STORY OF A MINIATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19736, 12 March 1926, Page 9

STORY OF A MINIATURE

BARONESS SACKEN ACQUITTED. HYSTERICAL DELIGHT OF FRIENDS. tFreW Annotation—Bj Telegrapi—Dopyrlght.) LONDON. March 10. (Received- March 11, at 9 p.m.) Baroness Sacken was acquitted on a charge of stealing a miniature, the property of Sir Archibald Hamilton. The defence indignantly denied the theft and repeated that Sir Archibald presented it to her. The judge, in summing up. declared that it was unpleasant to have to try a woman of good character and personal attraction. When the jury returned its verdict the baroness was overcome with joy and ran from one end of the dock to the other. She ran away from the warders and rushed to the jury box where she animatedly thanked the jurors in French. Her hueband ran towards her and embraced her, while the French witnesses practically carried her out of the court where she was joined by her lady friends who rushed excitedly down the corridor, all laughing hysterically. A. and N.Z. Cable. A curious story of the alleged theft of a miniature valued at £SOO, belonging to Sir Archibald Hamilton, was told at the trial in January last of Baron and Baroness Osten Sacken, both of whom were described as Russians. It was alleged that they had been the guests of Sir Archibald Hamilton at tea. He showed them his art collection. After they left a miniature was missed, and the couple were arrested on alight inf from the boat train at Southampton, when the miniature was found in the possession of the baroness, who is described aa a charming woman. She declared that when looking over the collection she admired the miniature, whereupon Sttr Archibald Hamilton said: “You really like it, baroness?" and thrust it into her hand, adding “Then it’s yours.” Sir Archibald Hamilton denied this story, adding, that ho ‘‘might have boon a Don Juan in his youth, but ho was older and wiser now.” Baron Sacken was acquitted and the baroness committed for trial.