TABLE TALK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10104, 1 August 1893, Page 6

TABLE TALK.

London, Juno 9,

The feature of the Birthday honours list is the liberal shower of knighthoods aud baronetcies which has danceuded on Radical newsuaper men. 1 Hardly a leading Gladsteniim journalist in the provinces ia omitted, barring, of coure, Mr C. P. Scott of the Manchester Guardian ; aud he, it is announced, refused a baronetcy. Of the' Pressmen who accepted the seductive “Sir,” Tenniel(of Punch), William Ingram (of the 'lllustrated News), and John E. Robinson (of the Daily News) , have worldwide reputations. The others are, with one exception, ordinary folk. This exception is'Sir E'dward R. Russell, editor of the Liverpool Post, and a man of striking ability, erudition and eloquence. Many consider him' the aoutest living dramatic critic, and he was certainly the. first to discover. Irving. Some surprise has been expressed at George Lewie being knighted, and also at several omissions from the list. It was quite understood, for instance, that Lord Spencorwpuld be offered a marquisate, and the non-appearance of his name gives colour to the current rumour that the Red Bid and the G.O.M. have quarrelled. Tho noble lord's secession will be a serious blow to tho Home Rule party if it comes off. In support of its probability a Conservative friend tells me a story which he vows and declares is substantially true. This is to tho effect that when the storm of hissing broke out at. the Imperial Institute conversazione Mr Gladstone, who was walking alongside Lord Spencer, at first entirely mistook its purport, and, turning to an acquaintance, remarked in an audible whisper ; “ What a pity it ia Spencer makes himself so unpopular.” Of course, some good natured friend repeated tho observation to the Rod Ear), and it not unnaturally greatly irritated him. Nevertheless, I shall take the liberty of not believing in his lordship “ratting” till I actually see it authoritatively announced. According to another legend, the Queen and the Premier fell out seriously over tho honors list, her Majesty flatly refusing to assent to Lord Spencer being raised a step in the peerage, whilst Mr Gladstone resolutely declined to countenance Prince Edward of SaxeWeimar being made a Field Marshal. THE QUEEN’S CHAMPION. The death of Mr Dymoke, of Scrivelsby Manor, Lincoln, the eighteenth hereditary Queen’s champion, reminds one of the final fiasco in connection with the erstwhile noble office. This occurred at George IV.’a coronation, when the Dymoke of tho period was commanded as per usual to ride up Westminster Hall clad in full armour and challenge the King’s enemies. After doing so it was his business to back up the whole length of the hall in order to avoid the discourtesy of turning his back view to a new and gracious prince. So long a progress backward required much training of the steed, but on the occasion avo speak of infinite pains were worthily rewarded, for. as Mr Dymoke boasted, his charger Avould back from London to Brighton if necessary. The great moment arrived, the doors rolled open, and the champion in his magnificent armour clattered in. Nor was the horse unworthy of the occasion. In a moment ho swung himself round, and slowly, unfalteringly, with immovable resolve, backed the whole way up the hall to the throne. In vain the unfortunate champion tugged and swore aud dragged. The noble animal know his duty too well to be decoyed from the backing path. Ultimately tho champion (conscious of the king and court suffocating with laughter) had to shout his dread challenge over the left shoulder. Then an attendant took pity on Mr Dymoke, and, seizing the bridle, led horse and rider swiftly from the scene. Since then the office of champion has been nominal.

A STEANQB STORY. A very strange story is being whispered about the clubs, but has not aa yet got into print. I have heard it; twice, and in each case the narrator explained that he learnt it from his wife, who was told the tala by one of tho royal tradesfolk (presumably a dressmaker), who got it—of course in strictest confidence—from an upper servant (the dresser or superior lady’s maid to the Princess of Wales she said) at Sandringham. The narrative has to do with poor Prince Eddie’s death, which, it alleges, was not the result of natural causes. His Royal Highness, the story gees, had certainly the influenza, as given cut, but ho was getting over it nicely, when, in a lit of low spirits, ha drank some of the carbolic disinfectant placed in the sick room. The doctors stomach-pumped him and did all they could to bring the young man round, hut the influeuzi and the poison combined proved too much for a by no means robust constitution, and he ultimately sank and died, much, as described iu the newspapers. The yarn goes on that within a few hours of thq prince succumbing the Princess of Walew, who was ia the deepest distress, summoned tho women folk of the household, and, besides entreating them as a suffering woman, laid her royal commands on them, one and all, that there should be no gossip, either in or outside the house,concerning the duke’s death. Her Royal Highness gavo no reason for or explanation of this strange request, which was also, it is said, made by the prince to the men servants. Amongst the household it was no secret that Prince Eddie had been in wretched spirits for some time previously j ever since, indeed, the suicide of the Gaiety girl with whom the tongue of scandal connected his name. Whether there was or was not any truth in that rumour the servants don’t know. They say, however, that about the some date a violent quarrel took place between tho duke and his father at Marlborough House. The two men were locked in tho prince’s sanctum together, and their volcsn were raised so high ia anger that tho princess grew alarmed, and, regardKss of the expose, summoned servants to assist her in interrupting them. From that day Prince Eddie was dull and depressed. ,f can hardly imagine auyV.-.Uy deliberately or malevolently inventing a tala of this sort, bo that I think it must have some foundation. Moreover, one instan tiy recalls the extraordinary precautions adopted to keep all strangers, especially reporters, outside Sandringham during the days immediately following the prince’s decease. The duke’s illness, too, one remembers, was hardly mentioned or considered of the least importance till a sudden (and it was admitted unexpected) change ret in. On the other hard I can scarcely credit that the prince and nviacess would be so maladroit as to order their dependents nob to gossip. A command of tho sort laid on seven out of every ten women servants would provoke the very mischief it was meant to prevent. ACQUITTAL OF AUGUST US MOORE. To the chagrin and disomy or Ins many enemi-s, who mustered at the Old Bailey last Friday in confident expectation of seeing the once much-dreaded Hawk man sentenced to a long term of penal servitude, Augustus M. Moore (who Lad been charged with criminally assaulting a earvaub girl) wiw acquitted. Do not, however, suppose he left the Court without a etain upon h : .s character. Ia Scotland the verdict would have been " not proven.” Hero the jury, after consulting some time, announced that they felt jnut a doubt aa to tho accused having forcibly assaulted tho prosecutrix, »ud therefore gave him tho benefit of it. Upon this a verdict of “Not guilty ” was entered. My belief is the indecent .jubilation of Clumdor and Go., who could not wait for Ida conviction to crow over their fallen foe, just turned the scale in tho latter’s favour. Moore’s friends oow aver the whole busimus was a “ plant,” and one that proved nearly successful. Mra Gardner, who occupied tho rooms in which the assault was aliened to have batu committed, denied that Glmnuor paid tho lawyer who got up tho prosecution, but there was evidently semo connection between that lady and the present editor of the Hawk, and the defence implied their relations were tender ones. little sympathy is, needless to say, felt for Moore, toe public seem to generally concur in the verdict. The in a a boro himself during the trial with a cool, jaunty pluck, which was the more difficult iris socalled friends had deserted him, and his enemies were all there openly glorying in his assured disgrace.