Louisiana capitolian., 1880-08-14
INTERESTING LAW SUIT.
Seduction and Breach of Promise Of Mar
rage.
HEAVY DAMAGES ALLOWED.
Hahnville Herald.

/ Hahnvllle Herald.
At the recent term of Court of Jelfer
son parish an interesting case was trie,
and decided, which may prove an exam
pie to young men who trihe with tn
affections OF young ladies. Plaintiff wa
represented by R. King Cutler and W
IL. McCune. and defendant by w. L
Thompson. The decision of Judge Hahl
is AZ, follows:
The promise Of marriage, the seduc
tion of plaintiff and the birth of child
the offspring of such Illicit intercourse
have been clearly established by tht
evidence.
The plaintiff was examined iu open
court and the testimony Of number of
witnesses corroborated her statements.
The child was also in court.
Defendant took the witness stand and
testified in his own behalf but produced
no other evidence,
The facts Of Che case are of a very az
gravated character. Defendant, after
causing the plaintiff to become strongly
in love with him, which feeling for a
long while was reciprocal, after promis.
ing to marry her, and after being the
father of a child by her, declined to be-.
come her husband and to execute his
promise. His reason for not marrying
as stated to her friends and neiyhbors
was that his financial condition did not
justify it 4; but on the trial Of the case,
in his testimony, he sought, to excuse
himself on the ground that OH first hav-
ing carnal knowledge of her, he dscov-
cred that she was not a virgin. He de.
fclares that had it not been for this he
would have married her, acknowledging
that he loved and esteemed her in all
other particulars.
The evidence is clear that he cOntin.
ued his Illicit intercourse for several
years that he visited her and took her
on excursions aud III society, frequently
called her his sweetheart, and said he
intended marrying her and acknowl.
edged himself the father Of her little
boy. This attempt on the trial to black
en- her reputation was failure. She
gave mp the society Of all her gentle
men acquaintances after the marriage
engagement. She was exclusively and
atfectionately devoted to him, and the
testimony of her neighbors and &C
quaintances taken together with her
own statement and her conduct aud ap-
pearanCe in court leads me to tho CON
clusion that she is an excellent young
woman of chaste character-Omitting
her conduct with defendant-and would
have made him a. good wife. The con-
duct Of defendant must have caused her
untold trouble aud misery, much to
which can never be paid in money, and
the constant recollection Of which will
cause her whole future to be unhappy.
The legal principles on which this
rests are clearly set forth by the Sn-
preAe Court in two cases reported in
the 3th Annual, at pages SIG and $50.
1t is therefore ordered esdjudged and
decreed that plaintiff recover from de-
fendant the sum Of $1,000 as damages
with legal interest from the day of judi
cial demand, the 10Th day Of July, 1879 |
and that defendant be condemned to
pay plaintiff the sum of ten dollars per |
month as alimony, for support of the
child of which he is the father, from |
the 2Sth day Of May, 1879, the day of
the birth of said child, until it arrives
at the age of 2l years, said alimony to
be paid monthly at the end of each
with legal interest on any sum not
Punctually paid until paid and that
defendant pay all costs of suit. |
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