door, " Messrs Bircham willl be here at 1.30'"

She saw the mistake in a moment. The room had been prepared, not for her, but for old Mrs Langworthy. Glad to have discovered the nr ■' ~'-o before she had received any JfV! . .ho hastened out into the f """"•' *..ii sat down in the window*

~ shivering and hungry, the

hearing p£ the case. At half-past one old Mrs E. H. Langworthy entered the corridor, followed by a lady's-maid carrying wraps, 'attended obsequiously by Mr Danby, and, passing through a crowd of uncovered bowing tradespeople subpecnaed by her, she passed into the warm room prepared for her, _while her daughter.-in-law .sought a little heat in the ladies' waiting-room downstairs. After some preliminary remarks in Baron Huddleston's room Mrs E. H. Langworthy was called. Mrs Langworthy looked eagerly into her face, but at the first glance her heart sank like lead. She whispered to Mr Lumley, "No mercy from that face." ft was the first time she had seen her mother-in-law. She was tall and thin, her hair almost white, drawn tightly back from her forehead, giving a harder look to a naturally hard face. The nose -was long and prominent, the lips thin, the eyes small. Dressed in some coat of sealskin and furs, her kid-gloved hands protected from the cold by fur driving-gloves, 6he was valeted into the room and into a chair by her solicitor. Having shaken out her plumage, extracted a hand-painted, lace-trimmed fan from a silk or satin bag hanging from her arm, she gave herself up for examination. First of all she was sworn. She stood erect and firm while the usual exhortation was addressed to her, and then, kissing the book, she swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help my God! Baron Huddleston eyed her closely as she took the oath, "la this the lady who was too ill to be examined in Court—the paralytic invalid?" he asked, with not unnatural surprise. No dame of seventy ever seemed more hale ana vigorous than Mrs Langworthy, sen., whose medical attendant had sworn a couple of affidavits that her state of health was such that " under no circumstances could he as her medical attendant consent to her attendance in Court." If that was her condition on December 6th, as "I; George Edward Moore, of Redcroft, Maidenhead, in tho county of Berkshire, Surgeon, M. 8., London, M.R.C.5.," did "make oath mid say," then in two short months—possibly by the miraculous skill of the said George Edward Moore—a wonderful cure had been effected. No trace was visible of the severe paralytic stroke of 1875, followed by three others. Mrs Langworthy, sen., to all appearances, was in better health than her unfortunate daughter-in-law, whom she refused to recognise even with the ordinary courtesy which one human being owes to another. Mr Finlay, Q.C., and Mr Chitty appeared for the old lady. Mr Kemp, Q.C., and Mr Rose Innes for Mrs Langworthy, junr. After the old lady had gone through her examination in chief Mr Kemp took her in hand. At the outset, when the wife had seized her husband's goods, the mother had claimed everything, including her son's trousers. " Madam," said Mr Kemp, " do you wear men's clothes 5" Mr Langworthy replied, " I relinquish my claim to that portion of the goods." That released about t'J2 worth of property captured at .Southampton ; but to the rest she clung with the tenacity of a bullaog. CHAPTER L. "MA I>A W, I WANT YOU TO TKLL THE TRUTH." The shorthand notes of the examination are in the custody of Messrs Bireham, and as they have forbidden anyone to have access "thereto this account of. the examination must be conrined to the passages which have riveted themselves in the memory of the daughter-in-law and her legal representatives. One such passage left an abiding impression. "Did you know," asked Mr Kemp, in his severest tone, " did you know that your son's wife and child were destitute ?" Mrs Langworthy tossed hor head, flirted with her fan, and replied flippantly— " Never knew my son had a wife and child." . " Madam," said Mr Kemp, "did you never bear of the proceedings in the Divorce Court ?" " No," said the unbashed old lady. " Do you mean to tell me," repeated Mr Kemp, indignantly," that you did not know of these proceedings ?" " Ah," said she, nonchalantly, "I heard some rumour of them in the newspapers." ■ Mr. Keinp stooped to fumble among his papers. He picked n p and read the affidavit which Mrs Langworthy, sen., had made as to her son's possessions and presented to the registrar in the course of the divorce proceedings. In face of that proof of her personal participation in the litigation, it was impossible to persist that her only knowledge of the proceedings was gained from rumours in the newspapers. She listened as the affidavit was being read, fanning herself the while. When it was over she said, '• Oh, I did not know you meant that!" and then, in a curious plaintive way, she said, "If you will only tell me what you want me to say— ~ —" " Madam," said Kemp, "I want you to tell the truth."

