Untitled

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1932, 15 July 1869, Page 3

An Amusing Case at Hokitika. — The West Coast Times of June 18th says A number of cases under the extended jurisdiction was heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. One of them— M'Connick v. llyan— created no little amusement. The plaintiff’s case was that she was “ keeping company ” with the defendant, and that he had promised to marry her. Believing that “he loved her dearly,” she trusted him not only with her affections, but with her savings, and in fact she lent him L7(i. The course of the love did not run smooth, the defendant—following out the popular song- “went and got married, but not to her.” Filled with disappointment and sorrow, she thought not of revenge, but she thought it would bo well to be able ‘ ‘ to carry her nest-eggs to another market,” and tried to, get back seventy-six of them, suing the gay deceiver for the money lent. She did not ask for damages for breach of promise of marriage ; she dropped the romantic, and went iu to get her money back. The defence ‘was, that the whole case of the plaintiff was a delusion, and that instead of being injured iu her affections, she was insane. The defeudent had never broken his troth, because he had pever plighted it. He had never taken plaintiff on his knees, but she had thrown herself on them occasionally against his will, never, borrowed the pumay W aU, and so should be expected to repay it- To support the plea of (huusion, J,l r Dennott was called, atid from him it waa gleaned that on the defendants wedding night, the plaintiff had labored “under strong excitement,” had spoken “of suicide,” and partaken of a cup that might have contained poison. But this pretty little romance fell to the ground, for it was clearly proved that the plaintiff was not mad, or that if she were, it was wine or something stronger, and not despair fhat hud taken away her >yits. jsfye lyas tipsy, and the cup was found' to strychnine, bht Vfaudy, with sugar in it, The Magistrate held tbftt the plaintiff's ease had not been “proved beyond doubt,” and she did not get judgment.