The National Register.
London, England, 1818-12-28 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec.2l.
CiIN.-VAUGHAN v. SMITH.

The damages its this ee.e wet P laid al 10,00al.
Mr. Seajeant Copley ~1414.,1 the circumstances of the ease
to the Jury. The plaintiff, Mr. Vaughass, he said, brooch:
this action for the pnroose of seCOVIVIIing reparation iu dama
ges. fur the seduction of his wife by the defendant. Cuse•
•1 this nature had been of such fregisent (seem teller, and had
so often been the %object of vonsideratinit in Courts of 31111111 e,
that he II gist al unnecessary to make ails general ohsel.
stations on their elterac er, convinced as he was 11141 Ike
feelings and understandings of the Jiiry would suggest every
thing which lie could forge iu introdocing such a ease to thee.
notice. Ile thought lie shoul.l hest discharge his duly to but.
client, by mann • himself to is plain 41111 41111111 e statement of
the case, las lug before them the sittiel..ll of the 'parties, and
the cireisaistaisees under which the offence imputed to de
Pendant was committed. He was finite .nee that the facts
which lie should lay Ire. ire 1111111 in esidenee wimbl he con-
clusive. •fise LP/1111ed Feu jrnnl then pros-redid to shoe 11141
the plaintiff, ,hi. Vaughan, was a gentleman vtly well keen it
in the musical world, and of cousiileratile talents. Sa fat
back as the year 1139 i, lie was introduced, fir the first time.
to a young 1441) of the name of TPIIII4III. She was then 17
years of age, of great iteisonal beauty and accomplishments;
added to which, she was possessed, in all eminent (teeter, of
the same 'term iption of talent fur *lnch Mr. V d Itgliall has
been an eminently distineeit heal. At the latter end of 1535,
a marriage took place. Frain that period down to the lime
when their happiness was broken in upon by the defendant,
they lived together in the greatest possible degi cc of liarnway
and affection. Mrs. Vaughan assisted her husband'in the
discharge of Isis professional engagements ; and Huts they
mutually (mutt i hived to the sopport uflheircommon othprmg
They had had several children, of whom six wet e non alive ;
the eldest not ten years of age. The defendant wet the son
of a 1)1.. Smith, residing at Richmond, and held mine office
under the Govktiment of the country. 'the two families,
that of Mr. Vaughan and Dr. simith, were upon the most
intimate terms. Mrs. Vaughan had two children at ICIIOOI ill
Richmond, and when she went down to see theta, she fre-
quently stopped a day or two at 1)r. Smith's. In like 111411.
Per, when the Miss Smiths came to town, they remained at
the husise of Mr. Vaughan, and, together with every branch
of their family, were received wi:ls the greatest hospitality 111111
kindness. In this situation things remained, until At last the
defendant succeeded iis seducing the wife of his friend; and,
finally. induced her to elope ficun Mtn. It we. hetet twee.'
awry to state, that when )Irs. Vaughan was delivered of lieu
last child, of which her husband was parent, at least, about
two years ago, she suffered so ls in consequeace 01 411
listens:ll complaint, that her medical advisers deemed
necessary to recommend that iii furore her husband And her
should sleep in separate beds. Mr. Vaughan loved los wife
with the utmost affection and regard; but finning it expe-
dient, for her sake, that this course 1/110111d be adopted, er
disregarded his IMII gtatilication, and yielded to the soggcs
tints. From that lime 111111 i the elopement they slept in seprrate
rooms adjoining each other. At what lime the iletentlant
succeeded in electing his dishonoureble purpose, it had not
been clearly ascertained ; but dial a cif al intercourse had
takers place upwards of a year back, was manifest, from the
birth of the child, of which, no doubt, the defendant was
Hither. .This fact was curioborated by several letters from
the defendant to Mrs. Vaughan, front the tone and mantles of
which, the intimacy which had subsisted between them was
ton evident. 'These letters w •re not addressed to Mrs. V.
but from their import, 111111 the way in which they were found,
they were clearly conveyed to her. [Here Mr.Serjeant Cop-
ley read neves ul passages floes the letters to which lie allotted,
which were sign d by the defendant, and in which lie ad-
dressed Mrs. Veugleau as his " Dearest, Dearest Bess, his
very lite! his own valued —cherished— most beloved rile.")
In these letters he makes allusion to the situation its whit:a
Mrs. Vaughan was, froth 1110 intercourse which had passed
between them—apeaks of the pledge of their mutual uegar.l
which lay beneath her buyout, and entieats her to quit lieu
husband's house hefone he I.llSl'l/t rs her pregnancy. Nits.
Vangliats finally d serted her husband and her child, en,and
after a short residence of a month in London, proceeded In
Lyme, 111 Dorsetshire, where bile was delivered of 4 boy, the
fruit of her unhappy Milt: 01e with the defendant. Having
thins stated the outlines of the ease Vllll4 It he had to but owe,
the Learned Consist-I adverted to the atnotint of 11/1111/11.,9 10
which the plaintiff was entitled. Ile commeated oil tee 10.•
of domestic happiness which the defendant had 1111,1•1111(1.1,
and upon the eget rivaled enmities Or Ille defendant iu betray..
ing that confidence which Mr. Vanglianll.lll, consideeing iiiin
a friend, resinsett in him. In coneinsion, lie called upon the
Jury to mink their sense of the rase by the most exeintAary
damages.
Several letters were put in, and extrects from them were
read.

