TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 7341, 13 October 1887, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Lipski’s case: the respite Mr Stead’s tactics—Shameless sensationalism : the nobleman who married a cook— A strange story: evil effects of association with inferiors Tho de Bensaudea again—Tho price of Mrs de Bensaude’s honor—Police case— Death of Richard Jefferies: his life, work, and books—Autumn theatrical novelties —Miss Anderson’s season— The Blue Bells of Scotland ‘‘Ramping” the Jubilee Plunger: a little pigeon-shooting—Mr Benzon loses L 15,000, laying L6OO to L4OO on a halfcocked gun—The Leger—New books, editions, etc. London, August 26. The unscrupulous conduct of Mr Stead, of the ‘ Pall Mall Gazette,’ in his (fortunately) futile attempt to let loose upon society that interesting murderer Mr Israel Lipski, is, I am glad to observe, meeting with universal reprobation. Never were tho utterly reckless and scandalous tactics of the so-called “ new journalism ” more conspicuously exposed. From first to last the ‘Pall Mall Gazette’s ' sole end and aim seem to have been to keep the public excitement at boiling point. What matter if sensational statements made one day had to bo withdrawn the next, or if Important assertions relative to what the Judge or the Home Secretary thought were contradicted as soon as published. They furnished pretexts for interviews, inquiries, etc., and enabled Mr Stead to gratify to tho full his splenetic hatred of Mr Matthews. Fortunately Lipski brought this edifying “ sensation ” to a premature conclusion by confessing his guilt. But for that wc should certainly have had Mr Stead hammering on about “the young martyr” for weeks to come, and recurring to “this appalling judicial murder” whenever opportunity arose. The confession—coming as it did right on the top of a most pathetic plea in the ‘Pall Mall Gazette’ for this “much injured young exile”—would have completely crashed a journalist of ordinary calibre. Fortunately Mr Stead’s epidermis is like Major IJagster’s—“ tough, sir, dayvelish tough.” A good deal of unnecessary sentiment has been wasted over the case of Lord Drnmmond (Lord Perth’s grandson), who died in the States recently under somewhat painful circumstances. He was not at all the ill-used Romeo that American journalists paint him. The plain facts are these s About 1869 or 1870 tjre lad’s parents died, and, Lord Perth sot caring to assume the responsibility of his hair’s, training, - Lord Drummond (then just thirteen) was handed over , to his matemkl grandmother, Mrs. Adolphus. Capell. This pld lady indulged him most misohieTOtuly; . and, as she. resided at Folkestone, tthappened that' the boy can

wild amongst the sailors, quay-loafers, and boatmen. He was handsome, generous, and kindly, and in good hands would have turned out well, but constant association with inferiors and sycophants warped his nature and depraved his tastes. The person who had most influence over him was Mrs C'apell’s cook and the coachman’s wife, a buxom, blowzy matron, of twenty-seven, named Lewis. At first, the intimacy between the pair was of the cupboard-love character usual betwixt a youngster and ft cook. In course of time, however, it changed, and in 1871, when Mrs Capcll died, Mrs Lewis was practically the young lord’s mistress. He had barely passed his sixteenth birthday, and was dreadfully afraid of his grandfather, being wedded to low companions and associations. The fear of being made to live cleanly and decently, and give up Mrs Lewis, oppressed him like a nightmare ; consequently, that wily dame found little difficulty in persuading him to elope to tho States with her. It is not true, however, that she became his wife. Her husband, James Lewis, is, in point of fact, still alive, and if she had any children by Lord Drummond they are bastards. The young man could have found plenty of people ready to assist him in the States had he cared to be assisted, or he might at any time have obtained help from Home. But he chose to throw off all association with the upper classes, and died as he lived, in comparative penury. His fate is a striking proof of the degrading effect of association in youth with servants and social inferiors.

