THE JACKSON CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7180, 3 June 1891, Page 2

THE JACKSON CASE.

♦ Mrs Jackson's Story. The Letters from Auckland. [From otjb London Cobbbspondent.] London, April 24. Though the Hurlberfc and Vernej scandals have sufficed to wipe Mr Jackson and his wife completely out of mind in London, Lancashire is still deeply interested in their quarrel. Mrs Jackson and the Baldwins have now come forward to defend themselves. Last Saturday Mrs Jackson published » long statement concerning her courtship and marriage. Up to a certain point this tallies fairly well with Jackson's story, save that the lady declares she was never more than moderately anxious to wed. It was the man pressed her. What, too, the public have never completely understood is that, though Mrs Jackson possessed money, Bhe waa not her husband's social equal. Jackson had the standing of a gentleman, was on terms of intimacy with the County families, and evidently "Bwaggered" a good deal. Miss was at once fascinated by, and afraid of, Inm. He made love to her in a patronising sort of way. Even on their wedding day the brideeroom incensed his newly-made wife by finding fault with her for dropping her h's The hymeneal party, after returning from church, took early dinner at Miss Jackson'a (the bridegroom's sister's). "The dinner," says Mrs Jackson, " was over by three o'clock or so and I played on the piano and sang a little. The friends left about four o'clock when Mr Jackson and I walked to the house of a near neighbour of his, but a stranger to me, with whom we stayed about a quarter of an hour, and we then went back to his house. When I got in, ha asked me where I was going to spend the msrht. He did not && me to go anywhere with him, and I said I was going home, and he must take and leare me there. He arranged to do this and to return to Blackburn himself. It is not true, as Mr Jackson iB said to have stated in an interview with the Pall Mall Gazette, that he asked me after the wedding to accompany him to London, or 'pressed' me to do so. When I stated that I had better return home, he made no demur of any kind ; his manner suggested, on the contrary, that he was relieved when I put on my bonnet to go, and he never said anything except to ask me, as I have already Baid, where I was going. We were never alone together in the house during the day." Jackson took his wife back by rail to Blackburn, travelling (on his wedding day, remember) third clbsb in a carriage with other people. The Baldwins had been informed of the marriage by telegram. They were upisot, but ready, after a talk, fco make the best of it. Baldwin naturally thought Jackson'a conduct peculiar, wid (from a lawyer's point of view) aua-

