Show Th lE Q do P Grim brim GhoSt O His i others r Past I 7 sy i r 1 ir i v f v S aA 4 P- P awe jF L R LONDON Sa S a result of threatening letters SA As A received by the talented and beautiful Marchioness of Town Town- Townshend Townshend Town her little son the ten year year Marquis of Townshend is probably bly the most carefully guarded child in the world Awake or asleep in school or at play he is continually watched over by a score of detectives engaged by his anxious mother At the same time Scotland Scotland Yard is doing its best to run down the theauthor theauthor theauthor author of the anonymous letters letters and to find out the motive for sending them Why should the boy Marquis be men men- menaced men men- menaced menaced aced with or some still worse fate All titled society is wondering and many suspect that the young noble noble- nobleman nobleman man is being pursued by some grim ghost of hi his mothers mother's past Cert Certainly hers is a past eventful and mys mys- mysterious mysterious mysterious enough to have produced at least leasta a ghost or two c Before her marriage the the Marchioness Mar Mar- A II was South South- South erst the daughter of g p a lawyer 9 who had a reputation for en- en enn engineering cn- cn n dubious some very dubious schemes schemes He was finally disbarred dis dis- dis- dis disbarred barred for the way 1 M he brought about his h daughters daughter's ma marriage marriage gym A- A and it has always been suspected that S 'S this was not the only z one of his plots in which 6 y t r assisted The history of the as one t of Great Britain's leading e a din g families at dates back to the Y x reign of Edward IV and in the course of S time the they acquired d N M great wealth ButK But K unfortunately the n noble o 0 b l I le Ie e father of f fr r v John the young man t 1 who later married South- South i f fierst erst became b e c a m e in- in int in t tk in serious IM f FI Y financial difficulties difficulties 1 When he died he left his son a crip crip- crippling pling burden of debt The Marchioness in a fancy dress ball costume as well as a title a seat in them tM House of Lords and historic mansi s that cost a lot to maintain To make matters worse the son son was not mentally menially strong actually strong actually feeble feeble- feebleminded feeble feeble- feebleminded minded feeble minded many thought In order to finish his education young oung John entered the household of a clergy clergy- clergyman clergyman clergyman man named G A Robbins Bobbins He lIe became Ib fond fond of Robbins Bobbins that later later on oh when wh n nhe he came into his title he refused to leave him He preferred to continue living in the modest home at at Brighton with Rol Rolins Robs ins his wife and a Miss Ridsdale the ther ter a young woman whose name was linked by the gossips with the clergyman's in a scandalous way It was later charged in court that Robbins was the young Marquis evil genius The boy hero worshiped him but it was alleged that the clergyman's kindness was only a n pretense and that he was really Johns John's treacherous self self- self seeking seeking enemy In 1 1904 a a II breach of promise suit was brought against the young Marquis byan by byan byan an American woman Mrs Evelyn Sheffield She Sheffield field It was later discovered covered that the two had met through the introduction of Robbins Bobbins who had known Mrs Sheffield Sheffield field for some time The suspicion that the clergyman and Mrs Sheffield had plotted to entangle the immature and impressionable noble noble- nobleman nobleman man in a love affair and then divide the spoils was strengthened by her last min min- minute minute min 1 ute refusal to enter the witness box boJt and face examination cross-examination As a II result of her refusal to testify the suit was thrown out of court But this was only a n preliminary to the y Mystery of the Menace of or Worse That Thai Over Ten Ten- Tent Hangs England's England s f T Year Year- Year Old Old t left On the left eft th tha boy Marquis Mar- Mar o 0 Y 1 I Io quis mg ing uis who wa watched is be- be e Ma PH 11 a r qu ls s overnight over night and day by a force x 5 f Town Town- o 0 L e a of of twenty de de- de detectives W J if 1 J S h en d Ir 2 A The widowed Marchioness of Townshend and her two MaryY children the menaced Marq Marquis is and his sister Lady Mary Y Elizabeth Gladys Townshend real melodrama which which began with a let let- letter letter ter written by the Marquis to nIr a n Ir Ir Dunne Dunne clerk cleric in a government office and reading as follows follows- In In consideration ration of your our introducing meto me to Miss Miss and on that such introduction is the means means of marrying Miss I prom promise e to pay you 10 per cent of any money I receive from Mr or any member of his family As was later revealed Dunne the money grabbing marriage broker was wasa wasa wasa a friend of Mr Robbins Bobbins Indeed at a astill astill astill still still later tater period the Marquis threats to commit suicide because he lie believed ed Dunne had supplanted him in the clergy clergy- clergyman's clergyman's mans man's affections Dunne was was fooled by the plausible Mr into thinking that the lat latter lat lat- latter at- at atter ter was a very ery wealthy man and that to promote