Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-08-12
INTERESTING LAW SUIT.
Seduction and Breach Of Promise Of Mar
rage.
HEAVY DAMAGES ALLOWED.
Hahnville Herald.

At the recent term of Court of Jeffer.
son parish an interesting case was tried
and decided, which may prove an exam.
pie to young men who trifle with the
affections Of young ladies. Plaintiff was
represented by r. King Cutler and W.
J. McCune. and defendant by W. l..
Thompson. The decision Of Judge Hahn
is as follows:
The promise of marriage, the seduc-
ton Of plaintiff and the birth Of . child,
the offspring of such illicit intercourse,
have been clearly established by the
evidence.
The plaintiff was examined in open
court and the testimony Of a 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 the case are of 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 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 neighbors
was that his fin ancial condition did not
justify it; but on the trial of the case,
in his testimony, he sought to excuse
himself on the ground that on first hsv.
ing carnal knowledge of her, he discov-
cred that she was not q virgin. He de-
clares that had it not been for this he
would have married her, acknowledging
that he loved and esteemed her in ali
other particulars.
The evidence is clear that he cOntin-
ued his illicit intercourse for several
years; that he visited her aud took her
on excursions and in society, frequently
called her his sweetheart, and said be
intended marrying her and. acknowl-
edged himself the father of her little
boy. This attempt on the trial to black
On her reputation was 9 failure. She
gave up the society Of all her gentle
men acquaintance after the marriage
engagement. She was exclusively aud
affectionately devoted to him, and the
testimony of her neighbors and &C
quaintances taken together with her
own statement and her conduct and ap-
pearance in court leads me to the con-
clusion that she is an excellent young
woman of chaste character-Omitting
her conduct with defendant-and would
have made him good wife. The con-
duct of defendant must have caused her
untold trouble and misery, much to
which can never he 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 ST.
pTomo OOulU III UWO Cdo0o IopVItoU III
the 5th Annual, at pages 3l6 and $50.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and
decreed that plaintiff recover from de-
PENDANT the sum of 5000 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 ton dollars per
month as alimony, for support of the
child of which he is the father, from
the 28th day Of May, 1879, the day of
the birth of said child, until it arrives
at the age of2l years, said alimony to
be paid monthly at the end of each
with legal interest on any sum not
punctuslly paid until paid; and that
defendant pay all costs of suit.