306 LETTERS TO THE " TIMES " v 



papers of November 4, 1885. I have his reply 

 to-day, saying that I had better write to you 

 direct. May I ask you, then, seeing that my 

 name has been brought into the affair, to state 

 that, as I was in the dock when Mr. Bramweli 

 Booth was in the witness-box, I am in a position 

 to give the most unquaHfied denial to the state- 

 ment as to the alleged admission on his part of 

 falsehood ? Nothing was heard in Court of any 

 such admission. Neither the prosecuting counsel 

 nor the Judge who tried the case ever referred to 

 it, although it would obviously have had a direct 

 bearing on the credit of the witness; and the 

 jury, by acquitting Mr. Bramweli Booth, showed 

 that they believed him to be a witness of truth. 

 But fortunately the facts can be verified beyond 

 all gainsaying by a reference to the official short- 

 hand-writer's report of the evidence. During the 

 hearing of the case for the prosecution. Inspector 

 Bonier was interrupted by the Judge, who 

 said : — 



" ' I want to ask you a question. During the 

 whole of that conversation, did Booth in any way 

 suggest that that child had been sold ? ' Bomer 

 repHed : — 



" ' Not at that interview, my Lord.' 



" It was to this that Mr. Bramweli Booth 

 referred when, after examination, cross-examina- 



