MISS BLADE'S LOVE-LETTERS

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 22, 2 January 1878, Page 3

MISS BLADE'S LOVE-LETTERS

(From the " York Herald," October 1.) j-ove-lettera are occasionally found very profitable to the penny-a-liner when produced m court at the hearing of a breach of promise case, but it is not often that they are expected to produce such large profits as were anticipated by two enterprising individuals who have just met with their deserts at the hands of Mr. Justice Hawkins m the Central Criminal Court. Miss Augusta Ernestine Slade, who is a young lady of *good connection, happened 'some years back to be travelling m Turkey,, and at Constantinople she ■;hiet with one Constantino Theodorides, a Greek, a man, as we may suppose, of good address and not without ." expectations," as a matrimonial engagement was m time made up' between him and Miss vSlade. Tloweyer, m the year 1875, the match was for some reason, broken off, amd the public mighl never ham heard of it, but for certain circumstances which afterwards occurred. During the courtship, as a matter of. course, letters very frequently passed'between the young "couple, and equally as a matter of course when the love-making came to an end the lady required the return •of her letters. Here the knavery of Theodorides Bhowed itsel|f-.-'lt ? is, however, but just to hinTto say' that m the*ii_terval between his, first meeting with Miss Slade and the breaking off of their courtship, he had, as itr appears, lost his position as a merchant, and that his financial affairs had got into very /low water. : Wellj the demand for the letters having been made," the fellow puts off the lady with various excuses, until meeting her m London he'% devised and tpld ber thb story that arrutalian named Pablo Golera (the second defendant) had seized, the box containing the letters as a securityfor adebfcheowedhiin,(Grolera), and that he would not give them up unless £500 ;were. paid him. In a subsequent interview the Greek actuallyjsold back to the .lady for a consideratibn ; 6f £20 some forty of : her letters, which be professed were fall he then - retained. The next step is that drolera writes a letter 4o the lady's friends, threatening publication of the corresfjondehce .unless £1500 should be paii_him; then a friend of the family, a barrister, is con- : suited ; and finally] tbe prisoners are jbrought to justice. They have been sentenced _to,seyen years! penalvservitude.- The case is happily "of a nature which is quite exceptional m 'this country, and we are fain to believe that such a plan of raising money would hardly have suggested 'itiself to an Englishman moving m the same rank m life as the pris- - oners. „ \. 7.7 . .'•• "; -7. I [