The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-08 00:00:00

MARRIAGE.

This was an action of breach of promise of mar-
riage. The defendant pleaded that he did not pro-
mise, that he was ready and willing to perform the
promise, but a reasonable time had not elapsed,
and that when he made the promise he was insane.
Mr. Edwin James and Mr. Mcrgan Lloyd were
counsel for the plaintiff ; Mr. Slade and Mr. H.
Buller represented the defendant.
Mr. James, in opening the case, said that the
plaintiff was a young girl, 24 years of age, of at-
tractive personal appearance, and of humble paren-
tage, her father, who had been in the army, en-
joying a small pension, and carrying on a public
house at Thorley in Essex. The defendant was a
young gentleman, the son of a medical man at
Frame. Both his parents were dead, and the de-
fendant himself was destined for the medical profes-
sion. With the view of completing his studies the
defendant had been placed with a Dr. Dobson, at
Harlow in Essex, in whose establishment plaintiff
was in the humble capacity of a domestic servant.
While there the defendant became violently attached
to her. He paid her every attention, and ultimately,
by the consent of his aunt, from whom he had some
expectations, he caused her to be placed in the house
of a clergyman named Oxlade, with the view of be-
fitting her for the station in life which she would
have to occupy as the defendant's wife. Accordingly
from the 9th of August, 1856, to August, 1857, the
plaintiff remained at Mr. Oxlade's, where she con-
ducted herself with remarkable decorum and pro-
priety. The month of August, in 1857, was fixed
for the marriage ; and this young girl made the ne-
cessary preparations, on the solemn professions of
this man that he would make her his wife ; but he
went into Somerset, and then suddenly, and with-
out the slightest reason or pretence for the change,
he wrote to her abandoning her, and despite her
most earnest and touching appeals imploring him
to grant her an interview, refused ever to see her
again. She was quite at a loss to know under what
pretence lie had cast her off after having taken her
out of her sphere in life, which, if humble, was at
least a happy and respectable one. The only thing
they knew was that the defendant had placed on
the record this most extraordinary plea, that he
was mad when he made the promise, and had con-
tinued mad throughout the whole engagement.
It was true that he was addicted to drinking, and '
that the plaintiff had earnestly implored him to
give up the habit. There was not a shadow of foun-
dation for the assertion that he was of unsound
mind, and his letters, all of which should be pro-
duced, disproved it. The learned counsel then
read the letters written by the defendant, breaking
off the match, in which he stated that it would be
better for both of them that they should be sepa-
rated, and that his fortune was not sufficient for
their maintenance, together with the replies of the
plaintiff, which were moral, creditably written, and
in which she implored him to see her, if only for
once again. The learned counsel proceeded to say
that after these letters from the defendant the girl
had been sent home from the clergyman's where
she had been placed, and from that moment to this
the defendant had refused either apology or repa-
ration for his most heartless conduct, for which the
jury were now called upon to give ample damages.
Mrs. Anne finger examined—l am the mother
of the plaintiff, who is 24 years of age. My hus-
band was in the 58th. He left it 16 years ago, and
has a pension of is. a day. He maintained himself
lay honest industry. He now keeps a public-house.
W. e have nine children. My daughter went to ser-
vice at Mrs. Dobson's at Harlow, in Essex, five
years ago. My daughter brought me a note. I
used afterwards to meet her on Sundays to talk
to her and prevent her associating with Mr. Bush.
On a Sunday evening I went for my daughter to
Mrs. Dobson's. I came with her to my son's house,
near Hoxton. The defendant came to the house,
and I was introduced to him. The defendant
seemed very sociable with me, but of course, when
lovers meet, they have all the conversation to
themselves. (Laughter.) I saw the defendant a
month afterwards at my son's. He dined and had
.Lia there. They were out in the backyard walkint,
and I asked him what his intentions were. He
said his intentions were right enough, and that he
dearly loved her. On another day he was with us
at my son's house. In the evening ho went to his
lodgings, saying his aunt was to be there. He came
back, and brought my daughter to his aunt. He
afterwards came for me, and I went to his aunt.
The aunt said-to me she was delighted with her am
pearance, and that Frank (the defendant) seemed
very fond of her. I said I had nothing to give my
daughter but my blessing-, and that I would give
graciously. The defendant said he did not care,
he had property of his own. His aunt said her
property would go to the defendant and
Miss Bush, and that. his marriage would make
no difterence in her intentions. He kissed my
daughter on her leaving, and told her she must
give Mrs. Dobson notice that she would leave in a
fortnight. I took my daughter back to Mrs. Dob •
son's, and gave her notice. On one occasion the
defendant took a ring out of his desk and put it on
my daughter's finger, saying, " This was my mo-
ther's ring—you are to wear it till we are married,
for you are mine for ever." The defendant fixed
the time for them to be married. I do not know
when. It was the year she left Mrs. Dobson's.
The defendant was not mad. Ho was as right and
better than I was. My daughter went to Mrs.
Bush's for a month, andthen to Mrs. Oxlade. She
stayed there until this happened. She has been
very unhappy ever since, and will be to the day of
her death.
Cross-examined—l do not know if my daughter
ever had a lover before—young people don't tell
ne,thr 1%4 oreri.-f-,`!ity;. When I say she never
had a lover, I meat, a sincere lover.
Mr. S!ade—Well, had she an insincere lover 1
Witness—Never but one—the villain that has
brought her into this place. Mr. Dobson was a
medical man. There was a Mr. Mahew with Mr
Dobson—au old gel, tleman—a madman.
Mr. Slade—Come, now, did not Mr. Dobson
keep a private madhouse, and was not Mr. Bush
there under the same circumstances as Mr. Mahew?
Witness—No. I know that Mr. Bush is as right
in his head as I am.

Mr. Slade--Do you not know that he is at this
moment in a madhouse
Witness—l do not.

Mr. Slade here further pressed the witness, when
she said she could not tell the learned counsel any
more than she had, and walked out of the witness-
box. She was told to go back, and then burst out