Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Religion
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
that at a later stage my father consented to withdraw the case
against Lister, for the name of Edgcumbe only figures in the further
proceedings.
[Footnote 34: The editor of the _Huddersfield Examiner_, commenting
on the evidence, said: "We do not believe it, as we do not think Mr
Bradlaugh such a fool as to make such a silly exhibition of himself;
and because we know that similar things have been affirmed of him in
Huddersfield. For instance, a person called at our office last week,
stating that he had heard Mr Bradlaugh utter such a challenge, and saw
him pull out his watch in the manner stated in the course of the debate
with the Rev. Mr M'Cann in Huddersfield. To our certain knowledge no
such occurrence ever took place, and yet the man making the statement
appeared to be fully convinced that he had heard and seen what he
described as having taken place, and he was prepared to give evidence
on the subject if called upon to do so.... Imagination and feeling play
a much larger part than reason in the mental operations of not a few
well-meaning persons and allowance must be made for this when we hear
such charges as that now made against Mr Bradlaugh. Strong dislike
is felt by many against both the man and his opinions on religious
subjects, and this exposes him to misrepresentation and injustice."]
The trial, which was removed by the defendants by _certiorari_ to the
Court of Queen's Bench, was expected to take place at the end of June,
and, since prosecutors in Crown cases cannot personally address the
jury or argue points of law, my father had to employ solicitors (Messrs
Lewis) and counsel (Mr Charles Russell, Q.C., M.P., and Mr Moloney);
Sir Hardinge Giffard was briefed to appear for Edgcumbe. After some
delays, Edgcumbe was ordered to deliver his pleas within a certain
time, so that the trial might come on in November. In these pleadings
the episode was alleged to have taken place at The Philosophical Hall,
Huddersfield, about 1860 or 1861; The Theatre, Northampton, 1860, 1862,
1863, 1865, or 1866; The Woolpack Inn, Northampton, 1859; The Corn
Exchange, Northampton, 1865 or 1866; The Hall of Science, London, 1879
or 1880; The Cleveland Hall, London, 1865 or 1866; The Nelson Street
Lecture Hall, Newcastle, 1875; Tavistock, 1853, 1854, or 1860; St
George's Hall, Southwark, 1862 or 1863; St James' Hall, Plymouth, 1870;
Duke of York Public House, Cardiff, 1868.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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