The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-12-04 00:00:00

BREACH OF PROMISE.

In the Court of Exchequer, in London, the cause of "John
stone u. Wright" haa been tried, and was an action for breach
of promise. The defendant denied that he made the alleged
promise.
The plaintiff, Margaret JiihneVne, was 27 years of
age, and the daughter of a wheelwright and cowkeeper
at Highgate. The defendant, Thomas Wright, was
about a year older, and a widower, and he carried on
the business of a brick, lime, and cement merchant, at
Old Ford, Landon. He had been a guardian and
vestryman of Betbnal.green for many years, and was
represented as a person of considerable means. In
November, IRIS; the plaintiff. who had formerly been
assis tact matron at Wandsworth and Clapham Union
was appointed to a similar position at Bethnal-
green Workhouse. There were some schools con-
nected with the workhouse at Leytonstone, and
during the temporary suspension of the master and
mistress, Miss Johnstone was sent there to take
charge of the children. The defendant, as one of the
visiting committee, occasionally went to the schools in
his official capacity, and of course had opportunities
of seeing and talking to Miss Johnstone. After a
short time the young lady received muked attention
from him, and his visits to Leytonstime became more
frequent. It was in January last, during an entertain-
ment given at the Bethnal-green workhouse, he ex-
hibited himself in the character of a lover. In
February lie took her out for a ride to Woodford, and
on the way deliberately asked her to be his wife,
and she replied, "Yes !" without hesitation. It
was then arranged that the marriage should take
place at the end of ApriL The defendant asked
her to resign her situation, but, being chaffed a
good deal about Miss Johnstone by his brother
guardians, he wiehed her to conceal the real cause
if the resignation. Accordingly, at his dictation, she
wrote a letter to the guardians tendering her resigna-
tion on the ground of failing health, and asking for a
testimonial. This she received, couched in very
handsome terms, together with a present of £l5 15f.
for good conduct. After this the defendant was
treated as the accepted suitor of Miss Johnstone by
her relatives and friends. The letters between the
parties were not very voluminous, but they contained
the ordinary terms of eildearment, The defendant
addressed the plaintiff as "My dear Miss Johnstone,"
"My dear Margaret," and "My dear girl," and
signed "Your loving Tom." Once he wrote, "It is so
very wet we can't go to Spurgeon's to-night, but we will
go to some place near at hand." Some slight difference
arose, but as the learned counsel observed, "lover's quar-
rels are but the renewal of love," and the courtship con-
tinued. In another letter he said, "I am not very
well la-witty. I cannot wake out what is the matte?
with me. I believe it is indigestion. I have had a
deal more chaff to-day, but it was to me like water
upon a duck's back." On March 29 he wrote, "I wish
to express my deep regret for having used last night
an expression which caused you pain, but please forget
and forgive. If you were near me my business and all
would be forgotten." At last the defendant went
down to Southsea for the benefit of his health, and for
five weeks he did not see or write to Miss Johnstone.
On the 12th August last she wrote the following letter
to him from Highgate, where she went to reside with
her father and mother on leaving Leytonstone.
My dear Tom,—l cannot understand why you are 1,.
me in this manner. It is now five weeks since you
wrote to me. I have waited day after day expecting to hear
I Tom yen, till I can wait no longer I came on Sunday to
Old Ford, and was much surprised to find your house closely
shut up. I knocked and got no answer. I came home and
again waited yesterday, and again went to Old Ford. I saw
you near your office gate, but lmy the time I got there you had
gone in. I mocked and was answered by your uncle, who
toll me you were engaged, and could not see me. I
came a second time and gave him my name, and he gave me
the same answer. Now, I should have thought that after
an engagement between us, no bUnille,s engagement would
have made you refire to see me When I was at In7tonstone,
you told me that a day seemed to long for you to be always
away from me, that you were looking forward to the time
when we were to be married, and that you would Dever be
happy until you were; and now the change is almost too
much for me to thick of. Would you like such treatment
yourself? Yon would not like one of your sisters placed in
my position What sin Ito think alit, or say to my friends?
It is well known what lam at home for. I now conclude,
because I don't feel well, by le king you to write by return.—
With love, yours affectionately, NIA Roe CET.
The defendant replied in these terms:—
Dear Miss dohnstone,—Your note of the 12th instant has
Just reached me, and I feel much surprised in seeing from it
you consider any engagement existing between us, as my
recollection of what pat sod at Leytonstone is not what your
letter would imply; and from what has since taken place,
I cannot come to any other conclusion than that our acquain-
tance henceforth had better cease altogether, or continue
only on the basis of friendship. You express a wish to see
see I shall be at home this evening. when you will be able
to see nie.-1 am, yours, ate , THOS. WRIGHT.
The plaintiff called upon defendant on the evening
mentioned, and he then positively refused to fulfil his
promise. Miss Johnstone had been put to the expense
of proeuring the marriage trousseaux, and had been
unable since to obtain another situation.
The plaint,ff was then examined, and in reference to
the last interview said : I reminded him of the
eogagement between us. He did not deny it but
whiled me to release him. I said I would not un-
less he gave me some good rrarmn for so doing. He
said he never heard anything against me, and
that he thought I was too good for him. I still
refused to release him from his engagement. lie said

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