When the De Bensaude divorce case was' so disreputably settled, the public fondly hoped that they had heard the last of Mias Violet Cameron’s matrimonial troubles. Not a bit of it. A month passes, and then, lo ! and behold, we have Mr Do Bensaude again summoned for persecuting his wife by ringing her front-door bell and attempting to force an entrance to her domicile. Tho story told by Miss Cameron’s lawyer (Mr Lewis) ran thus Before the divorce case came to trial De Bensaude agreed to take LI,IOO to squash proceedings. He also promised to let his wife live in peace and quiet henceforward. “ The LI,100,” said Mr Lewis, “ this man fully believed to bo the price of his wife’s honor; yet, at tho trial, he got up and withdrew all aspersions on her character. Now, having spent the LI, 100, the wretch is trying to extort more by re-commencing his persecutions andi making her life wretched.” T De Bensaude, who is one of the most contemptible persons on God’s earth, feebly endeavored to deny Mr Lewis’s statement, averring that he only called on his wife to remonstrate with her for receiving Lord Lonsdale. Unfortunately the Magistrate could not see his way to punishing the man merely for ringing his wife’s bell. He warned him, however, to desist from worrying her, or further proceedings would be taken. Poor Richard Jefferies, the legitimate successor of Gilbert White, of Selborne, died at Goring last week after a long and weary illness. He was, says an appreciative friend, “not a great force iu letters, but unique in a particular way.” There is no one to fill his place as a writer on the picturesque aspect of external Nature. He knew our beautiful English country well, and he wrote about it out of a full mind and a full heart. To colonists bred in rural England, who arc now far away, his books must bring a refreshing atmosphere of ‘ Home, sweet Home.’ ‘ The Gamekeeper at Home’ is the best known of them, and ‘ Wild Life in a Southern Country ’ the most charming. Others are ‘The Open Air,’ ‘The Red Deer,’ and ‘Amaryths at the Fair.’ Two delightful books of his for boys between eleven and fifteen deserve special mention and recognition, I refer to ‘ Wood Magic’ and ‘ Bevis,’ the latter tale being a sequel to the former. Wholesomcr literature for youngsters it would be impossible to find, and if our lads read more of such works instead of perusing nauseous sentiment like Canon Farrar’s ‘ Eric, ’ or sensational rubbish such as ‘Rcd-fingcrcd Rory,’etc., etc., they would grow up better men, Mr Jefferies had been ill two years, and loaves a family in poor circumstances. Of the half-dozen theatres left open in London just now, two alone are doing good business—viz., the Adclphi and tho .Savoy, The opening of Drury Lane has been judiciously postponed, and the great drama of “Pleasure,” with its “mammoth east and incredibly sensational scenery,” will not sec the light till the 3rd prox. Miss Harriet Jay and her old partner (Mr Robert Buchanan) are going to make a desperate effort to popularise the ill-fated Novelty Theatre. There are some houses in London where nothing seems to succeed. This is one, and the Opera Comiquc is another. Miss Anderson was offered the latter free of rent for six months, in the hope that she would revivify its reputation. Her manager, however, declined the task. At the Novelty Miss Jay promises a domestic drama with the crofter grievance for its backbone. “The Blue Bells of Scotland” is the title. Mr Henry Neville (grown almost too stout for an ideal Jenne premiere) plays the hero, and Miss Jay herself the “Highland lassie” heroine. Miss Anderson commences her season at the Lyceum on the 10th September in “A Winter’s Tale,” which has been in rehearsal for the past month. At the Criterion “Our Boys ” has been revived for a few weeks, in order to give Charles Wyndham a muchneeded holiday, and David James an opportunity of once more playing the inimitable butterman. Without James this piece is not really worth more than half-a-dozcn other of Byron’s comedies. It was his Middlewick that so delighted the public, and always will delight it. No one really knows what “ Our Boys ” is like till they’ve seen James in it.

The “ramping ” of the “Jubilee plunger’’ at Brighton continues the all-absorbing topic of conversation in sporting circles. The swindle was so deliberate that almost everyone present on the pigeon-shooting ground seems to have been aware of what was going on, except tho victim. One gentleman openly avers he was offered LIOO to miss his bird, and has volunteered to come forward and give evidence should a prosecution for conspiracy he resolved on. Strange to say, though Mr Benzon dropped L 15.000 in the course of the afternoon, he appears averse to strong measures. That he does not mean to “ pay up and look pleasant” may be taken for granted ; but he will probably think twice before parading his follies and gullibility in the law courts. At Goodwood tho “ Plunger” dropped L 14,000, following it up with the pigeon-shooting fiasco of L 15,000. At Brighton races, however, he pulled back L1G,500. Heavy gambling, and not likely to last long, say the “ know alls.” Lord Rodney is the latest recruit to the plunging fraternity. He has, however, too much gumption to go far wrong. By the way, one rich “Juggins” at the Brighton pigeon-shooting foray distinguished himself by laying 600 to 400 on himself when his pun was at half-cock. The Leger favorite, Merry Hampton, was attacked with megrims at exercise tho other day, and fell down. He seems to have entirely recovered, but 1 misdoubt his winning at Doncaster. My notion is Eiridsford or Phil, with the outsider Saville as “ cockboat.”

The popular “ shilling - shocker” of the moment is a brightly-written story of a burglary, called ‘The Danvers Jewels,’ which you remember ran through the January to March numbers of ‘ Temple Bar,’ The book-stalls aro also piled up with twoshilling editions of Buchanan’s ‘ Stormy Waters’ and Mrs Urgles’s ‘Lady Branksmere.’ Tho serial rights of Walter Besant’s new novel have been purchased by Tillotsons for LSOO. It will commence running at once in both English and Australasian newspapers. The title is ‘Herr Punks,’ and the story deals with various phases of modern charlatanism, such as “thoughtreading,” spiritualism, etc., etc.