The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

HEARTLESS CASE OF SEDUCTION.

On Saturday week a writ of enquiry was held before the'
under-sheriff of Nottingham, in the case of Hardy r
Morgan. The declaration set forth that Thomas Hardy
sues Herbert Morgan for damages sustained by the se-
duction of his daughter and servant, Elizabeth Hardy,
whereby she was delivered of a child and the plaintiff wasdeprived of services for a long time, and the plaintiff
claims £2,000. Tile plea stated that the defendant was
not guilty of the alleged seduction. The plaintiff took
issue upon this plea, which was, however, withdrawn by
the defendant and judgment signed, and the present writ
of enquiry instituted to assess the damages. Nir-
O'Brien appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. De Lara, 9f
the firm of De Lara and Fogg, attorneys, Manchester, in
behalf of the defendant. The plaintiff was formerly, and
until about two mouths ago, an extensive butcher, carry-
ing on business in Nottingham, but, in consequence of
his extreme age (72) and lameness. he had not, for the
last mentioned period, been able to attend to any business,-
and was now in very humble circumstances. He bad
wife and six children, three of whom were daughters
Elizabeth, to whom this action principally referred, was
20 years old, and the other two of the ages of 17, and lir
respectively. The defendant is a captain in the First
Royal Dragoons, and is the only child of a wealthy gen-
tleman at Bath.

The facts connected with the commencement of the ac-
quaintance of the parties were stated, by the unfortunate
girl in her evidence am 20 years old. I recollect being
at Miss Pearson's school. 1 remained there six years, and
left when I was sixteen. I was then bound apprentice to
a milliner, but lived with my father at the time. It was
on the sth of October, 1850, that I first met Captain
Morgan, as I was walking with Miss Newbold, to whom
he first addressed himself. I was then between 17 and
18. We walked together for about an hour. On the day
after, when I was with Miss Newbold, we again met him
and walked with him. He asked us to his rooms in the
barracks. We went there together several times, and were.
waited on by his servant girl. After that I visited him at
his rooms alone, and he treated me with courtesy and
kindness. Once when I visited him, some time in No-
vember, he spoke to me about his father, who, he said,
had been to see him a day or two ago. He did not know
where I lived, or he would have introduced me to him.
He also said his father lived at Bath, that he should have
known what his father would say if he had seen me, as he
was very odd. He had not, at that time, made any im-
proper proposals to me. I was in the habit of walking
with him almost daily. On one occasion, in November,
I was in his rooms at the barracks, when he approached
me with rudeness. That intimacy continued while be re-
mained in Nottingham, and resulted in my giving birth
to a child, which happened on the 16th of September,
1851. The child is living, and is out at nurse at Wollaton.
My father supports it. In the spring of that year, the re-
giment was ordered out of Nottingham, since which time
I have received a number of letters from Captain Morgan.
In July, in consequence of his direction by letter, I went
up to town, and lived at Mrs. Brown's, of Brompton.
afterwards lodged at Mrs. Ross's, 67, Coleshill-street,
Eaton-square. I was introduced at both these places as
Mrs. Morgan. Before I left Nottingham I had two let-
ters from the defendant. I received one when I was
visiting at Mr. Burgess's, Radcliff-vicarage, and was at
home when I received the other. I destroyed those letters-
for fear my father should see them. The defendant cau-
tioned me to conceal what had occurred from my parents.-
I did so. I left London in March, 1852, at his request,•
as be said he could no longer support me in town. He
had said very frequently before, he should be obliged
.to leave the regiment because of his circumstances.
His regiment was then stationed at Christchurch, in
Hampshire. I came home to Nottingham, having written
to ray father and mother. I brought my baby with me.
When 1 left London I had only just sufficient money to.
bring me home. 1 beard from Captain Morgan twice just
after my arrival, and received £2. 1 heard nothing more
from him for three months, at the expiration of which
time I found that, instead of being sold out, he was sta-
tioned with his regiment at Manchester. I went there,.
leaving the baby out at nurse, and my father paying the
expenses of the journey. I saw the defendant at Man- '
chester, and received from him a five pound note, which
was to bring me home. I have since received X 3
more. That is all the money I have received. I have
written to him frequently, but have had no answers. I
pay Bs. a week for nursing the child. (By Mr. De Lara.)
Met Captain Morgan by appointment the day after I
spoke to him. It was a week after, before I went to the
barracks. The school I went to was a very first-rate
school. My father was very strict and particular. I was
at a milliner's establishment nine months. Miss Newbold
was not a milliner. I never told my father or any of my
family that Captain Morgan was paying me any attention.
I only burnt two of his letters—the one I received at .
Radcliff, and the other that I received when at home. I
cannot say why these two were burnt more particularly
than the rest. I went twice to the barracks before the ex-
treme intimacy took place. (Re-examined.) My father
filled the office of churchwarden about two years before.
The defendant's letters were put in, and among them
were the following :

" Torrington Arms, Monday.
"My dearest Liz,—l have just received your note, for
which a thousand thanks. lam going to ride the old
cliesnut ' up to town this afternoon, and shall just have
time to send you a line before I start. I will go and see
about a suitable lodging for my dear little woman
to-morrow, and will send you a line to-morrow evening
to let you know the result of my search for one. I think
that somewhere about Brompton,' in the neighbourhood
of Knightsbridge, and Hyde Park, will be the best place.-
It has the advantage of being a healthy and quiet situa-
tion, out of the noise and bustle of London. You must
not expect any thing very grand in the way of lodginOcr
darling, as I am too poor to be able to afford them.
will secure you a nice clean and quiet bedroom and
sitting-room, and as I am a great deal in town I shall be'
able to be a great deal with you, almost every day-
* * * Cheer up, my own dear little ' Bet.' I shall be
so delighted to see you again. Burn my letters, as your
father might get hold of them."

