The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-17 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCIIIT.-CROYDON, AUG. 16.

(Before Mr. Justice Wightman and aCommon Jury.)

STEPTOE V. ARMSTRONG.

This was an action to recover damages for the breach
of a promise of marriage.
Mr. Lush was for.the plaintiff, and Mr. Hawkins was
counsel for the defendant.
Mr. Lash, in opening the case to the jury, said that
the plaintiff in this case was a young girl of 18, and the
defendant was about 30. They were both in a humble
position of life, but the-defendant he was instructed was
in possession of 7001. or 8001., and the present action
was brought to compel him to make some compensation
to the plaintiff for the injury he had done to her feelings
by breaking a sOlemn promise he had given to marry
her. The defendant, it appeared, lived as a sort of bailiff
with his uncle, who was a farmer at Brentford, and the
plaintiff was employed as a servant on the establishment.
An intimacysprung up between them, which was not dis-
covered for some time by the uncle, but when he did so,
he immediately discharged the plaintiff, and she went to
live with her father and mother, at Hamwell. The de-
fendant, however, went there and renewed the promise
of marriage, which it appeared he had before made to the
plaintiff, and by Ilia desire she was removed to the house
of an aunt at Notting-hill, and after a short time bad
elapsed preparations were made for the wedding, the
ring was bought, the banns were put up, and a fly was
ordered to take the parties to the church, but while the
carriage Was standing at the door a letter was brought
from the defendant, addressed to the plaintiff's father, in
the:following terms •
"The enclosed is for your inspection. Let it be for-
warded immediately. Also two sovereigns for expenses
you have been at."
The letter contained nothing besides two sovereigns,
and as it being clear that the defendant did not intend
to perform his promise, the present action was brought
against
William Steptoe, the father of the plaintiff, said that
his daughter was /8 years old, and in' the lieginnrii, of
the 'present year she was in the service of the uncle of'the
defendant. • After she had been dismissed from the ser-
vice, the defendant called Upon him, and asked his leave
to have his daughter. • Witness said to him, "Thomas,
it you like my daughter you can have her." (A laugh.)
The defendant replied, Well, I would have-her if she
had notgot a second shirt to her back." (Laughter.) The
defendant then told him that he had saved 3502.. and
that he was entitled to the fourth share of 2,000/. under
the will of his grandmuther, and after that he was mar-
ried he shoUld go into Houle' bustness. , The defendant
centinnerr to visit his daughter after this, and, on ac-
count of his objecting to her living in his house hecause
a young man lodged there, she was sent to the house of
an aunt at Notting-hill, and she remained there until
the day appointed for the wedding. The marriage was
fixed to take place on Sunday, the 27th of May, but the
night before the defendant called upon him and told
him that his uncle bad found it out, and that be had
threatened• hint that if he married his daughter he
would turn him out of doors, and he therefore said he
did not know rightly whether he should be able to come
the next day or not. (Laughter.)
Mr. Lush—Did be say anything more?
Witness---Yes. He said that he should very likely
ge to Brentford and get drunk, and then we should not
care for either his uncle:or aunt. The witness went on
to state that 'on the following morning he received the
letter above alluded to, containing the two sovereigns,
and he immediately went to where his daughter was
staying at Notting-hill, and found the fly at the door,
and all the bridal party ready to go to church, He com-
municated the intelligence to his daughter, and it gave
her a great shock, and she had been very " molloncolly
like" ever since. (A laugh.)
Cross-examined—He did not take the trouble to give
the uncle of the defendant any information of what was
going on. He was not to have been present at the
marriage;of course. They did not want him. The defend,.
ant was very much' afraid of his uncle, and said that he
would turn him out of doors if he got married, and wit-
ness.sairl that if the did he would find him a job at
gravel digging:, (Laughter.)
Mr. Hawkins made a very humorous speech to the i ury
on behalf of the defendant in mitigation of damages, and
he urged that but for the rapidity with which the action
had been brought, the defendant would in all probability
have fulfilled his promise. He also said that the defend-
ant would not have acted as he had done if he had not
been afraid that his uncle would, as he termed it, have
turned him " neck and crop" out of the house if be had I
carried out the marriage.

The jury returned a-v.erdiet for the plaintiff—damages,
351.

NORTHERN CIBCUIT—LivERPoor, Auo.
CROWN COURT. *
BIGAMY.
Thomas Bentley, 64, was indicted for having inter-
married with Ann Bond, in Oct., 1851, his former wife,
Mary Bentley, being still alive.
Mrs. Catherine Spencer, sister to the first wife,
proved that she had gone to the Old Church in Manches-
ter on the 20th August, 184.4, and there her sister, Mary
Lathery, then a widow, was married to the prisoner.
They lived together nearly six years • he making bricks,
she making pies. (Laughter.) They had no family.
He was married undei• the name of Thomas Betterley,
stating that to he'his true designation—the other being
used for the sake of shortness.

Ann Bond, "the second wile, was .put in the witness-
box. She stated she had been married in 1851 to the
prisoner. She knew nothin about getting up the pre•
sent prosecution. When the' present affair was over,
she would have no objection to go and live with him
again, if he pleased. She knew, she believed, a good
man when she got one. (Laughter.) The fact of the
first wife being alive was fully proved by a police-officer ;
and the jury brought in a verdict of guilty.
Court (to prisoner)—You seem to be pretty weil off
—no less than three wives, eh
Prisoner—Nay, I hadn't three wives, as I know.
Court—You were described as a widower at the first
marriage, so you must have had one before.

Prisoner—Oh yes, I bad.
Court—This act of Parliament was passed for the pro-
tection of women ; and the only woman who could be
affected by your conduct is unwilling to prosecute .•ou.
The proseution is ordered by the board of guardians,
who have nothing on earth to do with it. In consi.lpra.
tion of this circumstance. the Court pass upon you but
a ►nitigated sentence, viz., that you be imprisoned. for
wren days.
The leniency of the sentence appeared to give great
sitisfaction to Mrs. Bentley No. 2.
REWARD OF FEMALE COURAGE.

His lordship called up Mrs. Chappell, and ordered her
to be rewarded with 51. as an acknowledgement of her
courage and activity in securing a burglar.
[George Marsden, who broke into her husband's Louse
in Manchester, on the 3d of April, pleaded guilty to an
indictment charging him with the offence on Monday.]