THE LETTER AT FIRST SIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1748, 13 May 1913, Page 3

THE LETTER AT FIRST SIGHT.

CASE IN THE COURT. j THE BEHAVIOUR OF A YOUNG WOMAN. The attachment of a young woman for a married man led to proceedings in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Tlip enso boro somo unusual features, and tho girl alleged, inter alia,.that the man promised to marry her. Mr. P. W. 'Jackson (counsel for the girl): Did lie marry you? _ The young woman': "No. . Did he come to seo you on a certain night that ho promised to come?— No. What did ho do?—"Ho sent his nephew instead." What did his nophew bay?— He asked mo if I knew that his uncle was married, and -I said that I did not. Then he said that his undo was a scamp and that I would find him out. He also said that his uncle's wife was coining home from Cliristclnirch next morning." Did ho make any offer to you?— Ho asked me to marry him instead, lie being a singlo man." Did you agree?—" Yes, in tho circumstances." Did you seo either of them again?— "No." Mr. H. F. O'Lcary (counsel for the man in the case) tlien cross-examined the girl. Mr. O'Leary: When did you first meet this man? Tho young woman: In September. Who introduced you ?—"No one." Ilow did you get to know him? —"I wrote a lioto to him. I don't know why I did it." Ho took some furniture to tho place where you wero working, and tho first time you ever saw him?—" Yes." ' And a few days later you saw him passing and you sent him a note by a littlo bov.—"Yes." Mr. O Leary: I will'read the note. No. Thorndon Quay. Dear Friend (if you will let me call you so),—l do not know your naino or if you aro married or not; but, if not, could I seo you to-night, that is, if you aro disengaged. Davis Street car shed at half past seven. I may bo a few minutes lato; pc-rhaps you had better wait outside our gate, or I may miss you, or you me. I will liavo a (lark costume and black hat. _ I sincerely hope you are not married as I like you very much indeed, and I don't think I am far wrong. I think you like me by the way you are always looking at me. However, I will expect j-ou at our gato at half past seven.—Yours trulj", Edith . Mr. O'Leary: Did you ever do a thing like that before? ■ The young woman: "No." Do you pick up with casual acquaintances?—" No." :1 This is quite an unusual thing?— les. The defendant's nephew was then called by Mr. Jackson. In evidence he said that lie saw the girl on three occasions. On the first occasion she told him all her troubles, and at her request ho lent her five shillings.. On the third occasion he gave her 7s. Cel., because she said she could not pay her board. ■ Mr. O'Leary: Did your uncle tell yon that this girl was a pest to him, and that he did not want to have anything to do with her? Witness: Yes; he said he was married, and did not want to have her chnsing after him. So ho sent you along?— les. Its said: Here's a girl for you?— les. Did you find her a truthful girl?— I did not." . . . And this tale of your promising to marrv her is all moonshine?—" Yes." About six later you received a letter from her?—" Yes." Mr. O'Leary read tho following letter No. Street. My Dear George (if I may still take the liberty in calling you so),— _ No doubt you will have thought it . strange not hearing from mo before, but I had to go away the Monday evening you called, and there v;as no way in \yicli I could let you know, and I have been away for six months, and was not allowed to write to anyone, so you seo it was not my fault you' did not hear from me. While I was away my dear old mother went to a lawyer to make keep my baby. . . . But do you love mo still? If you do, you will come and seo me. i have learnt to love you very dearly. You aro tho only one that can save me, as . has admitted all to you. For God's sake, George, come and help me. I am nearly mad. I cannot sleep day or night. I believe I shall go clean out of my mind. What I was taken away for I will toll you when you come, only do come and see me a's early as you can. I am at homo every evening. I will bring this to a close. Hoping to see you soon, as I am in great distress, I remain, yours as ever, Edith.

P.S.—Do not keep me in suspense. In reference to her goin? avray tor six months, tho girl admitted that she had been sent to the Salvation Army Home for s''x montlis, because she had committed theft. At the conclusion of the case the magistrate decided against the girl. He said that her evidence was too weak, too remote, too indefinite, and that not one material allocation was supported in a single particular. s