The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-04
STRANGE BREACH OF PROMISE.
A Girl of Thirteen Suing n Man of ThIrty-uwo
An Officer Ofthe Royal Navy In Love with n
Child-Entrapped into n Scotch MARRIAGE.

A Girl of Thirteen Suing n Man of Thirty-uwo
An officer Ofthe Royal Navy In Love with n
Child-Entrappedt into n Scotch Marriage.
The Cork Southern Reporter has q singular
breach of promise story, involving one of those
mysterious Scotch marriages to which Mr.. Col
Inns last novel has attracted especial attention,
which we condense as follows:-
Miss Maria Amelia Lloyd has brought suit
against John Bruce, lieutenant in the Royal
Navy, for $4,000 damages for breach of promise.
Miss Lloyd is only thirteen years old and Lieu
tenant Bruce is about thirty-two.
In 1857 Lieutenant Bruce, who was then
midshipman, sailed from Hong Kong to this
country in the same vessel with Major and Mrs.
Lloyd, and during the passage Amelia Lloyd was
born. No communication took place between
the parties until January, 1870, when defender
called on the father and mother of pursuer, in
Cork and thereafter visited the house repeatedly,
ing great attention to pursuer, and asking
her mother, on leaving, to allow pursuer to write
to him.
On the 9th of February he wrote and said:-
'It was so very good of darling Annie to write
me, for / am very fond of her, she is SO good
and lovely; | almost worship her." On same
day he wrote to the pursuer herself, addressing
her my own darling pet Annie, telling her that
he loved her, that she had hardly been from his
thoughts since he left her; that in his hour of
anxiety at sea she seemed to be his real haven
wherein to rest from toll, expressed longing
desire to have her photograph, and concluded
Mrs. Lloyd, on reading these letters, spoke
seriously to Lieutenant Bruce of the Improperly
of forcing SO young q heart to love him, aud
requested that he would not write to her
daughter any more. He said that not writing
would not prevent them loving one another and
it was to gain pursuers heart that he visited her
fathers and mothers house. Defender and pur-
suer were held and Teputed by friends and
acquaintances as engaged persons. About the
end of August, 1870, the following notice
appeared in the newspapers
"At st. Andrews Church, on the 18th inst,
by the Right Reverend the Bishop of Aberdeen,
John Bruce, Esq. commanding fl. NJ. s. Jackal,
to Annie Maria, second daughter of Rev. George
Boyce."
Miss Boyce when married by defender, was
only sixteen or seventeen years of age, and was
organist at the Episcopal chapel at Wick. I'm
N ediately on the marriage ceremony being
performed, defender left his wife and proceeded
to a station in ArgyllshiTe, she remaining be-
hind him. The following is the letter in which
the defender announced his marriage at Wick
TO Mrs. Lloyd
Ny Dear Mrs. Lloyd IL know not how to write to
you. done for entirely with this Scotch system
Fancy in the few days have been at Wick-not ten
daVs-and always cruising about / found myself
married without one word TO Say except that was
asked In fun il would take young lady for my
wife. I said yes. And then they said was mar
ried What shall i do2 What can DO For
though Annie is a child, love her dearly. l mac
always thoughG OF the time when you would give he
10 me. OF course IL could not have been for sOmI
wears; still thought and thought OF that happl
home In the future. You must not tell her; but le
her know by degrees IL is impossible. Call me wha
yOu like, bnt believe IN my "sad" fate.