OUR LONDON FLANEUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5191, 23 December 1884, Page 3

OUR LONDON FLANEUR.

I (Prom the " Star's" London Correspondent.) SOCIAL, THEATRICAL, AND LITERARY' GOSSIP. I. the tichbokne claimant. An extraordinary report is to the effect that the Claimant to theTichborne estates, finding the public are not bo ready to pay : their shillings and sixpences to hear him 1 dilate upon his grievances as thoy were ■ ten years ago, has determined to take to the stage, and will appear in a melodrama j descriptive of his own adventures. The ; idea has the merit of originality, and would unquestionably " draw " for a time. i We have, however, yet to learn whether the authorities will consent to the plan. Mr Castro, it must be remembered, is not a free, but a ticket-of-leave man under police surveillance for many years to come, and any misbehaviour on his part can, and probably will, be promptly punished by ve-arrest and incarceration. Hammond's wonderful lttck. — spotting a treble event. The talk amongst men just now is all about the wonderful luck of the ex-stable lad John Hammond, who, with only two racehorses, and in the course of a Bingle season, has cleared the English turf of its most valuable prizes, and landed not less than a quarter of a million of money in bets. Florence, the mare that carried off the Cambridgeshire for him the other day under 9st lib (an extraordinary burden), was purchased from one of the most experienced trainers at Newmarket for the price of a common hack, and St Gatien, the Derby and Cesarewitch hero, fell into this favourite of fortune's hands equally cheap. At Newmarket, during the Second October meeting, Hammond simply couldn't do wrong. He was almost the only man who backed Melton for the Middlepark Plate, and his winnings on the Cesarewitch didn't fall far short of £50,000. ' To show how difficult it is to "spot" a treble event, I may mention that the Prize Winner, a Tuesday racing paper belonging to Corlett, of the Sporting Times, offered £250 to any person or persons who successfully prophesied the winners of the Cesarewitch, Middlepark Plate, and Cambridgeshire. More than 101,200 coupons were filled up and sent in, yet only 49 persons struck the double event of Cesarewitch and Middlepark Plate, and not a single soul achieved the treble. Mr Corlett consequently _ lakes a fat thing out of the business, for he sold papers to the value of about £840, aud keepß the £250 in his pocket. THE " VANITY FAIR " ASSAULT CASE. Talking of newspapers remindß me that the editors of two "society" journals, Vanity Fair and St Stephen's Review, have been having rather a warm time df it lately. The row at the St Stephen's Review office was of a very trivial character, and need not be recapitulated here, but the merry little " mill " between Lord Marcus Beresford and Mr Bowles of Vanity Fair is being talked about everywhere just now, and, moreover, seems likely to develop into a small cause celebre. The motive of Lord Marcus' assault was a paragraph in Vanity Fair about his connection with the unfortunate Mrs Trevelyan, whose piteous plight was surely a righteous subject for astonished comment. I will let Mr Bowles tell the tale in hia own language : — " There is a forlorn and unfortunate lady named Trevelyan. She was married when a beautiful girl of 19 to that Colonel Trevelyan who had ridden I inthe Balaclava charge, and has risen to the command of the 7th Hussars. She had 'an affectionate husband and an honourable position, she became the mother of children, and was envied, admired, and courted. But after 16 years of marrjed life troubles arose. Complaints were made and wrongs alleged on both sides, and in 1875 her husband separated from her, executing a deed of separation, under which she was to receive £400 a year. Lord Marcus Beresford, who was then an intimate friend of both husband and wife, was appointed trustee of the deed. After some years, however, during which the allowance was regularly paid, Colonel Trevelyan Btopped it on the allegation that certain of the covenants of the deed' had been broken. Then ensued legal proceedings over the deed, and the events thereto belonging, between Lord Marcus Beresford and the Colonel, and also between Colonel and Lord Marcus, coupled with Mrs Trevelyan. But meantime the poor woman has been left without her allowance. From stage to stage of poverty she has gone until she has become utterly destitute. She is now a wretched outcast without a home or a penny to buy food, inhabiting by turns the streets, the workhouse, and the prison, and driven by her sorrows to desperation. She has, perhaps, not been faultless herself ; but however faulty she may have been, it seems very surprising, very shocking, and very dreadful that none of those who in her prosperity courted and admired her, and lived with her on terms of friendship and intimacy should now be found willing to stretch out a hand to rescue her from her pitiable situation. This poor creature has related her sad tale in one Police Court after another, and in one after another has been told by the kindly but powerless Magistrate, that he could do nothing for her. Only a few weeks ago she was tried at the MiddleI "sex sessions for stealing two pewter pots. j She once again, with trembling lips, told her pitiful 6tory, described how she had I been repulsed by all those to whom she believed herself entitled to look for help ; how she had been refused admission even to the workhouse ; and how, having no money, she had to walk penniless about the streets all night. The Judge, touched no doubt with pity, discharged her with a caution. It was on this Police Court case Vanity Fair in the first instance commented, remarking that either Lord Marcus or some of the unhappy lady's former friends ought to help her. ' The Beresfords are all more or less bullies, Lord Marcus being a notorious bruiser. I suppose the observations of Vanity Fair struck home, for he was very angry, and went up to the office of the paper, intending to inflict condign punishment on the Editor. A MERRY LITTLE "MILL." What eventuated was subsequently described by Mr Bowles at the Police Court as I follows : — On Oct. 10, 1 was driving to the office in Tavistock street, Covent Garden, in a cab, shortly before four o'clock. While crossing Covent Garden one of my staff came up to me, and said, " Lord Marcus Beresford is waiting at the office for you with, it is believed, hostile intentions." I took my gloves off, and told the driver to go on. Arrived at the office a gentleman whom I did not know personally, but whom I know now as Lord Marcus Beresford, ! put his foot on the stop of the cab as it was drawing up and said, " Are you Mr Bowles ? " I replied, " Yes. May I ask what your name is ? " He said, " I am , Lord Marcus Beresford. You published a letter in your paper last week containing lies about me. I want the name of the writer." I remarked, " This is hardly a proper way to ask it," and therewith I got out of the cab. When we were on the pavement I asked, "What have you to complain of ?" He said : " Will you give me the name of the writer ?" I replied : "No ; I am afraid I can't do that." He said : " Then you adopt the authorship of the letter yourself ?" I replied 5 " No ; I don't do that either." He repeated : " Then you adopt the responsibility yourself." I replied : " No ; but pray step into the office ; and we will discuss the matter," and therei with I made with my hand a gesture of invitation into the doorway. At this time we were standing close together, almost touching. Without another word or any warning whatever, he pushed me with his left elbow against the shaft of the cab, so that my hat fell off, and simultaneously struck me with his right fist on the forehead. While in the act of striking the blow, or immediately afterwards, he called me a liar, a thief, and swore at me. Up to this time the conversation had been conducted politely, the voices scarcely raised. Then I went at him and struck him several time 3 on the face. This appeared to sur-