the marriage of his daughter with the Marquis meant a handsome commission Meanwhile Robbins Bobbins had been educating educating educating ing his trusting charge to the idea that h he must marry money and nothing but the influx of wealth it seemed then could save the estates already mort mort- mortgaged mort- mort mortgaged mortgaged up up to the hilt A certain Lady Fawcett a friend of ot the tho Townshend family suggested to Dunne that there was money money in it for both of them if he could find an heiress Alas Alai for Lor the reputation reputation reputation tation of the aristocracy Lady Fawcett above t taking king commission a 1 I Dunne Duane knew the slightly and had been impressed by their ap- ap apparent apparent ap apparent parent opulence The Marquis and Mr Ir Robbins were invited to meet Gwen and her parents Robbins Bobbins approved of the girl gir who was a beautiful creature with witha a halo halo of golden hair anda and a face ace gentle Yas as a saints saint's and so the the Marquis pro pro pro- proposed pro posed posed and was accepted Robbins Bobbins and got their heads together the clergyman believing the future law father of the Marquis wen well able to keep any financial obligation he undertook Robbins Bobbins first move ac- ac according according ac according cording to the prosecuting counsel nevertheless was to secure for or himself an an easy matter considering the almost abnormal influence he exerted over Townshend-a Townshend a promise of some if he didn't marry and about if he did And this simply as a II proof of gratitude for the care Robbins Bobbins had bestowed on the young aristocrat I Next and Robbins Bobbins made themselves trustees co-trustees of the young nobleman's estates and finances and Robbins engaged himself in addition as private secretary at a high salary Mean Meanwhile hile Mr Nr had prom prom- promised promised promised to settle upon the young couple and to allow them a year as s w well In consideration consideration of this the Marquis i aso also made s settlements oti on on his future i tride bride And then according to the evil evi- evi l dence in the case a avery a very remarkable thing occurred occurred- occurred The The settlement made made by the Marquis upon upon was duly witnessed and signed But the doc doc- document doc relating to Mr prom prom- promised promised iced settlement was overlooked On August 9 the w wedding ading took place although the Townshend family and the Marquis lawyer knew nothing of tl the e matter Apparently Robbins Bobbins had met more than his match in The law law- lawyer lawyer aw- aw awyer yer had fooled him into believing that the Marquis would ge get the promised money which Robbins Bobbins according to the agreement was to handle hande When the balked clergyman re realized that only an infinitesimal part of ot the money had been paid and that the rest was not forthcoming forthcoming forthcoming ing ho lie promptly cabled the Marquis l then honeymooning in Brussels to come home Townshend was only nl too delighted to return Even his temporary separation from his hero had caused him real anguish The rhe Marquis and the new Marchioness took a house in Brook Street where to th the great discomfort of the he young hus hus- husband hus- hus husband husband band the lived with them The law in mother law boxed his his ears when he displeased her Never Never very very strong either cither of body or mind his health soon suffered so severely that it was agreed he should spend three or four days das a week with Mr Robbins Bobbins Then began the str struggle for posses posses- possession possession possession sion of the young oun nobleman noble nob ma and Robbins Bobbins pitting all their strength and wits each other with the Marquis a mere pawn in the desperate game Robbins Bobbins decided that he must manage to keep the boy with him or th tb money would never be paid To alienate alien alien- alienate alienate ate th the band 1 bane band from from the wife was his strong card If he succeeded South erst could probably be forced to give up his in- in interest in interest terest in hi th the 9 Marquis es- es estates estates es estates tates that must some day become become be- be come Yal- Yal va- va u t J Ji 4 r t r k t i i ii j V 1 F Fik t f 7 f i ik k Ii fi v I o 1 T t w f wt J l v f ts r I G Jo s t I i tW jt 4 tJ I If fiN i D j x I J j f if t s n Ji i io v I If j I tf I t h i t j J I I N T l I ii 1 d zA f of k f t iF Q f Lf h 10 11 r 1 i- i ii t to j j l J to h i f y i t Q t i of 44 5 d Y t I t 4 i y I r i W W O e Marc Marchioness ioness of Townshend an and the son o- o who is being ig th threatened in my mysterious letters Ifon If on the other hand dominated the hapless nobleman Robbins Bobbins would lose At least so he seems to to have figured out for he persuaded the duped Marquis that his true happiness lay in the clergy clergy- clergyman's clergyman's clergyman's mans man's household rather than his own Ile He consequently returned to the house of his old adviser after a bare six months of married life Of course the Marchioness was in- in indignant in indignant to have her husband escape her her like this and used all sorts of wiles and cajoleries to to get him get him back Eventually she did induce him to come to to London on the plea that he ought