BREACH OF PROMISE.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 7

BREACH OF PROMISE.

TWENTY-TWO AND TWENTY. — A SHORT ENGAGEMENT. FERVENT LOVE LETTERS. Breach of promise to marry was alleged against George Richard Taylor, of Christchurch, Government employee, aged 22 years, in the Supreme Court at Christchurch the other day, by Elvira Violet Elizabeth Meaclem, aged 20 years, by her guardian at litem, Thomas John Meaclem, of Christchurch, laborer. The sum of £2OO was claimed by the plaintiff. Mr. J. R. Cunningham, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. C. »S. Thomas for the defendant. Mr. Justice Adams presided. The plaintiff alleged that on or about January .13, the defendant verbally promised to marry her. On January 17 he expressly repudiated the contract, and he had refused to carry out his promise. In consequence, plaintiff had been caused illness and suffering.

Mr. Thomas said he admitted there was an engagement in January, and it was broken off. It “really boiled itself down to a question of damages.”

Mr. Cunningham said Taylor became acquainted with the girl in August of last year. They soon came to terms of close acquaintance. While plaintiff was away in Ashburton, Taylor wrote to her some 42 letters, “pouring out his soul to her.” In three months, in spite of these letters, the girl did not feel that she was sufficiently in love with him for marriage, but Taylor became all the more persistent, and at last wholly won her affections and they became engaged. But then the scene suddenly changed. At about mid-day on January 18 she received a letter containing the following:—“I have become possessed of certain information which absolutely compels me to end my engagement with you. Upon such information it will be to our mutual advantage to keep this business quiet and do not attempt to see me again, as it is no use whatever. So I will say good-bye. Will you kindly return the ring.” That evening the girl met’ the young man coming home from work. He said he had received a letter stating that she had had to do with a married man. He said he did not know where 'it came from or from whom. The accusation was false. She asked him if he believed a statement of that sort, and he said no one would dream of writing such a thing if it were not true. Late that night Taylor sneaked up on tiptoe from the front gate and was about to push a letter under the front door when the mother confronted him.

LETTER FROM DEFENDANT. In the letter were the following words: “Elvey, you asked me if I were man enough to go over to-night and see your father. It is not a question of my being man enough, for, in the first place, I would have visited you with the allegations, had it not been for your father’s temper, which you know is volcanic.” The fear was expressed in the letter that the parent would make the thing heard by neighbors. There was only one thing to be done, it stated. Was Elvira prepared to undergo an examination by the defendant’s doctor, at his expense, as she said there was nothing to be ashamed of? If such examination proved her innocent, then he would do everything in his power to bring the writer of the anonymous letter to justice. It would be to their mutual advantage to keep things dark iyitil such time as her case was proven. Of course, in case of her proving her innocence, he did not hope for her respect again, but he would do his best to help her. He signed himself “Yours sincerely.” A more degrading letter, said Mr. Cunningham, could not have been sent to a young woman—a suggestion that she should submit herself to examination by his doctor to prove if she were chaste or unchaste. The action had been brought to vindicate the girl’s reputation. Elvira Violet Elizabeth Meaclem gave evidence. Besides writing the 42 letters, defendant visited her at week-ends. ONE OF THE LOVE EPISTLES. “I will read one of the letters to show what sort of things they were,” said Mr. Cunningham. “Gee, Elvey honey bunch, it is a long time since you went away. Evidently there is not much hope of your coming back for some time. Dearest, oh how I do wish you were here now. 1 would make such a fuss of you, my precious angel. I am fairly aching for you to-night, dear. I feel that if you were here, I could not let you out of my sight, but would have to cuddle you up tight, for fear of somebody stealing you from me. Precious bne, when I was in the room tonight, with all the crowd, and there were five girls there, I could not help comparing them with you, darling. They pale into significance alongside the vision of you, and 1 wish that I could only have had you there to let them see the sweet little angel I was to ask something: If she would have me. They would be very much surprised to see that such a silly coon like me could have such a perfect jewel like you sweetheart, if only to speak to, let alone to be able to say you were my girl. You are the most ravishingly adorable sweetheart a chap could possibly have. There is only one thing to complete my happiness dearest, when I think of you my own dear little sweet- . lieart, and that is to have you here I and to be able to take your pretty little face in my large paws and kiss those little cherry lips of yours and to feel i them return the kiss. It would be heaven, angel darling, simply perfect bliss.”

TAKEN AS READ. “Are there 42 like that?” asked Mr. Thomas. Mr. Cunningham: Forty-two of various degrees of affection. His Honor: Are they all “linked sweetness long drawn out” like this. Mr. Cunningham: Much the same.. His Honor: Then, we will take them as read. During the cross-examination of plaintiff, Mr. Thomas asked: I suppose you don’t give up hope at the age of 20 ? Plaintiff: I feel I could not trust another man. Mr. Thomas: You don’t ask the Court to believe you are “on the shelf.” Witness (hesitating): No, sir. Mr. Thomas: You plead you had illness and suffering. Was that what was meant when you said you went off your food and sometimes thought you were going silly? Witness: Yes. ABOUT SIX SWEETHEARTS. Mr. Thomas: I suppose you had some j other sweetheart. You had one in Ashburton!

Witness: Yes. Mr. Thomas: And you broke it off? Witness: Yes. Mr. Thomas: Did you go off your food and feel you were going silly? Witness: No, sir. Mr. Thomas: How many sweethearts do you think you have had? Witness hesitated and was urged by Mr. Thomas to reply. “About six?” he suggested. “About that,” was the repiy. “Did any of those make you go on your food?” asked Mr. Thomas. Witness: No. Mr. Thomas: Did you, while you were getting these perfumed letters of love in Ashburton, break off your affection with a boy here? Witness: Yes. Mr. Thomas: So you had two strings to your bow? His Honor: No. Two beaux* to her string (laughter). The jury awarded plaintiff £5O damages.