Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-02-08
Julia Gooch's Breach promise Case.

facts in the famous Gooch breach of prom
Use case, in our State. 1 don t vouch for
them I merely give them as they have
come to me. 1t seems that Thomas Hay
had been engaged to be married to Miss
Julia Gooch, but had given her up and
gone off and married woman who was
worth over half a million dollars. The
money, of course, was the attraction; but
nobody understood how he could have gone
back On Julia even for such an inducement,
and do not comprehend it myself, for it
would appear from the sequel that she
was the most beautiful and fascina ting
woman that ever appeared in this vicinity.
However, Julia determined to be revenged,
and she sued Mr.. Hay for breach of prom
Use, laying her claim for damages at S TO-
600. ...,. .-t
On the day of the trial, she came into
court with her vail down, and, while her
lawyer was lay ing her grief before the
jury. nobody paid particular attention.
After while she came on the witness
stand and began to testify. Then She took
off her vail, and the effect was wonderful.
The attorney for the defense fell in love
with her at the first glance, and when he
came to cross examine her, he asked her
questions which helped her to make out
Mr.. Hay to be the hardest-hearted sccun-
drel on the continent. When his turn
came to speak, instead of assisting his Gil
ent, he put in a strong plea for Julia, and
said that if the jury didn't give her at
least S 200 they would deserve the con-
tempt OF every honest man. Then he sent
little note to Miss Gooch, asking her to
be his
In the meantime the clerk Of the court
went over to see her, and proposed to her
under pretence of asking her her full name.
| the foreman of the jury saw what was
going on, and Winked at her not to give a
decisive answer until he could get out OF
| the box to tell her Of his love; and he sent
| her his card, with memorandum to The eff
| feet that if she would hold off, he would
| get the jury to give her $4,000 damages.
| Ill the jurymen also wlnked at her, and,
wheE' they saw the foreman writing to her,
the whole OF them jumped out OF the box
and proceeded to propose to Julia i'll
chorus. Julia S own attorney had inten-
ded to pop as soon as the trial was over,
but he was alarmed at the way things
were going, and so he pulled away jury
man named Smith, and shouted to Miss
Gooch not to pay attention to these fel-
lows until he could sneak to her confden-
! TALLY. Then Smith became mad that he
was interrupted just as he was about to
| get an answer. and he smote the lawyer
on the nose, Whereupon the lawyer turned
| to Julia, with pathetic look, and asked
her TO gaze on his nose, and see how it
could bleed for her.
| OF course the Judge was indignant al
| these breaches of decorum, and after de-
| handing order in the court, he requested
Julia to take seat by him so that she
would be safe from this unpleasant per-
| secution. She did SO, and the first thing
the judge said to her was /:
II love you to distraction. Say you'll
be mine! Oh, Julia [ cannot live without
you, darling !--(silence in the court y
out if you will accept me, will love yor
more ardently-( Mr.. Jones, COMPEL that
juryman to take his seat y than man ever
loved woman before. [ will make you
(Mr. Walmsley, proceed with your argu
ment. sir don t stare at me in that man
ner y the happiest woman IN Delaware
| viii you have me ~
Then the Wyers said that they were
willing to rest their cases, and the judge
began to instruct the jury. He made q
strong argument for Julia, and said among
Others things, that it was nonsense to talk
about less than $4,000 in a case like this
This jury gave verdict without leaving
their seats, for $50, 900, and each one Of
them screamed at Miss Gooch that he was
the man hat fixed that figure, while the
foreman climbed down and tried to get uI
at the Judges bar 10 explain that he Wall
ted to make it $4,000. but the Others
wouldn't let him. But the judge knocked
HIM off with volume of sChitty on evil
dence."
Then MI. Hay arose and said that since
the trial began, he had found that all his
old love for Miss Gooch had rekindled i'll
his bosom, aud if the court would grant
him divorce he would marry her On the
spot. But the judge said the court
| would die first: a. d he tried to lead Julia
down the rear stall Case so that he coulC
see her home, tut the lawyers aud The
jurymen flew at HIM, and said they
Wou dn't permit it. Then he fined the
whole lot a hundred dollars apiece for con
tempt of court, md ordered them to be I'M
prisoned until it was paid
Then he emerged with Julia. while the
| jurymen blew kisses al her, and when the
.Wo reached the GoOch mansion they
| found tn jllrymen there, sitting arounC
in tie parlor, waiting for Julia 10 come in
| The judge was awful mad, and while he
was arguing the matter with the crowd
Julia excused herself for a few mo
ments.
She was gone an hour. When she came
| back she had a young man with her, and
she announced that she had been out to con
solidate with him. The Presbyterian
minister Lad performed the ceremony
The judge said it was an outrage, and the
jurymen wanted 10 reconsider the verdict
But she got her money, a d eight Of the
juymen Committed suicide, while Hay s
lawyer went into monastery and became
| monk.
Perhaps this is not exactly true [ only
give it as it was reported.