The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-07-13 00:00:00

Ltgal.

COURT OF IMOBIQUER, JULY?.
(Wort Kt Baron BRANWILL and a NIMIOIIII Jury.)
111111A011 or PROVISO Or HARRIMAN.
MACIaII v. SUBH.

Mr, Edwin James, Mr. Frederick Lloyd, and Mr. J. J.
Powell were couniel for the plaintiff Mr. Sleds, Q.C.,
and Mr. Buller appeared for the defendant.
This wan an action to recover compensation In dell'arte
for a breaoh of promise of marriage. With the eeuel
pleat% the defendant hid pleaded WO at the time of
making the alleged promise he was not of sound mind,
of whieh the plaintiff had notice.
Mr. Edwin James, In opening the owe, said that the
plaintiff was a young woman ga, years of age, and al.
though the daughter of persons in • very humble sphere
of life, she had oonduated hermit with the greatest pro.
prioty, and her conduut altogether was without re-
proach. Her father had for many years served In Her
Majesty's 58th Foot, and had some 14 or 15 years ago
retired from the marries with • pension of is, per day,
and, finding his family increasing around him, had es-
tablinbed himself in a beerhouse at Hawley, and kept a
horse and cart as a carrier. The plaintiff, whose appear-
awn was very propositioning and engaging, had gone
into the service of • medical gentleman named Dobson,
residing at Harlow, ea houitainaid, and the defendant,
who MY at that time being brought up to the medical
profession, was an inmate of Mr. Dobson's home as a
pupil. He soon beanies struck with the plaintiff's ap.
pearanoe, and paid her very marked attention. She
mentioned the circumstance to her mother, who pointed
out to her the difference in their relative positions in
life, and strongly advised her nut to listen to his suit.
The defendant had lost both father and mother, and
under his father's will had become entitled to • Gond.
derable sum of money. Theelidendint still urged his
nit, and put himself in communication with the plain-
tire mother, and suggested that, as he hod an aunt
living at Kensington, he should like to introduce the
plaintiff to her. The consequenoe was, an introduction
took place, and the aunt, it would appear, was very
much druoic with her, and it was arranged that the
plaintiff should at once quit Mr. Dobnon's eerviee, and
go and reside with coins clergyman in the country, in
order that her education might be improved, and herself
otherwise fitted for moving in the stone society as the
defendant. This was all done with the sanction and
consent of the aunt, and the plaintiff was away for
nearly • year; she was naturally- a clever girl, and he
(Mr. Jamey) should 'how that she had taken every ad.
vantage of the opportunity of improving herself. The
defendant and his aunt went into Lineolnehire to attend
the funeral of a relative, and euddenly while there, he
changed his mind shout marrying the plaintiff, and
from that moment, although the most earnest and touch-
ing appeals had been made to 'din by letter, to induce
him to grant the plaintiff en interview, he had turned a
deaf ear to every entreaty, and she lied never seen him
since—without • word, without a oomplaint, lie had
cad her off. On the 23rd of July, 1887, he wrote •
letter, saying that he was "sorry there should be a ne.
comity for their separating." The plaintiff hail been
taken out of the sphere in which ithe moved by the de.
fen ant;l she had been taken from Mr. Dobson's family,
when she was earning a virtuous and honest livelihood,
and seriously, grievously nutltreated as she was, her
wrongs were considerably aggravated by the plea of in.
sanity upon the record, and for which there was not the
least pretence.
Several witnesses having been examined,
The plaintifFs brother proved that the defendant had
stated his ineome to be about £3OO • year.
Mr. Joseph Coleman produced the will of the defend.
ant's father from Dootor'iPoommons ; the personal pro-
party (which was sworn under £3,000), was to be divided
between the defendant end his lister.
. . .

There were many letters read at this stags of the OW
by Hr. Frederick Lloyd, but they were totally different
from the effusions which lovers rynerally produce under
similar eiroutustanoes—being plain, affectionate, reason.
nblv, an I, in some instaneea, very °lever letters.
Mr. fikde, for the defendant, paid the jury linnet agree
with him in thinkinuthet the defendant had done the
plaintiff no wrong. To put the best poesible complexion
upon it, it would have been • very unhappy ard
&ended and unfortunate uniorti nothing but misery
would have emanated from it. The letters which had
been reed were undoubtedly very reaeonable, but he wee
obliged to tell them that, although the defendant was
capable at one part of the day of transacting the ordinsry
affaire of life, at another he was oompletely overturned
and ineapable of taking care of himself. He wee sorry
to Bay that at this moment the defendant WWI an inmate
of Dr, Wlnslow's Lunatic Asylum at Hammersmith,
and that for wine oonsiderable time past it had been
found neceesary to place restraint upon him. The
learned counsel oonoluried his speech by begging of the
jury, if they thought they could not amectiontioully find
a verdict for the defendant, not to return a verdict for
unreasonable damage', as that would assuredly end in
ths efendant's nntire ruin,
li ads summed up his evidence, In the oonne of
which d that thsprt•taitlif ought C. esn•ratulate
herself upon her lucky escape, and not come lirto overt
to seek damages, self A 211464 *stained an injury. She
had escaped a madman ?of a husband, who would have
been a curse to her all her`day•
His Lordship shortly summed up, and
The jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, returned a
verdict for the plaintiff—damages, 2400.