306 LETTERS TO THE "TIMES." v 



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. Bramwell Booth was in 

 the witness-box, I am in a position to give the 

 most unqualified denial to the statement as to 

 the alleged admission on his part of falsehood? 

 Nothing was heard in Court of any such admis- 

 sion. 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. Bramwell 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 

 Borner 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?' Borner 

 replied: — 



" ' Not at that interview, my Lord.' 



" It was to this that Mr. Bramwell Booth re- 

 ferred when, after examination, cross-examination, 



