The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-20 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT—EXETER MARCH 'l6.
(Before Mr. Justice Erle.)
SEDUCTION AND BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.

WHITE V. WILLS,

Mr. Crowder, Q.C., and Mr. Bird appeared for the plain-
tiff, and Mr. Collier for the defendant.
Mr. Crowder, iu stating the case, observed that it was an
action to obtain damages for the broach of an engagement
made by the defendant to marry the plaintiff. He had to
present a truly melancholy case, in which a respectable, hut
over-confiding girl had been utterly ruined, and her worldly
prospects blighted by the cruelty, the perfidy, and selfishness
of au artless and unprincipled man. The plaintiff Maria White,
was a young woman of humble birth. She was the (laughter of
a hind to a Mr. Pope, living in the neighbourhood of Ricking-
ton, Devonshire. When she was two or three years old she was
taken by her aunt, Mrs. Manley, the wife of a Master in the
Royal Navy, who educated her, and, with whom she resided
up to the time of her becoming acquainted with the defen-
dant. In 1849 Mrs. Manley was living at Denbury, and
it was then that the defendant, Mr. John Wills, a farmer re-
siding at Bickington, near Ashburton, first became ac-
quainted with her. He was, from that time, a constant
visitor at the house of the girl's aunt, and was paying con-
siderable attention to the plaintiff, evidently with the inten-
tion of ultimately marrying her. Mrs. Manley ascertained in
1850 that the defendant had made some improper overtures,
to her niece, and she forbade him the house. In May, 1852,.
however, Mrs. Manley went to lodge in the house of Mr. Ford,
in the same neighbourhood, and as that gentleman was
intimately acquainted with the defendant, Mr. Will*,
the latter visited him, and thus the intimacy between him
and the plaintiff was renewed, and he was permitted to visit
her there, Mrs. Manley believing that he would act honourably.
towards her. Plaintiff and defendant were often left alone
together; and on one occasion, in September of the same
year, Mrs. Manley entered the room, and found her niece in
tears. On questioning her, Mrs. Manley ascertained that
Wills had promised her marriage, and had disappointed her:
He then repeated the promise in Mrs. Manley's presence, and
fixed the following month (October) for the wedding. The
wedding dresses were prepared, the defendant personally sit-
perinteuded their shape and fashion; but, after a few days,
he found as an excuse that his mother would not be agreeable
for him to bring a wife home; at the same time arratging
that the marriage should be celebrated in the coming month
of November. He again made an excuse that the plaintiff,
who was staying at Tor, was too ill to marry, which was false.
Mrs. Manley spoke to him on the subject, and he then fixed
the next week, and, in a day or two, he said he had obtained
the license ; but before the day arrived he again disappointed
her. About Nov. 15, he called to see the plaintiff, and when
Mrs. Manley went into the room, she found her much agitated
and crying. It then appeared that, relying upon the con-
tinual promises of the defendant, that he would make her his
wife, site had fallen a victim to him and had been seduced,
and at that time ,There were indications of her pregnancy.
On that occasion the plaintiff, in defendant's pre-
sence, told her aunt that he had been endeavouring to induce
her to go to a doctor and take stuff to get rid of the child,
upon which defendant put his hand on the plaintiff's mouth,
and said, " You need not tell her all I have told you but
he did not deny having given that abominable advice. It
was again urged upon defendant that he should fulfil his pro-
mise of marriage, and Mrs. Manley's cousin spoke to him on
the subject ; his answer was, " Nobody said I am not going
to perform my promise ; I tell you I'll make it all right.",
Up to that period he had held out hopes that he would marry
the plaintiff before any event should occur, such as the birth
of a child. He (Mr. Crowder) was instructed that there was
no pretence for the plea which defendant bad set up, that he
had never promised to marry the plaintiff.
The learned Counsel put iu the following singular letters,
which were read to the Court :
" 5, Bruuswick-square, Tor, Dee. 3, 1853.
"My dear Sir,—l have been anxiously waiting for a line
from you, but like everything else concerning you, I am ever
doomed to disappointment ; you promised me you would
marry me, and deceived me ; you promised you would write
to me, and have deceived me ; and I firmly believe you pro-
mise me everything only to deceive—why is it you are
treating me thus—you appear to take a peculiar pleasure
in tormenting me, harrassing and terrifying me seems to
be your delight. I could wish you had selected some
other object for your diversion—you pretend to like me,
but your conduct proves you to be equally false and deceit-
ful in that, as in all else. You know how only the scratch of
a.pen from you would have pleased me, yet you would not
afford me even that small gratification. I did not ask you to
Marry me, nor should I have asked you to write to me, but
when you propose these things I certainly expect you will
perform them. I should have been glad to know if yon were
better, and it would have been kind in you to have written
me. I was very unwell when I saw you last, and I have been
much worse since. I have got so weak with.fretting, and
your hurrying me so, that the motion of the train only the
short distance from Newton to Torquay last Thursday, quite
upset me, and I have been very bad ever since ; you have
quite ruined my character, health, happiness, and all besides,
and now you are cruelly trifling with my affections, and
wounding my feelings with your base insinuations, yet I could
forgive it all, if you would only act right. Hourly expecting
a letter from you, " I remain, yours truly; .'
" Mr. Wills, Harebeer, Bickington." MARIA WHITS.