The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-21
His Dear Little Kitten
A Breach of Promise Case in IN English
Can't


Court.
At the sheriff7s court, Red Lion
square, yesterday, before Mr.. Under
Sheriff Burchell and a special jury,
the case of " Hewson Us. Truefitt,"
came OF for hearing. 1t was an action
by Minnie Hewson, a barmaid at the
Gaiety restaurant, against Henry
Truefitt, an architect, residing in
Southampton street, Holborn, and
son of the well-known psrfumer, to
recover damages for a breach of prom
Use of marriage.
Judgment had been allowed to go.
by default, aud a special jury were
impanelled to assess the amount of
damages. Mr.. Digby Seymour, Q. c.,
and Mr.. Smallman Smith were for
the plaintiff; Mr.. A. Leslie, solicitor,
for the defendant. After Mr.. Sey-
mour had opened the case, the plain
tiff, aged twenty-five, was called, and
confirmed his statement. She was
the daughter of a licensed victualler
at East Lynn. After an acquaintance
of seven or eight months, which com
menced at the Gaiety restaurant, the
defendant made a proposal of mar
riage, and was referred to her father,
who gave his consent; and after a
trousseau was provided, out cse100 the
defendant gave her, the day of the
wedding appointed, and arrangements
made as to Messrs. Naples furnishing
apartments, the engagement was
sSfoken off, and the ostensible reason
was that the father of the defendant
objected to the match.
The learned counsel read several
passages, in letters to the young
woman by defendant, in which he
addressed her as - My Dear Little
Kitten with "much love, and lots
of kisses, from your loving Harry
He had given her a ring, and when
lie took a box for her a. the theatre,
he presented her with a wreath of
white flowers, She had accompanied
him to Brighton and other places, and
lie always behaved as a gentleman
would to his intended wife. After
the young womau had given her
evidence she was taken out of court
in a fainting condition.
Mr.. Leslie addressed the court for
the defendant, urging that he was
without The defendant was
then sworn. He said he should have
married the plaintiff, but for the in
reference of his father. His fatbee
told him if he married her he would
not hear from him again. Besides,
he had seen "a lady he liked better.
In fact, he had fallen in love with
her, and had changed his mind. The
defendant went on to say, that he had
spent $4,000, or squandered it away,
and his things were detained for CA.
He had lost money by betting; and
had lived fast, He spoke to his father,
but not to his other relatives. He had
no assistance from his father and had
no means.
In answer to the court, the defend
ant said he was living with the other
lady he had fallen in love with.
Mr.. Leslie referred to some of the
letters of the young woman, which
were not very refined, in the terms in
which they were couched. She add
dressed him as Dear Truf1es," and
begun: How are you, old boy-is
your poor leg better ?" abiding to an
accident he had met with. In his
letter he had styled her his dar-
ling and she reciprocated by calling
the defendant, my darling Harry
and her own darling Harry )" and
in another letter INDUCED in re mark
which it was said was from the Forty
Thieves burlesque. The iury, after
consulting for more than half an hour.
asked if a verdict of ten would be ac-
cepted, and the defendants solicitor
objected. After another half-hour's
consultation, the jury returned into
court with a verdict for &l50 damages.
London NeiOS.