AMUSING CASE OF BREACH OF PROMISE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1099, 13 July 1882, Page 4

AMUSING CASE OF BREACH OF PROMISE.

Al Dublin, before Mr Justice Harrison and a common jury, a laughable case of breach of promise of marriage was tried, the gentleman being the plaintiff and'the lady the defendant. The plaintiff, Robert Morris, is a farmer of some 25 or 30 years of age, residing at Ballycarran, in the county of Wexford, and the defendant a buxom ■widow of about 60 summers, living in the same neighbourhood. The damages •ought by the plaintiff as a solatium for his wounded feelings were £1,500. Mr Purcell, Q.C, stated the case for the plaintiff. The lady was reputed to have a nice little piece of property in her own right, amounting to £2,500. The plaintiff was aware of this important fact, and it occurred to him that the match would be a desirable one, notwithstanding the lady’s age, and the fact of her being a widow. After a short if not an ardent courtship, he popped the question and was accepted. But woman was ever fickle. Witl lin a few months the lady married another suitor, a farmer named Crar.well, and the plaintiff was left with blighted hopes and a broken heart. He took the present proceedings to recover damages for the loss of the lady, and for the loss of the advantageous position which the marriage would have given him. The plaintiff, a simple-looking young man, apparently about 20 years of age, was examined by Mr Hitchcock. He ■aid he knew the defendant some years. In March last he called to see her. She asked him to come and see her again, and he did so. He called at the house and saw her several times. In April last he called on her and saw her in the parlor. She was alone. "Was marriage talked of ?—Yes ; we were talking about people getting married.

Who commenced the subject ?—She did. She said she would never marry any one only a young man. She wanted a young man ? Yes, air, She said she would not marry an old man ; that she would never marry any one but a young man that had never shaved. (Laughter.) What else did sho say? She then asked me did I ever shave ? I said I did, but very seldom. (Laughter.) What more occurred ? She began feeling my face and said it was smooth. (Laughter.} Then what happened ? Did you pop the question ? I did. I asked her Would she marry me. She said she Would not make any promise just then. She asked me what fortune I had. I said if I married with my father's approval I would got a farm called Annagurt and £6OO. Sho said £COO was very little, and that site was worth ten times as much. She asked me what was the value of Annagurt, and did I think my father would be satisfied if I married her. I called on her several times afterwards. My father gave his consent to the match. Some time after that she got me to buy a pig for her nt the fair. When I brought home the pig she told me by the time it got fat and was fit to sell she would marry me. (Laughter.) She also gave me a 'silver fruit knife AS a “token.”

When did you hear sho intended to "break off the match and marry Cranwell ?—ln J uly, I called on Cranwell In August and asked him was ho going to marry Mrs. Jones. He said he believed so. I told him I was engaged to her. Had you a fight for the lady ?—No. I told him I was engaged to her, and that if he married her I would bring an action for breach of promise She married Cranwell on the 11th of August. Cross-examined by Mr Lynch. Did you ever love the widow, sir ?—Never. Did you bear your counsel inform the jury you were a broken-hearted

man ?— No, sir. When did you first begin to think ’ of marrying her ?—ln March. How long had you been A at that time ?—I could net r- in ° at You can’t swear w' ’* eai ‘ fenced to shave ?— ' ‘ ICQ ■ ou COIU ' Had you q si* -Voyou began r- -S'“t moustache when pne, " q ourtir.g her ?—A slight ..as grown luxuriant since.— ,er. Did you squeeze her hand? —No. She asked you had you ever shaved r

Yes. And she told you sho would marry ; you when the pig got fat ?—Yes, when ! the pig was fit to sell. Did the pig ever get fat, sir ?—1 don't know. Haven't you sworn that the lady told you she would not marry you till the pig got fat and now you soy you don’t know whether the pig has ever got fat ?—I don’t know. When did you hear that sho was going to cut you and marry Cranwell ? —ln July. Ih ad a conversation with Mr. Warren. Whois he?—An auctioneer. He •aid to me “ So Cranwell is going to get the old woman after all and he told me if I gave him £lOO he would put Cranwell out and get me in (laughter). Didn’t you give Warren an I 0 U for £5OO ?—I did. The document was read—£6oo sterling. Ballycanew, July 13,1881. IO U. B. W. Warren, Esq., the sum of ftvs hundred pounds sterling provided I marry Ifn Matilda Jones, of Ballycanew, widow. Rosert Morris. Witness present—Edmund Perry. Margaret. Quinsey, servant in the |m>UM of defendant, deposed that early

in April the defendant told her she had got a grand offer ; that Robert Morris had proposed to her, and she would marry him because he was a young man. and that she would not marry an old man, as he might use her badly. Some time afterwards the defendant told witness she . had changed her mind and was going to marry Thomas Cranwell, and that if Morris knocked at the door she was not to let him in without telling her, because she had mu de so many promises to him that she was delicate in letting him in, and was ashamed of breaking her word. Other evidence was given. The defendant was examined, and denied almost the whole of the plaintiff’s allegations. She said she never promised to marry him ; on the contrary, sho refused on the ground that she was too old for him.

The jury found for the plaintiff, damages 6d.