After nliirls the following winessei were called :
Mr. Charles Hell, examined hy Mr. Sesjearit Copley.-1
am a Surgeon. I ilnell111•11 Mit. V411;111111 a little below her
emitinemeut in 1510. INM the plainiat st it to collation wills
her mail her health wig. This sv.te at I 12
Months before her last emitine.iient at Irnur, whirl) is two
years ago. 1 made the communication to Will its coinwipiene..•
of her state of loalth. I it., not recollect what pasta
between Dr. :Me-atoll met Mt OD thi. /.114_11
Alan es• dll M,. 1k111114.11.-1 lived serviiii;
with Mu'. V. II ; I od. ,o Ihr Chelan 11. I M 1•44.
not at house %twill the clii:tl aa. horn is 1846. Mr. and Ms.
N'anglian lived vi tan-Iy. 1 think 1 'tete,-
511 W a more happy eoupli its my leda ehaugelll
Airs. A'. lot Ihr last IY,nonli4l. I she appeari emit to
Mr. V. 'Utley slept to eel-mite heal. ,Its. V. said she did
rot to hale soy mote as OW dill 110 ttWF I to go
into writhe in that MI. Snulh tame to the hu,ue
ttetpiently. lu, vii any inrioloper conduct betoreis Hun
Mrs. Vaughan went aouy on the 12111 of
,lour, lilt tiny otter het netielit voneert. She said mie
g g to see tier chili's.. it lit Ditiwii h. She alo
tried to conceal her inegovney. She bid heise.l
notch a• pos•itile, test Mr. V.
a 41,4 ,411 aNiciost the taldr, alsrievet Mt. Vait;,;ll,ll
came in, 011 was illfl4'lll. 1 lain MI.
did lint ktion of her pi egnaney berme went Nod).
CrOSs•eXdllllllt.tl lay Mi. S. and Vaughan. —I 114.11.1-:
kola* it it. hoe wits :Omni sis. months 1411.1 e
went .5 %Illy. I doled out communicate it to Alt A'. shone. I
knew it lite.. is th.. Nan not it, toots a. the lyina in mini°
Ale. Smith was no. Ili the Intuit coliolisg hustle %Ws hi t eve')

. naL:lat. (It law. %apnoea I,llt rims• 1114111 C lilt lit a hul but safari:,
aulraa "101 l Mr. VdleU.,:,(l Mg% faith llirsaa I liCtEt Raw di.%
thiup,unptOpt•, 10:11,. Sal lit t.I'M Ntv 111101 1.11141 Ms..lmlth
hucw V 411,01411 VI 114 iu the family way, but I sever ans.