ought to accompany accompany her to a fashionable reception just to tosho show sho society that they were still on good terms After the reception although he was anxious to get back to to Brighton to keep an appointment with Robbins Bobbins he con con- consented con to go with his wife to their May May- Mayfair May fair fair home for just a few minutes She pleaded that she wanted to speak with him privately and that she would not detain him long enough t to cause him to o miss his train The instant the Marquis s set t foot foot across the threshold the trap was was sprung lIe Ile heard the doors double double locked and barred behind him and and knew klew that he was a prisoner He was introduced to toa toa o oa a mental menta nurse who as he immedi immedi- immedi- immedi immediately immediately immediately understood was to be his jailer and to have been told that unless he would agree to to give give up his beloved Robbins he would never be set free Under these condi conditions ions a helpless prisoner and unable to communicate his plight to Ro Robbins Bobbins bins or any of his friends in the world outside the Marquis never very strong mentally underwent an al- al almost al almost most complete collapse What unnerved him par particularly were the threats to have him put put in an insane asylum and Jh the stories told him of the cruel treat treat- treatment treatment treatment ment he would receive there He lie was also told that his mother had hod turned against him and was trying to poison him The next move in the game with this human pawn was to send for a Dr Bramwell Having heard from the ap- ap apparently ap liP apparently anxious wife the the South South- ersts ersta of the Marquis weird behavior and seeing the tho patient in a n highly excited state he sent for an alienist Dr Savage Madness of course is a relative con con- con Ifa If a millionaire took to selling newspapers newspapers on the streets for a living we should know he was mad If a poorboy poor poorboy poorboy boy did the very same thing we should consider it good evidence of his sanity In the same way excitement i in certain circumstances is insane and in others normal The circumstances s of th the Marquis detention de- de det de detention t were carefully hidden from the medical medica men They had no idea of the frightful emotional strain which had caused his hysterical hysteric a state The hyp influence influence of enlarged for upon for their benefit Asked in their presence what he would do if it were proved to him that Robbins Bobbins had abused his trust and was robbing him the un- un unhappy unhappy un unhappy happy Marquis replied I shoud should should stand beside him in the dock share his prison cell with him and when he was liberated give him entire control of my y affairs I This extravagant declaration of faith impelled the doctors to fall in with the suggestion of Mr lr that the Marquis should be pronounced insane Accompanied by the Marchioness her her fa father made mad the application But at atthe the request request of the official cia solicitor he was forced forced to to let et the the latter petition in his place This Th interference seems to have upset the plans of the wife and law in father in In consequence shortly application had ad b been en presented Mr visited the the official official solicitor and explained that the the Marquis had escaped During the trial tria it was admitted by South erst that that it was with his knowledge that that the young man had been taken taken by the Marchioness to France The origin original a plot it was hinted had been been to terrify the the nobleman into leaving the country so that the lawyer might obtain absolute control of his for for- fortune fortune tune This the official solicitor had pre pre- prevented prevented prevented vented and so the only thing for it was wasa wasa wasa a complete change of front Having tried with their best to prove the Marquis Marquis Mar- Mar Marquis quis mad his wife and law father now began doing a all l in their power to prove him sane lIane During the inquiry into the state of mind of the Marquis of Townshend be before be- be before before fore Justice and a jury the unfortunate man was persuaded to re- re return return re return turn to England Beautiful still in her early twenties anda and a sweet and gentle type of British womanhood was com compelled lIed to appear in court She t testified that she had never be believed the Marquis mad although she had tried to brand him as a 11 lunatic This she had done she explained to get him away from Robbins influence I When the court had listened for weeks to the sensational p plots and counter counterplots counterplots counterplots plots involving the highest personages in England the the Marquis M mother was sis sis- ter law to the present Kings King's sister sister who married the Duke of Fife and feel fee feeing feeling ing was tense allover over Great Britain the case came to an end with the verdict that the Marquis although not capable interests of looking after his financial interests was S sane To everybody's amazement everybody's amazement the Mar Marchioness devoted herself heart and soul to her Marquis welfare from from the day the court m made de him a free man until until until he died in 1921 The present ten ten old |