MEMORY OF GLADSTONE

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 30

MEMORY OF GLADSTONE

; ; WRIGHT LIBEL ACTION. PLAINTIFF EXPRESSES REGRET. LONDON, February 1. Interest was maintained in the Gladstone case, of which to-day’s feature was the following telegram from Monte Carlo which was read in court: “Strongly repudiate slanderous accusations by Peter Wright.—(Signed) Lily Langtry.” The cross-examination of Captain Wright, during which he maintained a cool, debonair, and monocled attitude, reached the climax after a 10-hours’ duel as follows: — Mr Birkett: Do you now regret - the publication of the passage about Mr W. E. Gladstone?” Captain Wright (thumping his fist violently on. the witness box): Yes, of course 1 do. If Viscount Gladstone will now withdraw the charges I will say unto him: “I’m extremely sorry to have hurt your feelings.” The Judge (coldly) : Don’t knock the furniture about. ~ When Mr Birkett referred to the secre . tary of the Bath Club, Captain Wright said warmly: “He’s a scoundrel.” The Judge: Is there anybody in the world who isn’t a scoundrel? During the course of his cross-examina-tion, which was again of sharp exchanges Captain Wright steadfastly declined, until he had answered Mr Norman Birkett’s closing question, to recede from the position he had adopted throughout. His counsel agreed to accept Mrs Langtry’s telegram as evidence. Referring to the actual offending passage in the book, Mr Birkett said: “You say of Mr Gladstone that he was purs’.ring and possessing every sort of woman.” Captain Wright: Every sort of woman in his own station of life, such as Novikoff and Laura Bell. Mr Birkett: But aren’t you shifting ground? Weren’t you referring to street girls?

Captain Wright: Only a lawyer with a microscope would believe that. An ordinary plain man would not. There was a tense scene when Captain Wright declared that lie had not thought '* about the feeling» of Mr . Gladstone’s ’ family. “If Viscount Gladstone had not abused me I certainly would have expressed .regret. The judge broke in with -' “Does that mean you are now sorry?” ■ ■ - Captain-' Wright: My Lord! The Judge (interrupting, sharply) : Give me a direct answer. ■ Captain Wright (dropping his monocle front his eye)': Yes, my Lord, it does ; but it would be most difficult to express it to Viscount Gladstone unless he retracts his abusive language, ■ Mr Birkett: You won’t withdraw the statement, though ? Captain Wright: 1 cannot withdraw >"<what I believe to he true. Mr Birkett: Do" you consider that a decent way of expressing regret? • Captain Wright:. If they will retract their torrent of abuse I will retract now. When Captain Wright’s evidence came to a conclusion, and his case was closed,' the judge, on Mr Birkett’s submission, held that the letter to the secretary of the Bath Club, on which the action was based, was written on a privileged occasion, and added that the question of malice would be left to the jury. There was an interesting moment when photographs of Novikoff were handed to the judge, who remarked: “I cannot give them judicial notice,” and then* passed them to thejiiry, who inspected them with interest. Three women jurors, were so absorbed that the cross-examination was held up. The silence was broken by a frank jurywoman remarking: “I think she is very nice.” A second jurywoman said: “Yes, she looks very nice, but I do not like her hair,” whereupon the whole court laughed. Counsel quoted letter's written by Novikoff from Moscow to Mr Gladstone, urging him to write: “If in free England people cannot correspond ■without being calumniated in the most vulgar way, then Eng- / land is degenerating. Do write if. you can without -exposing yourself to danger.”

STATESMAN’S SON IN THE ~r.. ,: box: LONDON, February 2. When Mr Norman Birkett called Viscount Gladstone to the witness box the cause celebre of the day reached its > climax. Lord Gladstone is a man of middle height, not looking his 73 years, with a clipped grey moustache and close-cropped, iron-grey hair. He answered dispassionately until Mr Birkett asked: “What do you.say about this passage in Captain •Wright’s book?”. . ■■ ‘ Lord Gladstone’s face flushed, and he answered emotionally: “It was revolting. It made me angry, almost to an un- ' ungovernable extent.” ’ Mr Birkett asked: “What was the relationship of your father and mother?” Lord Gladstone (with emphasis) : “Ab- : solutely-perfect.”/- --t. . Mr Birkett: “After Captain Wright’s evidence do you wish to qualify or withdraw the expression ‘foul?’” Lord Gladstone: “Certainly not. One who makes foul charges*is foul-minded. ‘■'■■l thought Captain Wright a foul fellow, , / and I think so still.” Lord Gladstone proceeded to outline his ; . -father’s work in connection with fallen women. He mentioned several institu- ■ ; tions which, had been founded and liberally' supported by him throughout his *•'» lifetime. Furthermore, in this connection he often spoke to women in the streets,