j prise and confuse him. He got away from . me aud went into the road." I followed,, still striking at him, and when he got to tho other side of the road he went downfell down. »While down, I tried to hold him, and took him by the shoulders. He struggled, kicked, and Bwore, and some of his friends pulled me off. He got up, and simultaneously two youths— clerks— came ' out of Vanity Fair office and took hold of him. He was swearing generally, demeaning himself more like a maniac than a human being. He broke away from them, called me names, and again rushed and struck at me. He stopped, danced about and swore. I struck at him, as I was obliged to defend myself. He appeared dazed in his manner, as if ho could not see me, and I avoided and parried his blows. There was a little lull, and I sent for a policeman and went into the office. When the policeman arrived I went .down to give the defendant into custody, ' but he had gone, and I was informed that he went away in the cab which had brought me. ! Mr Bowies' account of 'the affair was substantiated by three or four of his employes, j but tho cabman who brought hiui to the '■ scene of action swore to quite a different . story. He said, "On the 16th inst. I drove ! Mr Bowles to his office in Tavistock street. I saw Lord Marcus Beresford there. They had some conversation. I saw Mr Bowles leave the cab and walk towards the office. He had a brown stick in his hand. If anything ho seemed to raise it. He pushed Lord Marcus with his left hand, and Lord Marcus struck hiui with his right, and , j knocked his hat off. Lord Marcus, in the ' j blow, overreached himself and fell on his : knees, with his hands on the ground. Mr j Bowlcb then pitched into him, and struck him on the shoulders and on the back of the head. I then counted four men come out of Vanity Fair office, and saw them pitch into Lord Marcus most unmercifully and in a most cowardly manner, some of them holding his hands and some striking him. One of them got hold of hiß legs and tried to tumble him. Lord Marcus struggled with them across the road, and Mr Bowles followed, and did a most cowardly thing, worthy only of a cat 1 or a woman. I saw him try and scratch j Lord Marcus' face. Lord Marcus was hit j on the back of the head. Eventually he '. got free from the whole lot, and the four j men ran into the office, and Mr Bowles ran ; in also. Lord Marcus then jumped into : my cab and drove away. At least five or six men were on Lord Marcus during the i scuffle, pitching into him whilst he was on j the ground. He got six or seven blows on \ the back of the head. I was astonished ! Lord Marcus came out of it so well. They < never got him actually down to the ground, but they tried to. They were not men enough to stand before him. I cried out, ' Shame ! ' and others did the same. Lord Marcus was over-manned, and cried, 'How many of you are going to be at me ? ' " After several other witnesses bad been examined, the Magistrate comnjitted Lord Marcus for trial, so we have by no means heard the last of this pleasant little affair.