riciouß. It seemed meet; extraordinary that ;he man should go through the form of narriage with a girl he professed to love, md then, in an embarrassed way, and to iis bride's evident surprise, bring her buck lome on the wedding night and — leave icr. Mr Jackson says:— Mr Baldwin laid ho hoped I should not regret the step [ had taken. My answer was, "If I had ;o do it again I should do the same." Mr Jackson Baid, " What is the objection to me ? " and Mr Baldwin answered, " You iave no business or occupation. What bave you got to keep a wife on ? " He replied, " I have got enough to keep myself always in bread and butter." I then stated I waated a settlement of my property to be prepared, aud Mr Baldwin suggested I should get Mr Kobinßon to prepare it. I said " No," and that I wished him (Mr Baldwin) to prepare it in the proper and usual way. Mr Jackaon assented. He said he was leaving Blackburn the following day (Sunday) for London, and leaving London on the 9th or 10th to go on board, by which time the settlement must be ready. He then left the house for the purpose of returning to Blackburn. At the front dour he asked Mr Baldwin to take caro of me, and they shook hands and parted in a friendly manner. la hia affidavit of March 19, 1891, Mr Jackson saya :— " In the evening (after the marriage) we went to Clitheroe, my wife wanting to break the news to her sister, and to make all right with her and her aister, Mrs Baldwin, aud with Mr Baldwin." This is wholly incorrect. We did not go to Clitheroe for any such purpose. His only object in returning toClitheroe was to take mo home aud leave me there. * * * * On the Sunday afternoon, according to the arrangement with Mr Jackson, I went to the station to go to Blackburn by the 1.30 train to see him. There had been a breakdown, and, as the train did not arrive, I was driven by a friend of Mr Jackson's to Blackburn. We arrived at West View just at dusk. We found Mr Dixon Kobinson and several others there busy preparing and packing for the departure of Mr Jackson and Mr Dixon Kobinson. I was jiißt like one dazed and in a dream. I was verj much excited, very sorry he was going, and tearful. The statement that he ever offered to give up the voyage on my account is not true. I should have been glad if he had stayed, but he always said they must go, as their passage money was paid, their heavy luggage sent on, and all their arrangements made. The two left the house about eight o'clock, and I remained for a time with Mies Jackßon, when I was driven back to Clitheroe. We wore never alone on that day. All was hurry and commotion, and even his leavetaking with me was in the presence of his sister. Almost immediately upon Mr Jaokßon'a departure I realised that it would be impossible for me to hope to endure the rough life of a Colonial settler, and this necessitated a complete change of plan. I was not by any tueanß robust, and some years before I had suffered three times from rheumatic fever, twi;e accompanied by inflammation of the heart. On one occasion my life was despaired of for several days. For six months I had a hospital nurse in constant attendance. My medical advisers had been Dr Musson and Sir William Eoberts. T had, therefore, to abandon all idea of going to New Zealand. In order that Mr Jackson might not have time to carry out his plan of buying land in New Zealand and thus fasten himself to the country, I wrote to him immediately, being careful that the letter should be out there bo as to be awaiting him on his arrival, to tell him of thiß. l I asked him to return home to England. I saw Misa Jackson at Blackburn, and told I her what I had done. I wrote other letters to Mr Jackson, all of a very affectionate kind, written in expectation of our living happily together in England. I talked over the arrangements with my 'friends, and it was thought best that at first on Mr Jackson's return we two should live in furnished apartments in a nice detached house in Lord street. Mr Baldwin Baid if we decided to settle in Clitheroe he would, let us have a house belonging to him nearly opposite his own, and also the garden and tennis lawn adjoining, and I purchased such table and bed linen, &c, as might be necessary for commencing housekeeping. . In -this way I made all such preparations as I could on my side to receive my husband on his return. In this way the first few months passed after the marriage, until the day after I received the first letter from my husband. As these letters are destined to play a most important part in the history of our marriage, I wish to state the circumstances under which they were received, and to leave any one to judge of the effect which they were calculated to have upon me. Up to that moment I trusted my husband. I believed he had married me for myself, and that he had taken out capital to New Zealand to buy land with and start farming, and it was to save him from investing this capital that I had written so promptly to ask him to return. The first thing that struck me as peculiar was that on the same day, Jan. 30, 1888, he had written two letters strikingly different in kind, that he had enclosed them in the same envelope, and that one he apparently wished to be private and the other to be shown generally. That which I was to show was in affectionate terms, describing his experience on the voyage, and his illness, &c. In all of it there was no reference to money matters, while several things in the one were kept entirely out of the other. In the private letter what struck me was the fact that although he neither bought land nor commenced farming, and thus could not have spent any of the capital which I had been told they were both taking out, he was without even the means to pay his fare home. Then, again, that I should be asked to pay the return fare of the friend as well as of my husband in order that, as he proposed, my husband and I, his sister, and his friend should get a sort of joint home herein England on my money. The following is a copy of the letter :— Auckland, N.Z., Jan. 30, 1888. My darling Emily,— l received your welcome letter on our arrival. lam very sorry you do not care to come out, sb I think Dick and I should make money, though it would take some time ; but I do so want to be at rest with you, so. darling, we give up New Zealand, but cannot go Home without means, and that is a hundred pounds and a little more. As soon as I get it we will take our passage and be Home as soon as possible. I wish this letter to be private, as we do not wish the Castle people to know anything that has happened. I left England with a nasty cold, which ief t me in a few days, and we enjoyed our voyage for some weeks, till the bath steward gave me a wet nightshirt, which made me very poorly the rest of the voyage. The doctor on board was very kind ; and ' good old Dick has nursed me day and night. When at Melbourne I was better, and was moderately well getting to Sydney, and then I was in bed till our steamer left for Auckland, and have been poorly ever since. I am a little better now, but still far from well. Dick ia so good. We are most anxious that none of the Castle people should know how poorly I have been. In fact Ido n6t want anybody but you and Isabel to know. We are in very comfortable diggings at present. Darling, I could not leave Dick behind, it would kill him. You know, dear, it is through him that we are together, aud that I am so happy. When we get home we can settle* what is to be done. What Dick and I should like would be a nice little farm near a town, anywhere you like ; and, if it can be managed, a little plaoa for Isabel near; and Dick would stay with her. We should all be then 80 happy ; but, of coarse, nothing can be settled till we are home again. Ido not care what we do, if only you are happy. One thing, j we have found a powder which completely > stops the spasms like magic. Have a talk f with Isabel.— > Ever your loving husband. E. Hauohton Jackson. ! P.S.— We cannot leave here till the beginning of June, so it will be August : before we are Home. I ahould like to : have been leaving here in May, but I ' don't see how the money is to get here. It has only to be placed to " E. Haughton Jackson, Bank of New Zealand, at Auokland." Bat have a chat with Isabel.