The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-29 00:00:00

year the plaintiff became pregnant. The defendant was
urged to marry her, and promised to do so, but subse-
quently became the husband of a Miss Mather, leaving
her, who had for many years been his affianced bride, a
degraded woman. The defendant did not deny the pre-
mise, but pleaded that he had been exonerated and re-
leased from it. Having warned the jury that they shadd.
not take into consideration in this action, anything for
the maintenance of the child, for whom the defendant,
it appeared, had made some provision, Mr. Monk stated_
as regarded the position of the defendant, that he was ;11;
possession of £2OO a year from the sale of a patent sii.;
to Messrs. Bird, beyond anything which he made by
own business. He was, therefore, in a position to main-
;
tain a wife in a condition of respectability, and it would
be for the jury to say what damage the plaintiff had sus;
taincd. She had been for months in a declining state et
health, and had not recovered since. They must look at
her as she was compared with what she is, and then Sof
what would be fair and reasonable damages.
Mrs. Anne Ostler, wife of Mr. Thos. Ostler, joiner and
builder, of Manchester, said that the plaintiff, Katherine
Richardson, was her husband's niece by a former marriage'
and had lived with him from seven years of age. Shen ,7
101
now 25 years of age. In 1845, they lived at Hardwial
Manchester, and had a Mr. Gautier living with them,.7
the defendant, Mr. Delerner, a Frenchman, came to Visl
Mr. Gautier. In March, 1847, Mr. Delmer became: ea
boarder at their house, on the request of Mr. Gautier. Be
took all his meals with the family, which consisted of be,
,'
husband, herself, niece, and Mr. Gautier. In May, IS4"
she observed something particular in his attentions to 3lis3
Richardson, and spoke to him about it, and told him it ''as
notconvenient for him to come into the kitchen and private
sitting-room except at meal times. In June, of that yore'('
Mr. Gautier left for France, and Mr. Delemer remain
with them, having still a private sitting-room of his own:
In June, Mr. Delemer used to follow her niece about'
under pretence of learning the English language. OP,
being spoken to about it, he was evasive at first. At this
time she sent her niece to Didsbury for a fortnight, and'
whilst she was away, one morning be said to her, " Hat
you any commands for Miss Kate, madam ?" Witness
asked what he meant ; and he said, " I think of going as
far as Didsbury, to inquire after' her health." She tit
not remonstrate, but said he was to give her love, and
say she should be glad to see Miss Richardson on SaturdaY,
at home. He returned in the evening, with a bouglld °f
flowers, which he said Miss Kate had sent, and said 31i5g
Kate would come home on Saturday, which she did. The
defendant appeared very much delighted to see her, ,:rid
followed her about the house. Witness mentioned the
matter to her husband on the Saturday. In July, the
defendant knocked at the door of her room, and when Ile
came in he bowed to her. She asked him to take a seat.
He said; " I love Miss Kate—will you permit me to
marry her ?" She said, " Mr. Delemer, you have taken
me by surprise; I cannot give you an answer without
speaking to my husband on the subject." He said, ri°
you object, madam ?" and she replied, " No, but I must
name it to my husband before I can say anything further;
your tastes -and pursuits are different." She asked On
if ho had spoken to her niece. He said, " I have,
madam ; she has referred me to you."' Her niece was
out at the time, but came in shortly afterwards, the
defendant being still in the room ; and when she came in'
he took her by the hand, and said, " I have named ibis
subject to madam." Miss Richardson did not say any'
thing, but smiled and looked agreeable; she did not
object at all events. Prior to this she had said to defendant,
" probably you expect we can give my niece something on
her marriage ; we shall not during our lifetime." De
replied, "Oh, I only want Miss Kate; I shall be in a peal'
tion to maintain her." Her husband was out at Cheadle at
the time, and when he returned, Mr. Delerner met him in
the lobby, and threw hisarms round him, and embraced him.
