The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-16 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT...-CROYDON, Aroun 15.
(More Mr. Justice Blackburn and a Common Jury.)

MIDDLETON 11. DRAG!.

nit was an action brought by the plaintiff, Emily Mid-
dleton, against the defendant, Edmund Drage, to recover
damages for the breach of his premise to marry her, and the
damages were laid at 500 f. The defendant pleaded that he
did not make the promise alleged in the declaration,
Berjeant Shee and Mr. Woollett were for the plaintiff ;
Mr. Denman, 44. c., and Mr. Needham, were for the defers.
dant.. - -

Acitfileant She*, in opening the are to the jury, said that
the intiff was • young woman 24 years of age, who re-
with her mother at Lynn, in Norfolk, and although
I they were not wealthy, the family were in a respectable
position, her father having been an architect and
enrveyor, and upon his death, which took place in the year
1852, the plciotiff resided with her mother, and, if his in-
etroctions were correct, the defendant had been guilty of a
moat heartless act of seduction towards her under a solemn
premise of n:arriage. The defendant was about 35 years of
age, and resided at • place called East Itudham, a few miles
from Lynn, and he farmed land at that place, carried a the
badness of a corn dealer, and from his establishment, and
the way in which he lived, exhibited all the appearance of a
are of property. The defendant and the plaintiff, it ap-
peared, had first met at • bazaar that was held
at Lyea, about two years ago, and he ooetiaued
to pay attention to the plaintiff wherever he
met her, and about the mouth of February, 1859,
he was introduced to her mother, and very shortly after
that time it appeared that he announced his intention to
marry her, and was received upon that footing in the family.
The circumstances of the family did not admit of their keep
iog a servant, and shortly after the introdaction of the
defendant to the mother of the plaintiff, it appeared that
she left home upon a visit to a relation, the plaintiff remain-
ing at home in charge of the house. The defendant was io
the habit of paving constant visits, nod, upon one occasion,
while the mother was absent upon this visit, he went into
the plaintiff's bedroom and succeeded in obtaining poems-
son of her person. After this had taken place the de-
fendant gradually absented himself from the house, and
although the plaintiff wrote no less than twenty
letters to him imploring him to keep the solemn
promise he had made to her, he did not condo-
wend to reply to any of them, and it was not netil several
mouths afterwards any
the mother was izforniel of the
tZfuposition in which her daughter was plaoed. She
ilt appeared, wrote to the defendant, entreating him to
keep his promise, but to this letter he also seat no reply,
and the mother of the plaintiff then sought an interview
with the defendant and asked him whether lie intended to
marry her daughter, and also why he had not answered her
letters. In reply to the last question the defendant said
that it was no busman of been, and to the other he said
that he had been informed that the plaintiff had ruiscon-
ducted herself with other meo.aod he should have nothing more
to do with her. The learned serjeant said that under these
circumstances the plaiettff had no alternative but to bring
the present action, and he observer that, although the de-
fendant bad ventured to insinuate to the mother that
her daughter's character was not pure, be bad not dared to
put • plea to that effect upon the record as an answer to
the action, and he called upon the jury to give the plaintiff
exemplary damages for the injury she had sustained at his
hands.

Mrs. Elisabeth Middleton, the mother of the plaintiff,
was then examined. She stated that she and her family
had resided at Lynn for many years, and her husband
had carried on the business of an architect and surveyor
at that place. He died in 1852, and after that time the
plaintiff continued to reside with her. The defendant
resided at East Rudbam. about In miles from Lynn, and he
described himself se • farmer and merchant, and he was in
the habit of coming to market at Lynn every Tuesday. In
February, 1859, she was walking in the town with Far
digester, and they met the defendant, and he spoke to bar
daughter, and on the same day she brought him to Mae
bows and introduced him to her, and said that he was is
c=ati they had seen so frequently bowinct to her. The
t stayed a abort time, and when he left hei
110 Sane on the following Monday and take her =lt
far a ride. After ibis the defendant paid them esestant
visits, and upon one occasion witness heard hint say to
her daughter, " Never 'Mod my friends. nay cannot
choose a wife for me ; if I was as rich as a Jew, and
you bad not got a penny in the IPOO4 I wield
have you for nay wife? Wito(6ll beard the elefeedaut say
that he should not make any present. to her daughter, be.
cause he thought it was not right for any men to do so to •
woman when he intended to make her his wife, and that ha
wished her to take him for himself alone. After she bed
Wan on • visit to her sister the defendant ceased to visit at
the boom, and her daughter, in couseqnsoce, appeared