The trial of Mrs. Tugwell at Guildford Assizes for criminal
libel ended on Monday by her being sentenced to a year's imprisonment. For several months various persons living in Sutton were persecuted by what the Lord Chief Justice described as "an absolute plague" of indecent and libellous postcards. Amongst those who received them was Mrs. Tugwell herself, and it was owing to her that proceedings were twice taken against an innocent maid-servant, who was fortunately acquitted on both occasions. The actual discovery of the criminal was the result of a lucky accident, but her guilt was finally established by some very ingenious detective work,—such as the marking of postage-stamps and the dis- covery of incriminating blotting-paper. The postcard is a very useful contrivance, but in the hands of unscrupulous people it undoubtedly becomes an instrument of torture.. One can throw an abusive and indecent anonymous letter into the fire and think no more of it. A postcard of a similar character is a poisoned cup to which a dozen people may put their lips. The vaguer the charges on it, the more likely un- educated and inexperienced persons are to think there must be some fire where there is so much thick and ill-smelling smoke.
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