SOCIETY LADY'S PEARL BUTTERFLY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14658, 27 January 1912, Page 6

SOCIETY LADY'S PEARL BUTTERFLY.

accused ''''i , l^^•cE'' , acquitted

SAVOY DINNER PARTY. Known as the Prince de Cla'rcmonle —a title to which lie declared be had ovary right sine, the law <!id not prevent him Irani using it—Piostin Arnot, whom Lady Abdy met on ilie night boat returning from Paris, Mas acquitted at the London Sessions of t'li-3 accusation of stealing her ladyship's £:>';s diamond and pearl butterfly brooch. Lady Abdy:—"ho said the accused, o.i the train- up from Dover, as:erted that ho was bis Serene Highness something - or - other was cio.naoxainincd .on a dinner-party at the .Savoy, at which he was the last guest to depart. Arnot'.s defence was that the brooch Wiw a loan. Lady Abdy, said counsel pro.oruting, had met i.io accused four months before the daily morning ■encounter on tlio way homo from Paris. She was g ving a dinner-party at tbo .Savoy Hotel on the night of the day when she net him on the boat, unci (is she thought that if Ik- v.-iis a prince ho must, be as good as bor'self, :-he invited him to ioin her other piieots. After Arnot had left she m'ssod tile brooch from the table in her dressingroom. - ■ Answer.ng the questions of the accused, Lady Abdy "said he was talking a lot of nonsense -when he suggested that she asked him to marry her wh:!-c. in the train at five o'clock in the i morning. "Mv secretary >vai3 with me all the time," said Lady Abdy. "1 was not traveling n!ei:i?."" Aruot's trial had been postponed from tlio last sts-inns. and he had been on bail of ij(!!lf)—his own re-cognis-ances in £.j()o and one surety of a like amount. His surety was a s : etcr. a wealthy marrie;! lady, with a town house and a res donee' at Maidenhead Lady Abdy. living at I'ark Square denied in evidence Aruot's suggestion 'that she gave him the brooch to rai-o n'i nev on. She was left verv well i:ii' she said, and on that night" p<,sse.«;,d £'l32. Sh.- wa; fond of enicrliiluing, and some! in:; s made valuable pn senV. to her friends, both lad c.s and" gontleKPISODE OF THE HAIRBRUSH. Speaking of the meeting on the night mad boat from Calais, Lady Abdy. under cross-examination, sail the accused raised his hat and snoke to lier, and she said, "I cannot place you." I suppese tho dinner was a pretty cheerful meal, wasn't it.'—Yes. There was a good supply ef champagne.—\o, certainly not, seven to dinner',, and two bottles of champagne between them. That followed by claret?— Certainly not. There's no harm in it. You seem to recent the suggestion. . Lady A Inly: It wa-3 followed by liqueurs and coffee. There was whisky nnd soda?— Certainly, if they wanted it. The Deputy Chairman: I thought brandy usually followed champagne. (Laughter.) Lady Abdy: I always get ev-ervtlring my guests want. Lady Abdy denied that she offered to make the defendant a present of a gold cigarette-case. She had worn the butt.-nlv brooch during the evening, and when prepar : ng to change un- | fastened it and placed it on a. tablo in | her roam. He-.- Secretary at that time was in h.,s room, and the defendant fm.owe:! her. and asked permission to brush his-, ha r. You resented that, of course: I —l did not. I thought there was no harm in it. At two oVock in the morning?— Not an unusual thing, is it? Do you always, lock up your jewellery?—No; I sometimes sleep in some of my jewels. That .night did you?— The most valuable I do sometimes. PRINCE TRIES ON HER RINGS. Lady Abdy said that the defendant picked tip Iter rings, and. putting them on, said thev were verv beautiful. She told him to take them" off. When the defendant was-departing she called her secretary, saying, ••The Prineo is going." Are you quite friendly with your secretary now ? —No—yes. Dkl you not say "No"'first?— No. The Judge-: You did say 'so, Ladv Abdy. Lady Abdy: He is not in mv scrvic* now. / You do sometimes give or lend things and.want them ba.-k?—Never. If I give a thing J :dve it. Do you know a Mrs. Bailev?—Yes: I met her twice. Only tin's morning. I think, there i was a dispute over something vou have given her?—l lent her a cioa'k and a boa, and she refused to return them, so J. sent my brother-in-law down for them. Did not you threaten her with the polL-o this morning?— No. ATy brother-in-law demanded the tilings I lent her. The accused, giving evidence, said that when he told Lady Abdy .his cigarette-ca'se was in pawn she offered him the brooch, telling him not to pawn it for more than J £SO. And jvju pawned it for £3;"— Yes. Were you hard up at this time? — One always has debts. Did you have debts—pressing debts —at this time?-—Fairish onci», vos. Why did you raise £35. if. as vou say, Ladv Abdy said £3O-Beeau3e one usually asks for more than on-a wants in pawnshop?. (Laughter). During the cross-examination of the accused the foreman of the jury said, " Wo should like to stop this case. We have .heard sufficient of the evidence." Tho Deputy-Chairman: You can only stop it if yon are going to bring in a verdict of not guilty. The Foreman: Our verdict in already made up. AVe have found the defendant "Not guilty." Some applause greeted tho decision, and the accused was set at liberty.