Her husband was much surprised at the extra cordialitl
of the salutation, and asked what he meant, and she,
explained what had passed, and Mr. Delemer was called
in and said he hoped Mr. Ostler was agreeable. 1-1...5r
husband said, " you are a stranger and a foreigner. lyre
know very little about you or your circumstances. I
should like you not to marry before the end of twelve
months." Mr. Delemer said " why not now ?" 144--
husband asked "are you in circumstances to marry now
He said not at present, till he had received remittances
from his father, and that he expected to receive coney
from Messrs. Bird for a patent, but her husband still
adhered to the twelve months, seeing that their manners
and pursuits were different. In September they went ter
live at Cheadle; shortly before which the defendant went
to lodge elsewhere, but was in the habit of coming to
their house. He also visited them at Cheadle during the
time they were there—a year and ten months. The
defendant came sometimes twice a week whilst in Man-
chester, and never stopped away longer than a fortnight'
After the French revolution, in 1848, the defendant's cir-
cumstances apparently became worse. He had gone t°
live at Radcliffe in November or December, 1847, where
Messrs. Bird's works are. He told them about the nego-
tiations which were going on about the disposal of the'
patent. In December, 1848, she went over to see hire,'.
and invited him to spend Christmas day with them, o'l
he said, " I cannot, lam ashamed to go out." She said
to him, "you have written a letter to Kate, which has
almost broken her heart ; why have you written in such
a desponding manner ?" He made answer, " Oh, tesel;
her to hate me." She said, " what do you mean ?" etul
he replied, "1 have done nothing but bring trouble upon
all who have ever loved me or have ever shown me 01
kindness. I have not had courage to give her up before,
but I ought to have clone so." Witness said, " this i 5
not the time for her to give you up when you .are in
trouble.!' On-parting, he said, " Tell K.itteselleee her
more than ever." In consequence of this,
repreeente-
lions were made to defendant's friends, and his sister
came over in the following January. Defendant spent
Christmas eve with them, but returned the same day'
In March his circumstances appeared to have improved,
and he said he was in the wine trade. In August, 1549,-
the defendant called rather late, arid said he should be
obliged to walk home, as lie was too late for the train.
She asked him why he did not remain in Manchester,-
and he said he did not do so on account of the expense of
stopping at an hotel, and witness, under the circum-
stances, offered him a bed at her house. In November,
1849, he stopped at their house every night for some time.
In May he went away for a week. She remembered his
being there one evening in June, when a conversation
arose between her husband and him about his going to
France. He said it was-uncertain, and her husband said
then he had better provide himself with lodgings else-
where, which he did in Clopton-street. He continued to
visit her niece till October, in which month her niece
appeared dejected, but said they were going to be married
immediately. In consequence of what she saw, she went •
to Radcliffe on the following day, and found the defen-
dant at Mr. Bird's works, and he said, " How do you do,
aunt ; how is Kitty and Mr. Ostler ?" She replied, " As'
well as circumstances permit. Why do you ask ? Is not
Kate in the family way, and unmarried ?" He said,
" Yes, but wo will be married immediately." She said,
" What do you call immediately ? Will you be married
this week ?" He said, " I cannot leave the works this
week ; I will come on Saturday evening, and speak with
Mr. Ostler." He failed to do so, and, in consequence,
Mr. Ostler went over to Radcliffe the following week,.
and the defendant returned with him in the evening. He
sat by the side of Miss Richardson on the sofa, and car-
ressed her, and said, " Can you tell me what time it is ;-
I must return soon, or I shall be too late for the train."
Her husband thereupon said, " We must speak on the
subject you came about ; I want to know when you will
marry Kate ; it is a most unfortunate thing, and the
sooner that takes place the better." Mr. Delemer re-
plied, " I cannot say just now ; it may be one month ; it
may be three or more." Her husband said, " What am
I to understand by that ; do you refuse to marry her ?"
