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From the Danish Consulate, 5 Muscovy Street, London:
Sir,
Per receipt of your letter of 24th inst, I hardly see what I can do for you, as you appear to have been sentenced in the normal way, and four years having lapsed since your conviction a new trial would now scarcely be granted. In the other hand a pardon cannot be expected until a much longer part of the twenty years has passed.
If, however, you will give me all the particulars of your case, where and when the trial took place, the name of the solicitor who acted for you, and the nature of the accusations against you I shall see if I can do anything in the matter.
It cannot be correct that you were sentenced to 20 years hard lab [labour] for writing a threatening letter, there must have been something far more serious than that, and if I shall take any steps in your favor I must know the whole truth.
You say you are a Danish subject, but your name is not a Danish one. Please therefore to let me know whether it is the real or an assumed one, and in the former case what is your real name, where are you born and have you any relatives left in Denmark.
If commissioner Anderson is the administrator of your property you might ask him whether part of the £60. you say you have got in his hands, can be used for your defence.
The Consulate requires no fees, but legal expenses must of course be paid.
E. A. Delcomyn
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Sir!
I duly received your letter of 22nd ulto and have perused its contents.
It is a very complicated statement, parts of it appear rather improbable, and I am afraid that nothing can be done in the matter at present. The Home secretary cannot upset a judgement given by a proper tribunal. In rare cases where new facts have come to light after the judgement, a fresh trial … [? word illegible] ordered, but this is rarely done, and in your case, as far as I can see, no new acts have come to light.
Your statement is based upon accusations against a great number of people, not only private persons, but your own clerk, several solicitors and the police. I need hardly say that [most p]eople will consider such a string of conspiracies, without adequate motive, as very improbable, and the case having been tried by one of our most eminent judges, I fear that an application to the Home Secretary for a new trial will be utterly useless.
That the sentence is an extremely severe one I fully admit and an application to the Home Secretary later on for a reduction of your term may be desired but you have not been long enough in prison to make such an application at present of the slightest use.
I will confer with the Danish Minister, Kammerherre de Bille, about you but he will probably be of the same opinion as I am, that it is too soon to take any steps [in] your favor.
I can of course lay the whole case before a respectable solicitor or even before a [Relevant coroner ?….some words missing] and if any steps are to be taken to your sentence, or to ascertain the truth, it will be expensive.
If the money in the hands of the police can be applied for this purpose, and you wish to have it done, I am willing to undertake it, but I would deceive you if I said that there can be much hope of a good result.
E. A. Delcomyn.
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March 12th 96
Sir!
Referring to my letter of 5th inst I have done as promised, conferred with the Danish [? word illegible] Minister, Kammerherre de Bille, about you and have asked him to read your statement. This he has done and has also seen the report of the case in the papers, after which he has conferred with the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor both of whom appeared well acquainted with the case. As I expected there is nothing to be done at the present moment, nobody believes that you have been unjustly condemned, and it is too soon to expect a [? word illegible]. It is the custom, when 5 and 10 years have passed, that the case of […words missing] prisoners is put before the Home Secretary and with good conduct in the prison there may then be a chance of release, but before these times no modifications are made.
To see a solicitor about it will, I fear, be only waste of money as there are no new facts brought to light which can justify a fresh trial.
E.A. Delcomyn
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24 June 97
To
DR 751 C. Grande
Parkhurst Prison
Isle of Wight
I am directed by the Consul General Delcomyn to acknowledge the receipt of your letters dated April 21 and june 21 and in reply to refer you to his letter dated March 12. 1896 in which you are informed that the Danish Minister M de Bille had put your case before the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor, who did however not believe that you were unjustly sentenced and who declared that there was not sufficient reason to justify a fresh trial.This Consulat-General is therefore, I regret to say, unable to do anything more in the matter.
[Illegible signature]
Vice Consul
28 December 95.
Per receipt of your letter of 24th inst, I hardly see what I can do for you, as you appear to have been sentenced in the normal way, and four years having lapsed since your conviction a new trial would now scarcely be granted. In the other hand a pardon cannot be expected until a much longer part of the twenty years has passed.
If, however, you will give me all the particulars of your case, where and when the trial took place, the name of the solicitor who acted for you, and the nature of the accusations against you I shall see if I can do anything in the matter.
It cannot be correct that you were sentenced to 20 years hard lab [labour] for writing a threatening letter, there must have been something far more serious than that, and if I shall take any steps in your favor I must know the whole truth.
You say you are a Danish subject, but your name is not a Danish one. Please therefore to let me know whether it is the real or an assumed one, and in the former case what is your real name, where are you born and have you any relatives left in Denmark.
If commissioner Anderson is the administrator of your property you might ask him whether part of the £60. you say you have got in his hands, can be used for your defence.
The Consulate requires no fees, but legal expenses must of course be paid.
E. A. Delcomyn
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March 6th 96
Sir!
I duly received your letter of 22nd ulto and have perused its contents.
It is a very complicated statement, parts of it appear rather improbable, and I am afraid that nothing can be done in the matter at present. The Home secretary cannot upset a judgement given by a proper tribunal. In rare cases where new facts have come to light after the judgement, a fresh trial … [? word illegible] ordered, but this is rarely done, and in your case, as far as I can see, no new acts have come to light.
Your statement is based upon accusations against a great number of people, not only private persons, but your own clerk, several solicitors and the police. I need hardly say that [most p]eople will consider such a string of conspiracies, without adequate motive, as very improbable, and the case having been tried by one of our most eminent judges, I fear that an application to the Home Secretary for a new trial will be utterly useless.
That the sentence is an extremely severe one I fully admit and an application to the Home Secretary later on for a reduction of your term may be desired but you have not been long enough in prison to make such an application at present of the slightest use.
I will confer with the Danish Minister, Kammerherre de Bille, about you but he will probably be of the same opinion as I am, that it is too soon to take any steps [in] your favor.
I can of course lay the whole case before a respectable solicitor or even before a [Relevant coroner ?….some words missing] and if any steps are to be taken to your sentence, or to ascertain the truth, it will be expensive.
If the money in the hands of the police can be applied for this purpose, and you wish to have it done, I am willing to undertake it, but I would deceive you if I said that there can be much hope of a good result.
E. A. Delcomyn.
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March 12th 96
Sir!
Referring to my letter of 5th inst I have done as promised, conferred with the Danish [? word illegible] Minister, Kammerherre de Bille, about you and have asked him to read your statement. This he has done and has also seen the report of the case in the papers, after which he has conferred with the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor both of whom appeared well acquainted with the case. As I expected there is nothing to be done at the present moment, nobody believes that you have been unjustly condemned, and it is too soon to expect a [? word illegible]. It is the custom, when 5 and 10 years have passed, that the case of […words missing] prisoners is put before the Home Secretary and with good conduct in the prison there may then be a chance of release, but before these times no modifications are made.
To see a solicitor about it will, I fear, be only waste of money as there are no new facts brought to light which can justify a fresh trial.
E.A. Delcomyn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 June 97
To
DR 751 C. Grande
Parkhurst Prison
Isle of Wight
I am directed by the Consul General Delcomyn to acknowledge the receipt of your letters dated April 21 and june 21 and in reply to refer you to his letter dated March 12. 1896 in which you are informed that the Danish Minister M de Bille had put your case before the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor, who did however not believe that you were unjustly sentenced and who declared that there was not sufficient reason to justify a fresh trial.This Consulat-General is therefore, I regret to say, unable to do anything more in the matter.
[Illegible signature]
Vice Consul
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