The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-14 00:00:00

ACTION FOR - BREACH OF PROMISE
OF MARRIAGE.

In London, before Mr. Justice Lindley and a
common jury, the cause of " Bosher v. Baroni " has
been tried.

• This was an action for breach of promise of
marriage, and the defence was that a reasonable time
had not elapsed for the fulfilment of the promise, and
that if the engagement had been broken off it had been
done by the plaintiff herself.
• Mr. Willis, Q.C.' and Mr. Channell were counsel for
the plaintiff, Mr. Cook and Mr. Denman represented
the defendant.
Mr. Channell, in opening the case, stated that
the plaintiff, Sarah Ann Bosher, was ehe daughter
of a baker carrying on business at Win4sor,
and was formerly a parlourtnaid in the service
of a solicitor in the same town. The defend-
ant, Baptista Barons, an Italian' was in 1876 a
waiter at the " Adelaide " Hotel, Windsor. The
parties became acquainted, arm they to some extent
kept.company together; but nothing like an engage-
ment was then made. Some time afterwards the de-
fendant left Windsor. and opened a restaurant in
Coventry-street, London, in partnership with his
cousin who was also a foreigner. Subsequently the
plaintiff visited an aunt in London, and the acquaint-
ance with the defendant was renewed. On one occa-
sion he took her into Regent-street, and pur-
chased a present for her, and on the same day
they went to Madame Tussaud's together. Ulti-
mately the defendant made a promise of mar-
riage, stating that he wanted the plaintiff to help
in the restaurant, but that he would have the
house repaired before he brought her home as his
wife. In January, 1880, the plaintiff came up to
London again, and it was then arranged that she
should leave her situation at Easter, and that the
marriage should take place about April. She gave
noticeno leave her situation, and prepared her dressed
for the wedding. Matters went on till June, the
defendant having made various excuses for deferring
the marriage. A number of letters passed between
the parties, but they were not dated. In one of these
letters the rlaintiff stated that she had no desire to
bring the defendant's conduct before the public' and
claimed £2OO as compensation. She said: "I have
been to great expense, as my wedding dresses is made.
I shall leave Windsor, and never see you again."
Other letters passed, and the result was the present
action.

The plaintiff, a respectable-looking woman 27 years
of age, was called, and bore out the opening state-
ment of the counsel.
In eross-examination she stated that she had not
tried,to pbtain anothersitAittion. since, SLEL ler_fat_her
and mother wanted her to remain at home.

The defendant was called, and in the result the
jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages,
250.

Miss Louisa 13ulIer; aged 75, daughter of the late
Sir Anthony Boller, residing at Pound, Dockland Monachornm, Devonshire, died on Monday night from injuries re-
ceived through falling into the fire during the afternoon.

A VISIT TO A REMARKABLE SHRINE.

The Standard of Tuesday published the following from
their Special Correspondent with the Tunis expedition :
The famous roek and shrine of Marabout Sidi
Abdullah Ben Jemmel, around which the Kroumirs
had massed, and where they had sworn to defend
themselves to the last,. fell into the hands of the
French, without a shot being fired in its defence this
morning at eleven o'eleck.
I have just ridden sixty-two miles across -the
Krqumir mountains, accompanied by M. Percy, of the
Temps, to send you this important news.
Yesterday our spies gave us certain information that
the Kroumirs were still massed around Marabout, and
prepared for a desperate resistance ; but in the course
of the night they changed their minds, evacuated the
position, and, avoiding the French troops, retired,
some to Mn Draha,n, some to Cheraga.
Last night the order was given for four battalions
from each regiment at the Camp of El Mama to be
ready to march at five in the morning, to make a
reconnaissance of Marabout. _ _ _ .