and, despite what Lord Morley described as “the baseness of men’s -tongues,” • he kept to his resolution-with: iron tenacity. Referring; to the letter to Captain Wright, he declared; that he wrote it’with the express and absolute purpose of forcing him into" the law courts. It was the only remedy, because when he and his brother were gone iione of the family would be left with a full knowledge of the facts. Correspondence extending over 23 years between his father and Olga Novikoff was available, and in it there was not the slightest suggestion or hint of impropriety. It was an infamous and vile charge against Novikoff also. ■Lord Gladstone reviewed at length the associations of Mrs O'Shea and Mr Parnell, quoting an instance to prove that his father was not aware of the relationship. Mr Birkett, in that connection,, read extracts from Mrs O'Shea’s book, adding: “This proves conclusively that Mr Gladstone was not aware of the relationship.” The cross-examination developed into a lively duel. Mr F. B. Merriman, K.C., referred to a passage in which it was suggested that Lord Beaconsfield regarded Mr Gladstone as a religious hypocrite. Lord Gladstone retorted: “I don’t care what you say. Lord Beaconsfield can say what he likes. I know.” Often witness and counsel were speaking simultaneously. Lord Gladstone (heatedly) : “My father would have taken action had the Novikoff charges been brought in his lifetime.” Mr Merriman questioned Lord Gladstone at length about an article published during his father’s lifetime, asking why he had not taken action.

The Judge broke in with: “All I can say is that if the case happened to be tried before me I should have to consider whether the words were capable of any such meaning at all.”

HIS CHARACTER VINDICATED MR T. P. O’CONNOR’S EVIDENCE. LONDON, February 3. Prominent events of the Victorian days were unfolded with an extraordinarily clear vision by Mr T. P. O’Connor, who was a witness in the Gladstone case. He stated: “I have been a member of the House of Commons for 47 • years, and I am familiar with events in England and Ireland from 1880 onward.” Mr Birkett referred to a passage in Mr O’Connor’s obituary notice of Lord Milner, in which he ascribed to Lord Milner the words: .“One does not know what Glastone is going to do until one knows what the seraglio has decided.” Mr Birkett: “Wright says ‘seraglio’ means ‘harem’? What do you think it means?”

There was a tremor in his voice when Mr O’Connor replied: ‘‘There; is not the slightest doubt that Lord Milner meant the extraordinary solicitude of Mrs Gladstone, which was familiar to everyone at the time. Often she, was in the inner lobby after he had made a great speech in order to muffle him up properly, for the homeward journey. That’s what Lord Milner meant.”

Questioned regarding Mr . Gl'dstone’s alleged connivance at the relationship between Parnell’ and Mrs O’Shea, Mr O’Connor answered unhesitatingly that Mr Gladstone had no knowledge or Conviction of it, nor' had he even considered it. Mr'O’Connor withstood a lengthy crossexamination on incidents extending over many years, and concluded with the observation: “Even if Lord Milner suspected a wrong relationship between Mr Gladstone and ladies he was far too great a gentleman to mention it.” ■ Mr Eveleigh Nash (chairman of the publishing firm concerned) emphatically asserted that he did not see the offending passage, ■ which must have been inserted by Wright in the proof. . The jury were absent for two hours and a-half. On returning they said they agreed that Viscount Gladstone’s letter of July 27 was true. , /, The Judge: “That is a verdict for the defendant.” . . The public began to applaud, and trie judge said: . “If anyone attempts to make a noise I shall commit him for contempt of court.” - . The Foreman: “We wish to add that we are unanimously of opinion. that the evidence given completely vindicates the high moral character of Mr Gladstone.” The judge then entered judgment for the defendant, with costs. Mr Birkett (on behalf of Lord Gladstone) added the latter’s deep appreciation to the members of the jury for their verdict. ' , ■ Lord and Lady Gladstone were then the recipients of general congratulations from friends. , . ./ Interviewed, Lord Gladstone said ne was completel" satisfied with the verdict, ■cularly with the rider; but the case -was much too big to talk about. Passages from Captain Wright’s book were widely circulated in July, 1925, when Viscount Gladstone wrote to the newspapers describing the book as garbage, and the writer as a liar,"'a coward, and a fool." Captain Wright refused to Sting an action for libel. - ■> Lord Gladstone then wrote to the committee of the Bath Club, and as a result Captain Wright was expelled ; but. he took action against the club, and secured a verdict in favour,-of his claim. The''action just concluded arose out of .Lord Gladstone’s letter.; to the Bath Club. . ... '. ■

. In a book .entitled “Portraits and Criticisms,” published by Captain ■ Peter Wright in 1925, references were made to the late Mr W. E. -. Gladstone, to., which strong exception • was taken- by the rfela'tiv'es arid friends "of the' dead statesman. Passages from the book were ’giveh Jwjde in the press. Viscount Glad-

stone wrote to the newspapers and described the book as ’’‘garbage” and its writer as a “liar, coward and a fool.” Wright at first refused .to sue Viscount Gladstone for libel. Viscount Gladstone then wrote to the Bath Club, of which Wright was a member, and in consequence of the letter Captain Wright was expelled. Wright then brought an action against the Bath Club for wrongful expulsion. Mr Justice Horridge directed the jury to return averdiqt for Wright on the ground that it .was illegal for the club to have expelled him without a hearing, arid £125 damages was awarded. One of the resented passages was: “The Liberals worshipped God. and Mainmon with equal zeal, assigning inward service to Mammon and leaving God to content Himself with their outward professions. Gladstone, their leader, founded a great tradition—namely, publicly to speak in language of the highest and strictest principle, and privately to pursue and possess every sort of woman.”