Eliza Armstrong Case - Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences

Although Stead was supported in his investigation by the Salvation Army and such religious leaders as Cardinal Henry Edward Manning and Charles John Ellicott, the Bishop of Bristol, his plan backfired on him. Rival newspapers like The Times, began to dig up the original "Lily". Eventually the true details of the story, including the fact that it was Stead himself who was the "purchaser", were unearthed. Mrs. Armstrong protested and went to the police, claiming that she had not given her consent to put her daughter into prostitution, insisting instead she let her go with the understanding that she would go off into domestic service. In any case, Rebecca Jarrett did not get the permission of the child's father -- she believed that the mother could speak for both parents, so Charles Armstrong, Eliza's father, also brought suit.

Thus Stead, Rebecca Jarrett, Bramwell Booth, as well as Louise Mouret, the midwife, and two others were brought before the court on September 2 for the assault and abduction for Eliza Armstrong without the agreement of her parents. Although there were legitimate grounds for doing so, there were other motivations as well: some politicians, who felt that they were forced into passing the Act, wanted to take revenge against Stead's tactics; rival newspapers, who felt their thunder stolen from them from the publicity gained by the Pall Mall Gazette, in turn wanted to discredit him.

So it was that on October 23 that the defendants were brought to trial, with the Attorney General, Richard Webster, himself acting as prosecutor. Stead himself conducted his own defence. Stead himself later admitted that the girl was procured without the consent of the father, as well as making the mistake of not having written evidence of payment to the mother. Another mistake that Stead had made was he wholly relied on Rebecca Jarrett's word on the matter; thus he could not prove Mrs. Armstrong's complicity in the crime. Without such evidence, Stead, Jarrett and Mourez were found guilty of abduction and procurement. Bramwell Booth and the others were acquitted. Jarrett and Mourez were sentenced to six months, while Stead was sentenced to three months, which he took in good grace. He was sent to Coldbath Fields Prison for three days and later to Holloway as a first-class inmate for the rest of his sentence.