Of this episode only one word. Mrs Langwortby could, of course, technically deny that her daughter-in-law, who was sitting Within a few yards of her, had a valid legal claim to the title of wife. That, however, does not cover the assertion that she did not know her son had a child. Possibly Mis Langwortby, sen., wished to dispute the.paternity of little Gladys. It is not impossible, for it was actually disputed by Mr Inderwick when he applied lor the decree nisi to be made absolute. That little incident- fortunately for Mr Jhderwiek, who of course acted on Messrs Biicharn's instructions -was omitted from our narrative of the hearing of the case before Mr Justice Butt. It was towards the close of the hearing and after the judge had expressed himself vei'y strongly in favour of Mrs Langworthy, when Mr Inderwick stood up and informed the Court that he questioned the paternity of the child. Mr Justice Butt opened his eyes wide, and l^r^at Mr Inderwick. Then he said in

Jiis^qaick, sharp way, " liSfctae Jookat the papers.'" They *vere"hande tes up to Jvim, "he turned tbemo ver ■ and came apon tlie report of Mr Latigsvorthyvs 'application about the custody of the child.

Mr justice Butt said : " I see Mr LangArorthy applied to have the custody of the child. What did he want to do with another man's child ? No more of that, sir !"

Whereupon Mr Inderwick sat down, probably feeling sorry that he had gone so far as to bring upon him so severe a snub. But to resume the story of the interpleader. Mrs Langworthy, sen., denied that she knew her.son had been in England until after he left it. She had, in fact, gone over to Paris to prevent his venturing within the jurisdiction. The cross-examination was conducted to prove collusion between mother and son. She was asked whether she was not then engaged in the attempt to transfer her soiv's property in South America to her own name. She replied that she had begun to transfer it. She had sent out a power of attorney on September 27, 1886, to transfer all his property in the Argentine Republic to her name, but she could not say whether the transfer had yet been effected. "And what do you intend to do with the property after it is transferred ?"—" Oh, possibly I may at a later period make him a.present of it."

" Are you and your son on good terms ?" asked Mr Kemp. "Oh, yes," was her reply. When examined as to the articles seized, she asserted that all the animals were her own property; she had reared and bred them herself, and could, if necossary, produce the groom to prove the fact. The ■Court, therefore, adjourned till next day for the evidence of the^groom. CHAPTER LI. "WHAT BAROX HUDDLESTO.V THOUGHT OF TT. Next morning the groom appeared. He was a stolid, expressionless fellow, who had his lesson off by heart. He swore that when he was leaving Maidenhead with the live stock, Mrs Langworthy repeatedly said to him, "That is my cow," and so forth, as if she had foreseen the seizure and given instructions beforehand to be prepared against every eventuality. Mr Kemp appealed strongly to the Court to decide the case against the old lady. He laid great stress upon the evidence, which pointed to collusion between mother and son to defraud a wife and child of the money awarded them by the court, and he urged that the goods should be adjudicated to the wife. He ridiculed the idea that anyone sending their own cattle away would repeatedly proclaim aloud that it was their own, a fact which if true must have been perfectly within the cognizance of the groom. Mr Chitty, in the absence of Mr Finlay, upheld the claim of the mother-in-law, and then Baron Huddleston gave judgment. He said that he had no option but to decide in favour of the mother as to all the goods seized, except some few articles aa to which she had previously waived her claim. Whatever might be his opinion as to the ownership of the goods, he had to decide upon the evidence. They had the old lady s oath, and there was not, nor j could there well be, any rebutting evidence. In the absence of that rebutting evidence, he must accept her sworn testimony ; but he added significantly, "If she had stated that which was not true, it would be a melancholy reflection for the remainder of her life."

