The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-04-03
Filling up the Breach.

Filling up the Breach
SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLARS DOES
THE BUsINEsS-WHAT IT COSTS YOUNG
MAN TO BECOME ENGAGED AND WRITE
LOvE-LETTERS.
The breach OF promise case of Shultz vs..
Gisiner, is over, the crowd OF country peo-
pie have returned to their respective abodes,
and Staunton and Augusta have provender
enough on hand to supply the gossipers Tor
the next month to come.
Last week we gave running sketch OF
the trial up to Wednesday night, and now
we complete the chapter.
On Thursday morning. the bell on the
Court House had not ceased ringing before
the room was crowded. The eager curlosi-
ty so conspicuously manifest at the opening
of the case was, if anything, increased, and
the scantiest standing room within the four
walls OF the building was at a premium.
The proceedings commenced with the intro
duction Of the defendant who came up smil-
ing to the clerks deskto be sworn, and took
his seat on the witness stand with the ut
most self possession. His story was that he
had been pursued by the plaintiff from the
first. In the beginning of the affair and for
several years subsequent he was in earnest
and really desired to marry. AS time wore
on, and the consent of the lady's parents
was withheld, his ardor began to cool and
his efforts were directed to extricating him
self from the situation. During the delivery
of his testimony, he was frequently inter-
rupted by roars of laughter, which his de-
scription of certain scenes elected. The
most udicrous was when upon one occasion
he was earnestly pressed by the young lady
to enter her fathers house. For a long
time he demurred, alleging as reason want
Of time, 1t being his pig feeding hour. AT
length, however, her entreaties, supple-
mented by the promise Of a piece Of cake,
prevailed, and he went in and sat down to
be Immediately confronted by his affianced's
mother. The situation then became I'M
pleasant, and he insisted on the young lady's
getting the cake at once so that he might be
gone. When the cake did arrive, he hest
tated about taking it for fear, as he said, sit
might be full of love powders"
From his testimony, it also appeared that
when he came to Stanton to procure his Ii
cense to marry the lady who is now his wife,
and whilst in the clerks office, Capt. Bum
gardner was also there making inquiries as
to his fathers estate. Gisiner was introduce
ed to the Captain and shortly afterwards, in
reply to an inquiry, was told that Miss Shultz
was about instituting suit for damages for
breach of promise. When Gisiner went
home that night the plaintiff was at his
mothers house awaiting his arrival Before
he reached the house he was apprised of her
presence, and, fearing to meet her, deter
mined to stay in the kitchen that night
About one or two O'Clock in the morning,
thinking the course was clear, he yenturea
into the house, and was met face to face by
Miss Shultz. She demanded of him her let
tiers and ring, which he refused to surrender,
at the same time telling her that he knew of
the suit. He then proposed treaty, the
terms of which were that she would give up
his letters in return for hers. The PROPOSE
ton was declined, she declaring that his let
tiers were too dear to her to part with them.
The two then separated and the next tine |
they met was in the Court House.
Miss Shultz's letters to Gisner were then
read in evidence. They were well written
and composed, at times little gushing, but |
Io1 ,..;tb
sentiment. In several of them the practical |
cropped prominently out, as for instance, on
one occasion she reminded him Of his prom
Use to give her ring with his name engrav- |
ed in it, and tells him if the article cannot |
be readily obtained in Boetourt, where he
then was. to send her the money and she |
would make her own purchase OF keep |
sake. Read in open Court where curious |
crowd was waiting to devour and ridicuie |
every syllable, these letters were not uninter-
esting, though they would prove dull and |
tedious if transferred to the columns of |
newspaper.
On the cross examination the defendant, /
under the merciless and searching interro-
gatories of Judge Shelley, became utterly |
helpless, and at every step contradicted HIM
SELF At first he assumed the heavy indif- |
ferent and then attempted to make witty |
answers. Before the proceedings had been
kept up ten minutes, he had succeeded in
making at least dozen flat and direct con-
tradictioDs, and from that to the close, his
situation wa pitiable. The impression he
made upon the spectators was that of very
weak, green creature. who in the tolls OF one
so unusually shrewd as Miss Shultz, would be
as clay in the hands of the potter. His tes-
timony by no means helped his case.
After the defendant had taken his seat,
the plaintiff was again placed on the stand,
and in response to interrogatories by Mr..
Cochran, acknowledged that two months be-
fore the engagement was formally broken
off, she had been in communication with
lawyer in reference to this suit.
Thursday morning the testimony was con-
cluded, and in the afternoon Capt. Bum
gardner, opened the argument for the plain
tiff in an eloquent and forcible display OF
rhetoric of over two hours length |
He was followed by Mr.. White, who in his
advocacy of the defense brought to his as
sistance the full power II irony, ridicule and |
sound argument.
On Friday morning Geo. N. Cochran, Jr.,
closed the argument for the defense. He