He said„" No, Mr. Ogler, I will marry her as soon as
possible. Mr. Ostler said, " What is your objection to
marry her now ? Is it want of money ; if it is I will lend
it you, and I will keep her and her child until you are in
circumstances to do so ;" but the defendant made no
answer, and Mr. Ostler urged him to reply, and he said,
" I cannot marry her now." Mr. Ostler pressed him to
assign his reason, but he didn't speak, and her husband
said, " Are you going to prove a villain, seduce my niece
and thrust her a degraded: woman upon the world ?
have made you the fairest offer that one man can make
another ; am I to understand, after all my kindness to-
wards you, when you had not where to go to, that you are
going to prove yourself a villain ?" Mr. Delemer said,
" Oh, I had my lodgings at Radcliffe." Afterwards be
folded nis arms, and said, in a very insulting manner,
" I will tell you what I think of -you ; you are both more
in fault than myself." Her husband raised the poker,
and ordered him to leave the room instantly, and not
enter his doors again until he came to marry
Miss Rich-
ardson. Mr. Delemer left the room and went to her
niece in the kitchen. She followed him and heard him
say, " Go with me, Kitty, go with nee, Kitty ; thou art
my wife, thou knows thou art." . She said." Kate, are
you married or not, tell me, and end this miserable sus-
pense." Kate answered, " No, aunt, no;" and Mr..
Delemer said, " Do you suppose that I attach •any im-
portance to that ridiculous ceremony that was only made-
to put money into priest's pockets." She said, " I fea -
not, but we attach much importance to that." He again
pressed Kate to go, and she (witness) said "she shall not
leaathis house but as your wife; why don't you marry
her ?" He said, " I have repeatedly told you I will."
Her niece afterwards went to Louth, in Lincolnshire,
where she Was confined, and came back to them 'at the
end of January, 1851, and for some time after her return
she was ill with a bad cough, pain in her side, and general
debility. The defendant, when he visited them, did not
pay for his board. He had not visited them since Miss
Richardson returned from Lincolnshire.

Cross. examined,—Miss Richardson was with her hus-
band before their marriage. She went to school till she
was thirteen years of age. She was boarded at Lynn, in
Cheshire, before they were married. At the time the
defendant, Mr. Delemer, was lodging at their house they
kept no servant, but had a charwoman, and an old man
to clean knives and shoes. Herself and niece did the
ordinary household work. She sometimes made the beds
and waited at table. Her niece waited at table more
frequently than she did. Her niece prepared breakfast in
the morning. They had kept a grocer's shop since the
birth of the child, and her niece's name was over the
door. She assisted her niece to mind the shop. Her
husband was clerk of the works to Mr. Radcliff, who re-
sided at Oldham. Mr. Gautier paid 10s. a week for
lodgings-245. for board and lodging ; and Mr. Delemer
paid the same. Mr. Ostler was here (in court). Before
their marriage she never had any differences with Mr.
Ostler about the child (Miss Richardson). She never
suggested that Miss Richardson should teach Mr. Dele--
ruer English ; on the contrary, she objected, and said that
she would give him instruction herself when she had the
opportunity. She did not remember, on one occasion,
after dinner, saying to the guests, " I think we bad
better leave the young people together." She did not
remember suggesting anything to that effect. She had
spoken of Mr. Delemer as the intended husband of her
niece, but did not remember formally introducing him es-
such. She had seen Mr. Delemer give her niece a kiss ;-
she turned her back, and left them in the room, but not
for any length of time. Mr. Delemer did not say cn t 1,6
occasion when Mr. Ostler lifted the poker to him, that she
should not have left them so much together. At the time
she went into the zoom and caught Mr. Delemer kis!inF
her niece, she did not say it was impossible to keep 59°1_
a character in her house. She did not see him kiss her
before the promise of marriage. He kissed her when_ _
came in and when he went out, and that was after they
went to Cheadle. He never told her that he felt the
danger of being thrown so unreservedly into the sod s,@
of her niece. She first discovered this pregntneY of tne