The troops were in high spirits, in the belief that
they were about to take part in a difficult and memor-
able assault, but in the night a terrible tempest
broke over us flooding the camp, and penetrating he
greater part of the tents.
Under these circumstances every one thought that
the march would be abandoned, as the ground would
be again drenched, and so slippery as to render climb-
ing difficult in the extreme.
No counter-order was, however, issued, and the
assembly sounded at the hour fixed upon, and at
five o'clock punctually the three brigades marched
out of camp to take up the ground assigned to them.
M. Farcy and myself had obtained permission of
General Vincendon to accompany the advanced guard
of the column and from our position had a good view
of the three brigades as they issued from their camp
and took up their position in line in order of battle—
Vincendon on the left, Galland in the centre, Gaillot
on the right.
The country between El Mama and Marabout is
very mountainous—more so, indeed, than any we have
previously passed through since we crossed the fron-
tier, and abounds in positions which, held by small
bodies of well-armed and determined men, would have
been extremely difficult to sarry.
The slipperiness of the ground after the wet added
to the difficulty of the march, as also did several
streams which at ordinary times could have been
passed dryshod, were greatly swollen by the rain.
Through these difficulties, encouraged by their officers,
the troops pushed on steadily. At the end of about
an hour's march the hill of Marabout was visible in
front, though still at a distance from us.
Our field glasses showed no signs of movement on
the summit or sides, and a doubt whether any resist-
ance would, after all, be encountered was for the first
time felt.
We now began to pass through many collections of
huts, which abound in the neighbourhood of the holy
place. These were all deserted, and the manner in
which the scanty belongings were thrown about, and
the fact that the fires were still alight, showed that
the inhabitants had fled in haste that morning, prob-
ably informed by watchers of the start of the column
from camp.
The troops made no halt, but the native allies pil-
laged and set fire to the huts.
Shortly before eleven o'clock, after a most extra-
ordinary march, we found ourselves facing the rock of
Marabout. We knew now that it was deserted, for a
native with a flag of truce had met us on our way and
informed us that the enemy had all left, and th 4 the
Saint alone remained, for whom protection and safety
was begged.
MoUnting the hill, whose steepness nas been much
exaggerated—for we were able to ride up—we arrived
before the entrance to the Temple. By the kindness
of General Vincendon, M. Farcy and myself had been
allowed to accompany him as he rode up at the head
of the troops, and we dismounted and followed him
into the shnne, the first Europeans who had ever set
foot therein. _

Over the edifice floated three flags, and at the
entrance stood the Saint, an aged Kroumir. No
other human being was visible. Whether the holy
man expected that the stones would, as tradition had
promised, rise to repel the invader I know not ' • but he
expressed no surprise, and his manner was dignified
and worthy of the occasion.
The sacred building is a small mosque, of far greater
elegance than the ordinary shrines of the Kroumirs,
with a cellar attached which was full of grain, bales of
camels' skins, old iron, &c.
Under the centre of the little dome of the mosque
was a great chest, covered with green cloth embroidered
with gold, with borders of other coloured cloth sewn
on to it. On this altar or shrine, for such it was, were
placed over a hundred bronze candlesticks, a cannon
ball, and a great variety of objects, all of which were
relics of some kind or other.
On the walls the Krournirs seemed to have hung
every description of property they possessed.
The top of the hill round the shrine was covered
with corn stacks, with wooden ploughs, with piles of
corkwood, and among other, things I saw an iron
balcony, though how it got there or for what it was
intended it was difficult to say, as the Kroumirs do
not dwell in houses.
The promise to respect the sanctuary was strictly
kept, and a cordon at a distance of five hundred
metres was drawn round it. All within this the
General ordered should be preserved intact, even a
herd of sheep and some cattle which were within the
circle were respected.
There was found in the shrine a holy flag which is
held in immense reverence by the natives. This our
Arab allies kissed with great veneration. Parties of
the Kroumirs began to come in and lay down their
arms as soon as we had occupied the hill.

Having congratulated the General upon the suc-
cessful termination of the expedition, I prepared to
start at once with M. Farcey. General Vincendon
was very averse to our leaving, as he considered that
the danger of riding without escort through the heart
of the Kroumir mountains was very great, but as he
did not absolutely forbid our attempting it, we deter-
mined to set out at once, in order to be the first to
despatch the news of the occupation of this important
position.
Just as we started the troops sat down to lunch on
the grass on the summit of the Holy Mountain.
We have just arrived here, after our long and some-
what perilous ride, having encountered no obstruction,
We were of course the first to bring the news of the
fall of Marabout.