" Christchurch, September 19.
" My own dear Liz,-1 received Mrs. Ross's letter,.
the bearer of such good news, in safety, and truly thank-
ful was 1 to hear that my dear little pet had at length
got over her troubles, and that both mother and baby
were doing so well. Pray take care of yourself, roY
darling, and be sure not to get up too soon. Inclosed is,
a sovereign, the last I have ; however I must try and
procure money somehow to send you. Believe me,
dearest, it distresses see deeply not to be able to send you
more ; but what I have not got myself I cannot possibly
send to you. Cheer up, my darling ; you will now soon
be all right again, please God.
" Believe rae, my dearest Lizzy's ever affectionate

" Christchurch, Tuesday.
" My dearest Liz,—lnclosed is the second half of a
five pound note, No. 60,799, which I trust may reach
you in safety. I think, my dearest Liz, that your parents
have not behaved very kindly to you. I have done all
in my power to support you since you have been in town,
now some months, and if I were to add all the small
sums together that I have expended for you and sent to you
at different times, it would amount to a sum that would
surprise you, I can assure you. Now do not misunderstand
rne, dear girl. Ido not., God knows, begrudge or regret
one farthing that I have ever given you. I only wish to
God that it had been in my power to have given you
twice, ay, four times the amount that I have done ; but,.
alas ! that I could not do. All that I mean to say is,
that I don't think that your parents have behaved quite
kindly to their daughter, knowing (as I presume they do)'
how small a sum I am able to afford you, my poor Liz. I
do think they might have afforded you a little assistance
sometimes. It appears to me that they have forgotten
that you are their daughter, and that they consider you as
provided for. You know how wretchedly poor I am, and
that I shall in all probability very shortly have to leave
the service, and live quietly at home upon any small sum
that my father may choose to allow me. I have nothing
of my own, and am totally dependent upon him. I can-
not disguise the honest truth from you, dear Liz, that I
cannot (from want of means to do so) much longer afford
to pay for your expenses in town, small as the sum appa-
rently is. One thing I faithfully promise you, that the
dear little child shall never be in want, and sums for its
support shall be regularly remitted to you. As for
myself, my troubles and embarrassments accumulate so
upon me that lam in despair. I know not which way to
turn, or what to do, and I sometimes am almost coward
enough to wish I were dead. Let me hear from you, and
believe me, ever yours affectionately, 44 II."

One of the earliest letters, written to the girl before
she had left her father's house at Nottingham, was as
follows :

oallBrsdl here.
dear
Now my own poor little pet, you must cheer up, and not
Myat
oen7lwn-I
ho
dearest
rsch ats Marketzr;
d_HeadAribtaoonryomuteghla: ,nnulkmls ayyf
oa4rrtrhyi
v,
lit‘tle‘
be so miserable and down-hearted, as the parting will be
only for a short time. * * * My dear little " Bet,"
I am always thinking about you, and of the many happy
hours that we have spent together in dear old Notting--
ham. Now, my darling, you really must try and keep
up your spirits for my sake, as it makes me quite
miserable to think that my own little Bird should be
fretting and making herself miserable and forlorn. r
shall write to you again this week, and let you know how
we are getting on. * * * In case " Miss Liz."
should feel inclined to send her old man a line to cheer him,
up on the road, 1 send a list of the towns where we stop.
* * Ido so wish that I had you here, my dear little
" Believe me, yours ever affectionately,
" HERBERT."

pretty.

Another was dated—

" Army and Navy Club, Thursday evening.
" My own dearst Liz,—Upon going down to Whet-
stone to-day, I found your letter, which has made me
truly miserable. My own pet, I have behaved like
scoundrel to you. Can you ever forgive me ? I hate
and despise myself for my unkind behaviour to my own
poor affectionate little girl. I tell you frankly that I
have striven hard to forget you, and have tried to make
up my mind not to write to you again. Each letter that
I have received from you has made me the more miserable,
as I have known all along that my behaviour was most
unkind and cruel. * * * I will do every thing in iinY
power to make amends for my past behaviour, if you will
only forgive me. Inclosed is the half of a five pound
note, No. 71,837. * * * It is but a paltry sum I
know, and I wish that I had more to send, but I am,
as vsltal, very hard up, as my expenses in town have
been very great. Write to me immediately you receive
this, and tell me what you would have me to do for yot2.
am now quartered at a public-house at Whetstone 3
is but a poor place, and I am as little as possible there,
and almost always in London, I think, therefore, that
it would be better for me to take a quiet little lodging for
you in town here. What say you ? I will go to-morrow'
morning and make inquiries about one. * * * I hope'
darling, that this may reach you safely. Shew it to 7W :;:ne,!,
and write immediately on the receipt of this. * 1,
May God bless you, my own dear Liz. Cheer UP, girl,
we shall meet very soon, and I will do all in my power t,
make up for past neglect. Believe me, ever yourstit.ffec-
tionately, „
The jury consulted for more than an hour,
and returned
a verdict for £6OO damages.