A Bogus Baby Case. Mrs. Salisbury in February, whether she could attend her in April, was equally con vinced. Theresa Page, the servant at the house in Kensington road, said that she and the landlady did not go to bed till 1.30 A-. M. on the eventful morning. She had previ ously let in Mrs. Pike about a quarter to eleven and neither Mrs. Salisbury nor Mrs. Pike had a latch-key. All the doors were fastened except the front kitchen-door. There was a medium-sized house-dog kept ¡n the kitchen and it would bark if any one approached the doors. The front kitchen door was left open so that it could get out. There had frequently been difficulty with the door of Mrs. Salisbury's room, as it had stuck more than once, and the key had been passed underneath by Mrs. Pike. After Mrs. Salisbury left, a lodger kicked the panel of the door out, and in consequence the lock was mended. On the morning in question Mrs. Pike passed the key under neath. Mrs. Nuttall, a laundress, said that she had known the Salisburys a long time and had been asked by Mr. Crabbe to send to Kensington road for Mrs. Salisbury's wash ing, and she did so though she did not usually send so far. Mrs. Salisbury had apparently persuaded her husband before his death that she was about to have a child, for an independent witness, who had read of the case in the newspapers, came forward and stated that Mr. Salisbury had said to him in the course of conversation that he hoped it would be a boy. Another witness, a jobmaster, proved that Mr. Salisbury had obtained the loan of his dog-cart to take Mrs. Salisbury home, as she could not walk on account of her con dition, and Mr. Salisbury had actually drunk "the youngster's health" with him. The wife of a fisherman near Bridport told of Mrs. Salisbury having got fresh water eels from him on account of her con dition. The witness said that it was a well-
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known thing for women to have fancies of this sort. This witness, as well as several others, spoke of the resemblance between the baby and Mr. Salisbury. Several per sons stated that shortly before Mr. Salis bury's death they had noticed signs indicat ing that his wife was going to have a child. This was the case presented on behalf of the plaintiff, and certainly a most extraordinary case it was. Sir Edward Clarke, Q. C., M. P., then, as now, the greatest advocate at the English bar, had been retained for the defendants. He pointed out that the case was clearly one to be resisted, and that if the child was really Mrs. Salisbury's, no two persons could have taken more pains to throw dis credit on the claim they had made, than these two women had done, and, said the learned counsel, we hope to be able to show before the conclusion of this case, where the child was obtained from. Sir Edward's prediction was fully realized. Dr. C., who was ill and absent from home and whose address was for some time un obtainable, was at length examined, and his testimony was to the following effect: Mrs. Salisbury went to him in February, 1894, and told him she desired to adopt a child. On February 19 he was called in suddenly to attend a' young unmarried girl in her con finement. Mrs. Salisbury called on him a day or two afterwards and he drew her at tention to the birth of this child. He had already told the mother of the girl that he knew some one who would adopt the child if her daughter was willing. To either Mrs. Salisbury or her sister he gave the address. After the legal proceedings commenced, Mrs. Salisbury asked him to assist her to establish that the child was hers, but he re fused to do anything of the kind. It appeared that Dr. C. had refused to give the name and address of the girl who gave birth to the child. He had furnished the plaintiff's solicitors with a proof of his evidence, in which he stated shortly the fact
