A SCANDALOUS STORY

Evening Star, Issue 14926, 12 July 1912, Page 9

A SCANDALOUS STORY

OF SHAME, SUICIDE, AND LAW. One of these scandalous stories which are interwoven with the history of the. peerage is recalled by the death, at the age of 64. of Mary Caroline, Duchces of Sutherland. The dowager duchess's history, so bill of tragic incident, largely the outcome of her own acts, may be said to have commenced in 1863, when she was 15 years of age. In that year King Edward VII., then Prince of Wales, took the honorary legree of D.C.L. at Oxford. In order to he present at the function, Disraeli, himself a D.C.L. of some years’ standing, journeyed to Oxford and staved in St. Giles's, at 1 he house of the public orator. Rev. Richard Miclicll, afterwards principal of Hertford College. A beau sabrenr. not only in the political field, but in attachments of tin heart, Disraeli was much attracted by tlr daughter of his host, and paid her marked intention. In course of time the hand of Miss Michell was sought in marriage by Captain Arthur Blair, her cousin, whom .she wedded. The union was as happy a that of most couples until George Granville William, third Duke of Sutherland appeared on Die scene. The duke was himself the husband of a charming wifi (Countess of Cromartie in her own right) and the father of a grown-up family. The Duke of Sutherland met Airs Blair, am 1 they formed a criminal passion for each other. —Husband Kills Himself.— In consequence of rumors which came to the ears of Captain Blair, that officer shot himself in a tit of despondency. .His widow' at once accompanied her ducal admirer, who. without regard for the honor of his own wife and family, took her on a long yachting voyage to the Far East. The duchess veirfcd to take divorce proceedings, winning the gratitude of Queen Victoria, one of her greatest friends, who was anxious that the scandal should not receive tho publicity that legal proceedings would have entailed. Soon after the duke’s return to England with Mi's Blair he- fell ill, and a. reconciliation—for the sake of the family only, let us hope—was sought by the duchess ; but the duke did not die. He recovered, and went off again on a world tour with Mrs Blair. ].n 1883 the duchess died, and the pair went to Florida and were married—within three months after the first wife's death. On their reappearance in England some of the old retainers, .staunch in their loyalty to the dead duchess, to their honor be il said, left the ducal service. The farmers near Dunvnhin Castle, too. became alienated from the duke because their wives would not recognise the new dlichees. —Disputed Will. —■ The duke died in September. 1892, leaving his wife a. legacy of £150.000. in addition to £5.000 apd £4.C00 yearly from the English and Scottish estates. He be'•ueaihed to her a life interest in the collieries of the Sutherland family, the use of the family diamonds for life, leases and

absolute gifts of country residences,, and a sum of over £IO,OOO to Irene Blair, her daughter by her first husband. At the funeral the new duko refused, to recognise the dowager duchess, and announced he would contest the will. Litigation followed, and dragged on for several months. The Judges eventual!;, made an order for the heading over of certain boxes and document# to the administrator of the estate, in whoso presence they were to he examined, the solicitors of both parties to be in attendance at the same time. The duchess was present at Stafford Home when the papers were about to ha removed. She picked up one of the bundles. took out a document, and, after reading it, walked across to the fireplace and threw the paper into the flames. This act led to proceedings against the duchess for contempt of court. Sne nas tried before Sir Francis Jeune in. April, 1893. In defence, counsel for the duchess alleged that the document which had been destroyed was merely a- letter from the late duke to her before marriage, and related to an unpleasant occurrence between a steward and a maid. This, the duchess contended, could not be intended for inclusion among the papers impounded by. order of the* Court, as it eentainod nothing relating to hereelf, —Luxury in Prison.— Fir Francis Jeune, however, look a stern view of the duchess’s conduct, and imposed a lino of £250, besides committing her to prison for six weeks. She underwent the term of imprisonment in Holloway Gaol, in a “coll" which was luxuriously furnished by one of the leading London upholsterers, and bore as much resemblance to an ord.■nary prison cell as a tenement sitting room does to a. drawing room in Buckingham Palace. However, 'the dignity of the law was vindicated. On her release a sum of £250, the amount of the, line, was presented to the duchess by her admirers. Ultimately the litigation with regard to the. estate was settled, mainly through the intervention of the late King Fdward. The dowager duchess married a third time in 18967 when she became the wife of Fir Albeit Kollir. Her Graces last, hid. for notoriety was in the singular loss of £20,000 worth of jewels in Paris, and their yet more singular recovery in London.