Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-08
BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.
In which Sacramento's Yair Name
Mentioned.
IIowa State Register, JSae Cd

tloW3 State Register, Jssfle 2d
In the Re4,iSte7- OF May 3Ist appeared the
following special dispatch:
BEDFORD, May 3Oth.-Our body society is pro
fonndly agitated. J. L. Brown is one of the
leading lawyers of southwestern Iowa. an ener-
getie temperance worker, an ardent disciple OF
Ben. Butler and Henry George. and has hitherto
borne u reputation for morality above question.
He Is now made defendant in a suit of breach OF
promise in which the damages are laid AZ SIT, ,O00.
The plaintiff in the case is u matrou, about forty
years old, little above the medium size, rather
handsome. 4 daughter of Judge Laird. of Indi-
ana, has an air OF culture and refinement, is a
voluble and interesting talker, has travelled
much and has had three husbands one of
whom IS still living. Nj. Brown has 4 wife
and three children. Ii seems when both were
young he had unSCccessfully sued for the lady :
hand afterwards theirpaths diverged; he took
10 himself helpmcet ana She did likewise
three times; III some way they found CaGR
others whereabouts and began n correspond
ence he from Bedford she from Sacramento.
Cal, which i'll his heart famed into flame the
smOldcring emberS OF the Old love; she recip-
rocated, on the suppOsti0n. she says, that he
was e Il widOwer with little mCtherle>S girl -
at length he desired 10 break OF the correspond
euce she SuSpicioned she investigated; she
discovered, and now asks ten thousand dollars
indemnity for the injury 10 her feelings her
affections and her wounded pride. " The age
OF romance has not closed, truly Spake the
sage of Chelsea.
Mr. Brown being in town yesterday, an
interview with him gave his side of the
story as follows: He modified the above
| by saying that the plaintiff is Elizabeth
Howatt, who has had four husbands and
| not three, two of whom are now living
| they both having got divorces from her
Mr.. Brown had not seen her for twelve
years, nor heard of her for many years, and
has not seen her yet. She Wrote 10 him,
| setting up that she had been deserted by
| her husband in Sacramento and left in q
state of absolute want with only 10 cents
| TO her name, and appealing to him on the
score of old friendship for help. He tried
! to help her, wrote to her father Judge
! Laird of ROckport, Ind. and tO Mr. Gra-
| ham, the father of her first husband, tell.
ing them of her condition and asking them
| to send her money, both OF whom Mr.
Brown well knew 10 be abundantly able to
help her. They failed to respond Soon
she undertook the process "of tanning in
his heart the smoldering embers of the
old love" That she reciprocatcd on the
suppositon that he was "A widower
with little motherless girl " is wholly
untrue. Early III the correspondence
MIR. Brown told her he was a married man
In his correspondence with parties in the
East in her interest, he began TO learn the
| life She had led since he bad known her
Her letters show. he says, that she begged
him 10 come to California and get divorce
and repair the mistakes of their youth
by marrying her. To this he sent per
| emptory oIder to close the correspondence
She then begged, he says, and finally threat
ened that unless he did certain things, what
she would do. This effected nothing She
! then came to Bedford and he was again
! threatened that unless her demands were
complied with she would ruin him, publish
him in the papers and scandalize him in
his home town and break up his family
TO this he turned deaf ear, when this suit
was brought and her work begun Mr.
Brown had substantially told his wife OF
| the correspondence IS it progressed, anG
she knew the secret history of it all Sc
his domestic relations are safe.
This is bare SKETCH but briefly presents
the outlines OF the facts, as he asserts. He
has no fear of the outcome, but is naturally
mortified at being placed in such position