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Show lliAiNADOPTS "IMRiniW; FREES OFlfl ' ' ' 1 LONDON, England, Sept. 22, This is the story of Britain's first -"unwritten l&'w'' acquittal of a man who kill, ed. What exceptional plot so touched an unemotional British jury as to establish that precedent? This: It is such a drama of love and war that the great world conflict, stances and ferment of human passions, has not elsewhere produced its equal. It might be tho theme of a master mas-ter novelist. It is as elemental as an epic. It goes to the root of human It tells how two British juries decided Douglas Malcolm, lieutenant in the Royal Artillery returning from the front In France to shoot the war slacker who as a bogus count had stolen his wife"s affections, was not a murderer, and set him fr90. And in telling of this one tragedy it tells of all like it that the war can produce. In the coroner's court at Padding, ton a woman sat. At first sight Lbn-don Lbn-don called her "the woman of the Ros-settl Ros-settl neck," for her beauty was classical, classi-cal, like that of a famous painting. She was on tho witnesB stand. "Mrs.' Malcolm," said. Coroner Byrne to "the woman with the Ros settl neck," "did your husband know the truth of your llason with tho bogus 'Count' de Borch?" "I told him," she replied with a faint smile, "to divorce me that thero had been Intimate relations be tween us." The Coronor looked at her, over his glasses. Thon ho picked up two pa. pers from his desk and turned to the jury. "In case of my death," he read, "1 leave all my money to Mrs. Taylor of Vicarage cottage, Hertford Health, and cancel my previous will. "J. Douglas Malcolm." It was written, tho coroner explain, ed, by Lieut. Malcolm, just before he wont to the rooms of Anton Baum. berg, alias Count de Borch," to fight out with him the possession of the officer's wife. Then the coroner read the second paper, a letter from Lieut. Malcolm to his wife as the officer loft for the bogus count's room, where ho shot him with his army automatic: "To My Own Very Darling Dorothie Dear God! It is time! Everything points to it that this creature is tho most unspeakable blackguard over born. I shudder to think that he should even dare to speak to you. 1 simply cannot stand It any longer. I am going to thrash him until he is unrecognizable. I may shoot him If I think he has a gun. I expect he is too much of a cur to stand a thrash-, iug. If tho inevitable has to happen of course I may get it firsL You see, I am quite cool. If that happens O, believe me, ray little darling, my be. loved soul whom I love so absolutely believe me it is for you." The coroner stopped and polished his glasses, then put them on the table and read on without them: "I swear to you I love you more than a man has ever loved a woman before, and if there is anything wrong in me it is because I love you too much. You are a brave woman a noble, honorable, upright one, with a beautiful soul. I believe in God. I said yesterday I didn't; but I do, I do, and I thank Him from the bottom of my heart that He sent nio over from France in time to save you from this devil incarnate. Your honor is safe, thank God, thank God. "Goodby! I love you and shall go on loving you to eternity forever. I know I shall meet you in the next world If the worat happens. When you come to me you will come with open arms and those beautiful eyes shining and you will say to me, 'Duggie, I forgive you!' Forever, your loving husband. DOUGLAS." Several times in the last paragraph para-graph tho coroner stopped and turned and looked closely at the paper and then 'went on reading. 1- When the coroner's jury began its I deliberations Mrs. Malcolm walked unmoved from the courtroom, without f a tear in her eyes or a tremble on her f While the coroner was reading the IH verdict of "justifiable homicide in self-defense," Lieut (Malcolm was be. i ing arraigned in Marleybone police IH court. A delay until the court reoeived the coroner's verdict was asked, and IH as it was granted the artillery officer iH arose in the dock and insisted upon Y speaking. Ho was tall, well-built, jH ab6ut 34, and he swayed from side IH to side as he spoke; "I seo published a wickod and scur- jH rilous report that my wife had inti-mate inti-mate relations with this man. I jH swear it is false. You see, she Is all alone, and has no one to look after , her. It is false absolutely false. Do j IH you hear me? It Is absolutely false, I I say!" His voice Tvas growing higher, and I the magistrate waved his arm hastily. j IH The lieutenant was led out of court, crushing his soft hat between his . hands. I The trial of Lieut. Malcolm, in Marleybone court was formal as for- IH mal as it could bo, with the sympa- 1 thies of spectators and Jury, and even of the court and prosecution, not to be concealed. The jurors heard of Lieutenant Malcolm's service in the Royal Ar tillery on the French front. It heard of Mrs. Malcolm's meeting with the Pole Baumberg, a war service slacker, at a garden party. It received de-tails de-tails of his career aB a ladles man in his pose as "Count De Borch," and of his own admissions that he had no right to a title. His letters to other women, among them a German wo-man wo-man spy, were jead. And they acquitted him. vA Which explains, why there is a now precedent In British legal records. |