BREACH OF PROMISE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4024, 30 January 1892, Page 2

BREACH OF PROMISE.

A Trao Roman's Jalth Broka

in the London. Sheriff's Court recently, before Mr Under-sheriff Burijhell and a jury, the oase of "'Bertha qtone (now of Kent' Street) Mereworth, Maidstone) v, George Snjiik , (described as a valet, of Tno an action for breach qf promise of Carriage, whjch hat} beei) remitted from the High Court, .cap on for tho assessment of damages.— it wqs stated,waa the daugh: tpr of hnmble parents, who jjad ao« quired some position at Merewprih, ID Kent. In jfjijf she wei)t jntq tl]q eervioe of Lord Ashburton, at Tim Orange.Aylesford,Hants,'aaetillroom maid, and there die made the quaint'anceof the who was a servant in the same establishmoat. His income here as" odd man indoors " amounted it •' was 'stated' to some £6OO per annum. [This included tips, a large item. In March, 1880, defendant proposed marriage, aud shortly after an engagement ring was given. "'Many presents afterwards followed of considerable value,all of thembeing suggestive of his being in a very I 'good pecunjaiiy position; r ln 1888 the plaintiffleft'iiord Ashbuttoji's, and weity'info iji'o Ljqird 1 Nqtftlißroijt," wlio lia<j w'efltaM at Mipijeldever,' Hants, and live?. ffheti in town at Hamilton-pip,. Piccadilly, It was then that the correspondence between the parties ' began. In May defendant wrote from Ihe Grange, as follows" I should like to see you again, for it seems so long since you went from here, you old dear, You said. oil : that little [piece of paper you thought of me every day. I think of you a good pny times in,a day.»nd nfuj; ofthe nice little times we have had tatter | but it fltonjt bj long Kfji »r6" tliejf will be better,"" ii is the kirie as the old song says, "You trill miss mo when* I'm gone," and that is quite true about you, fori mis 3 you now youlre'gone," Tq- tbis'/lettor h'e signs himself 1 || -|n Rndt^f it]'' and' but that is host l&own I think so, but neyofpiolgss { lifee.to haveyqunowjpu old fleap?' In subsequent letters he atidressedthq plaintiff; ps!'My darling Bertha," and " My old darling Bertha,"/and he i subsequently subscribed!' bimseU M With love, from yours ever and true love for ever."—Mr Lyttoh for the defendant here observed i'Tiiriderstand there is something, like a bun. drad,weigtit of;fh'eso letters) ter). I may say at once that the ' defendant' doss not; deny, the promise . iior the breach.; . v^'v^; ■ loan other letter defendant wrote ||';You must look after.yourself till -,I lookatieiyou." 'Such letters went; on for some time os both sides. fy '

.December,lß9o, defendant wrote that < Lord Northbrook was thinking of getting rid of sime of his : servants, adding that he did not mind if lie were one of them," fur then, my dear, we Cm be together." At this time he was urging the plaintiff verbally and by letter to kara her situation and get strong before she got married. In consequence she left the ser/ico of lord Novtihbroolc, and that nobleman thinking she was going to be married I reseritodher with a breakfast service, a kettle, and other tilingsot that sort, Defendant, however, now began to write more coolly, and plaintiff found that ha was seen walkmg with a • fellow-servant named Ellon Booth. Thereupon plaintiff wrote: Dear ■George,—A line to let you know I have returned home. One and nil think it disgraceful thi way in which you have acted towards mo. . I feel I don't oare what becomes of mobecauselamdriven to my wits end, (signing herself) I remain your loving hut broken-hearted Bertha." She appended to the letter the following lines: —" A true woman's faith broken. Loss of love, of hope, and, worst evil of all, loss of lior trust and belief in mankind, for that, after all, is the worst thing a man does for a woman when he treats her badly. From the wound to her heart she will recover, from tli9.destruction to her life's desire she will yet buildup for herself in time some other career; but for tho destruction of her faith and , belief in man there is no cure under the sun. It tarnishes the brightness of her soul, and spoils the sweetness of hnr character for ever." The courtship lasted seven years. Plaintiff, a quietly-dressed and genteeWookinggirl, wag then called, and bore out the opening statement of counsel. She said she was in her 27th year. The plaintiff admit-eJ having written a letter to !he defen dant, in which she said Call yourself a man { There is nothing manly about you you deceitful wretch I You think you liavo got rid of me nicely, but you see I am buok here again, You knew all tho time what you intended doing, yet : you were brute enough to get me to leavo my situation, and run mo to a great expense. Jt is like taking bread out of one's mouth. I will give you a week to anstrer this. If I don't hear from you by that time you will hear from my solicitor, as [ intend taking the cage into Court to olaim damages. I have got your letters to show.—Bertha Stone, i, Hamilton i place, Piccadilly." Plaintiff added that she had been out of a situation since February, einco which time she had not been earning any money. She had not been able to get a situation. Other evidence in support of the i plaintiff having been given, the defendant was then called, and produced a post office bank book, showing that he had at his credit a considerable sum, but that most of it had been withdrawn within a little over a year, j It was not true that he was in partnership in a bakery business i with his brother,-Jn cross-exami-nation, the defendant said that all the money he now had in the world waß , 46 or £7. His other savings had gone on the turf. He denied having jilted the plaintiff, all he had done was to tell her to wait until he-had sufficiont money to marry. He knew Ellen Booth, the kitohen maid, but was not engaged to her, though tboy walked out together, x In answer to further questions, the defendant said bis wages at present were 10s per week and board, Ho nerer told the plaintiff that he had i as much as £SOO or £6OO saved up. i After a short deliberation the jury awarded the plaintiff £125.