The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-11
Datlu argus.
OFrIOIAL PAPER.
THE sPRAaUE BREACH OF PROMISE
CASE

few days ago by verdict for the plaintiff,
Miss Amanda Craig, for the full amount of
her claim, $lOOOOO--a result which prob.
ably surprised no one more than the PLAIN
tT herself, and one which is largely if not
wholly due to the mistaken policy of the de
fense, in assailug the character Of the plain
tiT in a vital point. 1t is but charity to the
Jury to attribute the heavy verdict against
the defendant to u disposition on their part
to punish the unsuccessful attempt to iasten
upon the plaintiff the stigma Of unehastity
and the crime Of abortion.
The protracted trial, occupying about
week, aud the full reports of its details, to.
rether with the wealth Of the defendant, and
the heavy claim made against it, have unit
ed to impart to the case an unusual degree
of interest among the reading public Al.
though there may be some salutRry lessons
derived from il, we think the influences How
ing from the trial and It's result, will be al
mostwholy deleterious on society. The char.
acter Of neither OF the parties 10 the suit, as it
was developed on the trial, is such as to
challenge admiration or enlist sympathy
The plaintiff, fully matured woman, long
out Of her teens aud accustomed to relying ON
and providing for herself, should have eNcit'
ed no other feeling than disgust in the minds
of refined and educated peope-the class to
which she claims to beloug-by the Rdecta-
tion Of school girls sentmentalism and
fervor Of passion for a man nearly twice her
age, course, illiterate, uncomely and in atiic.
ton Lazarus, without even dog TO lick
his sores She is young and he is old, she
is educated and used to the reEuemeut5 Of
polite society, while he IS an ignoramus
and a social bore, and admitted TO be such
By her testimony; and yet she pretends,
both in her testimony on the trial and in
her profuse letters of love. phrcuzy, to be all
made OF alteration, of sighs aud tears, Of
faith and service, Of fantasy and wishes
When read in connection with the age and
character and circumstances Of the two
parties, these letters can leave no other i'm.
preston on the mind than that the writer
made heartless attempt, under disguise of
dsinterested affection, to perpetrate on the
miserable old booby whom she had Devil.
dered, species of matrimonial garroting.-
Her objects were as purely mercenary, and
her means as purely deceitful and preten.
tious as any ever sought or used by the most
designing confidence man. The ideaofa wo.
man of her culture and discreet age, possess.
ing any sentimental devotion for such man
as he, is simply preposterous and the award
Of 100000 to her as damages is an out.
rage on public decency and a mockery of
justice. II a jury is ever justified IL giving
a woman heavy damages for the breach of a
promise by a man to marry her, It Is when
the man by natural or artificial blandlsh'
ments and by deception gains the confidence
and love of su unsophistcated and devoted
girl and then cruelty abandons the conquest
that he has really made. We are opposed
to the whole system of suits by respectable
women for breaches of promise to marry,
but damages should never be awarded to
mere charlatans and fegned sufferers
Those whose grievances are most deserving
sympathy make the least public
parade of them and those who
are most eager to rush into print or into the
courts with such disappointments have the
least to complain of, and should receive the
least consideration from the public.
Whatever Miss Craig may add to her
Golfers by this raid on Sprague's exchequer,
which we insist has been her sole object,
she has failed, we hope, to commend herself
to the right.thnkiDg public, or to effect a
lodgment in the public sympathy. If her
course in this matter should meet general
approval, and this judgment be treated as
compensatory, it would at once show the
extent of social Generalization, and point
the way to hundreds Of similar shameless
and hurtful proceedings.
One Of the lessons taught the defendant
in this case, and all who may occupy sim.
liar position in court Of justice, is never
to attempt his own defense by essailing the
character Of his prosecutor on mere suspi.
cions and false testimony.