THE BUTTERFLY BROOCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14984, 4 May 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BUTTERFLY BROOCH.

LADY abdy SUED.

dinner AT THE SAVOY.

FI.OBESTS LA.PT Abut W« «ed »■ King's Bench Division, befpre - • ScSfttoa and a common moat Jocelyn Preston Arnot tor d««g for f.l» imprisonment- Hewas chargea with stealing jewellery - r-jSL-£29S, committed for trial, and a^ utt ?'. The defendant pleaded that she ha reasonable and probable cause for behoving the plaintiff had stolen her good#. Mr Harrington Ward, opening the plainVfffi ca*e. « lid Mr. Amot was twentyf:ff« cape, f*nd -Mr. -\rno three venrs of age. a son of the late Captain Arnot. of the Indian Navy, and for a good many years a ward Chan c er>. He Ld been «n actor in Mr. F. R. Benson S company. The defendant was the widow of the late Sir William Abdy, a gentleman j of considerable means. Mr Arnot and | Ladv Abdy met in 1911. when he v a taken to her house in London for a « » call bv a friend. On November o m the game year, when returning from I arts, ho met Ladv Abdv in the boat. Among some of his friends, counsel extrained. Mr. Aroot had been known as • ["rime do Clairmont," and in the tram ) 10 said, jocularly, that h» name was Prince de Clairmont. Lady Abdy seemed impressed. She invited him to breakfast at the Savoy Hotel, where she had a suit© of rooms. He accepted, and was then invited to dinner on the same day. Counsel said he was told that Lady Abdy vias in the habit of making present* to voung men. Shfc said to Mr. Arnot, " Would you like a gold cigarette case. Ho explained that one winch he usually used was in pawn. "I want you to kt mo help you to get. it out," said Lady Abdy. From her breast she took a butterfly diamond brooch, told him to pawn it lor £30. and release his cigarette case. He could pay her back when he liked, or take it as a present. He said he would treat it as a loan. Before he left she gave him an invitation to lunch for the following forenoon. t He pawned the brooch next day (sajd counsel) for £55. He telephoned to Lady Abdv from the Charing Cross Hotel, where ha was staying, that he would be late for lunch. A iriend called for him in a motorcar to take him to the Savoy, and ho was getting into the car when a plain clothes police officer approached and said, 4 I am making inquiries about some jewellery which Lady Abdy has lost. 0 He asked, ■' Do vou mean about the butterfly broochV' They all went to the Savoy Hotel, and he said to Lady Abdv, " Wh»t on earth's the meaning of thin!" Lady Abdy said, " It's Worcester fault. She also said, referring to Mr. Arnot, ' Ho had got it." Tho police officer asked if , she wanted to charge Mr. Arnot, "ho j said, "Yes, I do." lie was taken to Bow- j street and remanded for a week to Brixton Prison, and then committed for trial at North London Sessions, where the jury stopped the case and he was acquitted. "His Serene Highness." The plaintiff, a fair-haired, clean-shaven young man, gave evidence in support of counsel's narrative. At Bow-street Police Court Lady Abdy signed the charge-sheet. Crocs-examined by Sir F. low, K.C.: He never called himself His Serene Highness. ' - 1 ' Look at this document is it your writ—Yes. . ■ Read it out.- H.S.H. Prince de Clair* moat." " ' What*did yon mean by it?— fooling. ■ v-' » . ' .. ; It' is what voa wrote in answer to Lady 'Abdy's request to spell the name?— Yes. How much money had you iii your pocket when you wont to stay at the Charinp Cross Hotel*—Not man than 25®. I lyaa*Bgt > * >lMr hAd^ tip, 1 because I. could always get money from my sister. I/bad at the time a gold cigarette case, rings, key chain, sovereign puree, and matchbox in pawn for about £40. _I pawned the brooch in Cranbourn-street in the name of *■ Harrison, of Charles-street, Haymarket. I told the pawnbroker it belonged to my sister. 1 went to another pawnbroker s and redeemed my cigarette case, two rings, and a watch, paving about £15 odd. Was there found in your pocket a powder puff, some rouge, and an eyebrow Eencil?— No rouge, and I never use an eve. row pencil. . The witness admitted that when the police cam© to him outside the hotel a lady ,was in the motor-car. He Had passed the lady off in Paris as his sister. She had arranged to drive him to the Savoy Ht-tel- j It was a lie to suggest he stole the brooch. j When he borrowed money it was generally j from ladies. Lady Abdy's Evidence. Lady Abdy, dressed in black silk, gave evidence. She said, ' the plaintiff wjis i -ought to her house one Sunday evening Jivith six " painted boys." _ She did not epeak to him on that occasion. Later she saw him in the boat. He said he wag His Serene Highness Prince de Clairmont; that his uncle had died in Russia, and he had just come into the title and £3000.» year with estates. * Cross-examined: : Sho married Sir William Abdy somewhat late in life. Previously she was the wife of Sir William Robinson, who was knighted for something he had done in India; she did not know (what. Before that she had bern touring in a theatrical company. It was true she had carried on a making business in Great Russell-street. She had also lived in Shaftesbury Avenue. Are you not very kind to young men?— Certainly not. v Have you ever given anyone a gold cigarette case? —Yes, to one friend. To a man?— Yes.

• How old was lie'.'About twenty-one, I num»oßc. I was going to marry him. ' You say this young man's story of your lending him a butterfly brooch i« not true? An absolute invention. Have you ever been in trouble yourself? —Yes. What trouble was that?l dccline to answer that. s The hearing was adjourned. I '■ . '