He more than hinted that there was suspicion a 8 to collusion, he commented sarcastically upon the affidavits as to the paralytic condition of the old lady, and congratulated her upon her energy and intelligence. As to the groom's evidence, the judge remarked that he had been many years in Mrs Langworthy's employ, and therefore ho no doubt felt it his duty to do hia best for his mu-tress. He would only say of his evidence that it was characterised by great zeal for his mistress. He then gave judgment-*LI27 to the mother, L 32 to the wife. Mr Chitty, on behalf of Mrs Langworthy, sen., asked for possession-money, some L 22 odd, sheriffs expenses, and costs. As the award was in favour of his client, he naturally expected that costs would follow judgment.. Baron Huddleston peremptorily refused, adding with emphasis, " You know, Mr Chitty, my opinion of the whole affair." CHAPTER LIT. SUICIDE. Mks Lancwortiiy left the Court with a hopeless, helpless, lost feeling, as if her last hope had perished. The L 32 that fell to her share she never touched, it being more than swallowed up in the expenses of the litigation. The L 127 which the mother hud clutched would have tided her over her difficulties for a time, might even have enabled her to go o\er to Buenos Ayres to confront her husband in the courts of his adopted country. Now that was gone, she had no other resource left. Once more there rose before her the tempting spectre of Suicide. Why should she not.end it all ? Life was such a coil, such anentangled coil, which it seemed so hopeless to unravel and so easy to cut. Not for the first time had the suggestion crossed her mind. Once she had even gone so far as to'buy poison and swallow some of it. Fortunately, the dose was insufficient. On that occasion she had swallowed the laudanum and lay down to die. A curious thought crossed her mind. She had, as always, locked her door. What a pity it would be, she thought, for the hotelkeeper to have to break open the door to find her corpse. So she got up, unlocked the door, and lay down as she hoped to wake no more. The chemist probably had mercifully watered the dose, so her life was spared. Often since then, when pressed hard by calumny and poverty, she had thought of dropping over into the river, and ending it all. But in these darkest hours the vision of golden-haired little Gladys, far away in: Northern Ireland, kept the fiend at bay, and the mother dared to live on where the' wife would have gone to death.

If this were a romance, instead of'beinga plain and hideous statement of what actually happened, it would be natural to set down here many romantic or religious reasons why even in despair Mrs Lang-' worthy did not take her life. But being a prosaic narrative of what she actually thought, it is necessary to say that, besides the desire to live for her child's sake, the chief deterrent to suicide was the feeling that the disposal of her corpse would entail a cost on her family which they could ill bear. So trivial sometimes are the motives which dictate the most momentous decisions.

Now that the interpleader had gone against her, the old thought came Back with greater fascination than ever. Why not go home, write out the whole story of her wrongs, of her struggle for redress, and of tho artifices of falsehood and of delay by which she had been crushed to death, and then do the one thing necessary to force her piteous tale upon the attention of the world ?

Great is the power of Death. The pale King of Terrors alone can command the End of Life. What is it that spreads religion, and enabled Christianity to conquer the world ? Death ! The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. The brave Marseillais who knew how to die—these, and these alone, are the masters of the living. And as ii is in great things so in small, and Death is the great advertiser, and silent grave the loudest sounding-board of Time. That which Court and Press and Church had denied •her, Death might accomplish. Her story, ignored and flouted by well-feed counsel and solicitors instructed by her husband,

'Wightr^en'dOrsed arid 'rehd"efe'rVtragie "by death, at last h'nTl'a tißaVino-. Lven Messrs Bircham she thought migtit have pity on her then !

•Revolving these thousVts in her mind, she walked", heedless of all else, from the Law Courts up the Strand ; when hardly knowing how it happened, she found herself in Northumberland-street, opposite the office of the "Pall Mall Gazette." She looked wistfully up at the windows. Six months before she had written praying for help, and had received a promise to insert a statement of her case if she sent it. She had not sent it, but had proposed a personal interview, to which no answer had been returned. The old idea came back— "If he would take up my case, perhaps somethingmight.be done." And with the vaguest idea of what could be done, or how her case could be taken up, she entered the oilice and asked for the editor, very much as a drowning man clutches at a straw.

(To be Continued To-morrow)