The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-20 00:00:00

WINTER V. HARDWICK.

This was an action to recover the amount of a surgeon's
bill. The defence was, that in the first place the charges
were exorbitant ; in the next, that the plaintiff had charged
for medicines in the same way as an apothecary, and that
being a surgeon only, he was not entitled to recover that
part of his bill which consisted of items properly belonging
to the business of an apothecary. To cover the amount
claimed for lotions, ointments, &c., supplied for surgical
purposes, and also to meet the obarge for surgical advice,
the defendant had paid a sum of money into Court, disput-
ing only the other charges made in the bill. Evidence was
called to make out the plaintiff's claim, and also the reason-
ableness of the charges, and the Jury returned a verdict for
the plaintiff for the sum of 181. 10s. beyond the amount of
the money paid into Court.

EXCHEQUER COURT.

BREACH OF PROMISE OF -111IAIMAGE.-BRUNSDIN V.

GREGORY.

Mr. THESSIGER said that this action waS brought by
Harriet Brunsden, the plaintiff, to recover damages from
the defendant for the breach of a solemn engagement,
entered into by him four years ago, to marry the plain-
tiff. The plaintiff was the daugter of a tradesman,
but although she was in humble life, and inferior station to
the plaintiff, her amiable manners and purity of conduct
had induced the defendant to overlook the disparity of
their relative conditions in life, and to make honourable pro-
posals to her. The parties became originally acquainted
through their living in the house of Mr. Moss, a chemist, at
' Cheltenham—the defendant as an assistant, and the plain-
tiff as a housemaid. Their acquaintance, in the course of
time, ripened into the warmest attachment, but it was to be
observed that on the defendant commencing to pay
attflitiiitls to the plaintiff, she represented to him their
different situations in society, and entreated Lite
not to persist in • his suit. He still expressed the
tenderest sentiments for her, till at last •41° was
induced to receive his proposals, and Ultimately
he wqt tier affections. The M"
en
.dant had been
Qf dissipated habits, which lin
mination to forsake when expressed his deter-
tiff— ; and he - 'ie paid his addresses to the plain-
ofThessiger) believed that in consequence
hicj
.oVe for her he did throw them off in a great degree.
The plaintiff's parents having heard of his improper
courses, at first objected to the terms on which he was
with their daughter, but at length, by his prepossessing
manners, he succeeded in obtaining their consent. On the
defendant leaving Mr. Moss's, he kept up his correspon-
dence with the plaintiff ; but at length, in consequence of
a large property being left to his father, the defendant's ar-
dour cooled when he found that by this accession of wealth
to his family he became of greater importance than he had
hitherto been. He still, however, continued to profess his
affection for the plaintiff, who at his instance was appren-
ticed to a milliner, he paying half the premium, and thereby
clearly showing that he took an interest in the transac-
tion. The correspondence continued till February, 1834,
in which month the defendant wrote to the plaintiff, an-
nouncing that it was quite impossible for him to fulfil his
promise.

Witnesses were called and various letters written by the
defendant in the course of his acquaintance with plaintiff,
were put in and read.

The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages 150/.

INCENDIARISM.--Abollt three o'clock on Tues-
day morning a stack of wheat, consisting of nearly fifty quar-
ters, was discovered to be on fire in the barn-yard of Mr.
Thomas Vincent, overseer of the rural village of Harrietsham,
near Maidstone. An express was instantly sent off to Maid-
stone for the Norwich Union engine, but before it could arrive
the stack was completely consumed. There were several
stacks of various kinds and farm •buildings immediately conti-
guous, for the safety of which great fears were at first excited,
but fortunately, from the direction of the wind, and the ready
exertions of the neighbours arid labourers who flocked to the
spot, the flames were easily confined to the stack where they
originated. There exists no doubt that the fire was the act of
au incendiary, as flames were observed to burst out at different
parts of the stack simultaneously. It is said a clue has been
obtained which it is hoped will lead to tho detection of the
guilty party.