The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-19 00:00:00

WESTERN CIRCUIT.-Eximi, MABCR 17.

111.01/ IdIL 80•TICIS MILL
/MAW C. WHITSWAT.-111ZDUCTION.
lb. Collier, Q.C., and Mr. Coleridge were counsel for
the plaintiff; mod Ms. Slade, Mr. Kerslake, and Mr.
Cole were gognmi gm the defendant.
Is this am__ limpwam were very respectable, and the w
mind seaslimallb interest. The s were st
USK The plaintiff is a shipbuilderdarForquey, and the
fideadent a excel merchant and shipowner of the same plass.
The action was brought by the plaintiff to recover cow
peasation in damages from the defendant for the 'edits-
*. of his dauagghter, Mies Maria Shaw, • young
lady of preposearing appearance, aged about thirty.
Prom the learned counsel's opening, and the evi-
dence of the young lady and her father, it appeared that
defendant became acquainted with her very early in life,
and was the ant person who ever obtained her affections.
When about 16 or 16 years old, eh* was apprenticed to de.
feabuit's brother, Mr. Mark Whiteway, a linendraper of
Torquay, where they frequently met, and where it sp-
Crate attachment lint sprung up between them. After
virg Mr. Mark Whiteway's, Miss Shaw lived at haus
with her meats, and was regularly vatted by the dotes-
dast. who Ink bat be pleas of amusement, and to church
ea Sunday maims. about 10 or 12 years ago, marriage
wee spoken oT, and defendant begged the young laay to
think nothing of any other man, • request with which she
complied. The whole of her youth was entirely devoted to
defendant, and, sitar some time—he not mails gag
sign towards marriage7she ailed him what all
meant to do. " Oh, he replied, "my intentions
are honourable; 1 tatted to make you my wife."
When pressed, however, by the plaintiff's father as
to when he intended to marry his daughter, defendant rr
peatedly made excuses ; one of which was, that his friends
were not very favourable to the match and that he pre-
ferred waiting until his father died. His father did die la
1862. Still defendant would not marry, and it was evident
he tended doing so. After some time, however as
defendant would not say definitely when the marriage
should take place, Miss Shaw's father and family believed
that he we. trifling with her feelings, and the engagement
wee broken off. She was then offered marriage by • res-
pectable young man, named Durant, which, however, else
did not sesept. The defendant then requested that the
engagement might be renewed, and, after some time, he
was again admitted es her suitor, promising to marryher,
and frequently that his intentions were perfectly
honourable. been on these terms of intimacy
for the last sevener eightyean, defendant having associated
with her, walked with her and endeavoured to sedans
her, but SIN remised perfectly virtuous until the spring of
1862, when the ishatteat effected her ruin end seduction is
a private:am at the back of some premises belonging to
him. Os IsiMem _knelt in the family way, she told defend-
ant of it, wire eted not to believe it, saying, " Oh, my
sister was le that omm. but soon got rid of it." The
poor you, I* iseadition secret from her family
as long aeke bat • child was born in August lest.
Defendant wee sant ihr to acme to her bedside ; and Mite
Shew's father embed bar whose child it was ? Bh• replied,
"It's Mr. Whammy's." Wbereupon he mid he would go
down on his knees, sad cell God to witness that It wee not
his. She asked him" how be could look in her face and
say that ?" On whisk he same towards the bed to speak to
her, but she turned away from him and would not speak.
After this, Dr. Blake, who attended her, brought, at de-
fendant's request, • five pound note, which was indignantly
refused. He also proposed to allow her 6s. a week
for the maintenance of the child, and 61. a year for
its clothes—all of which was rejected. Defendant
subsequently admitted that he knew the child wee his, and
said he would willingly maintain her. He was asked again
to marry lar, which he refused, and hence the present
action.
A witness (Mr. Hoarder) wee called to prove defendant's
mesas. He stated that be had sent to him, as clerk to the
Local Based of Health, • list of his house property, I. order
to prove his qualification to vote far members thereof. In
that desameat he gave the value of his house property alone
at about 8001. a year.
As ao 'Basra were called for the defendant, Mr. Collier
addressed the jury for the plaintiff, contending that it ems'
dear the defendant had coolly and usliberately persuades*
object—the selostioa of this poor young lady—whisk be
was ten or twelve years in effecting. He believed thin
sever had bees • Mee aggravated ease tried in any court of
justice, sad galled ulna the jar to give ezemplarydasseges.
Mr. Slade, he the debase, alluded to the disparity in the
risetifiatbo poetise, his sliest being 20 years older than the
He esaranded that It wee a money match, and
that the versa of the *hairs refusing to marry young
Durant wee that dellindaat was more eligible is point of

liaLordaltip summed up, and the jury gave a verdict for
laintiff--dusegee 4001.