The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-28
LOVE AND LUCRE.
A Celebrated Breach Of Promise Suit
Gen. Thos. 7. Eoksrt, the Defendant.
A Judgment Rendered Against Him Near
Iy Fifty Years Ago. which the
Plaintiff EndeavOrs TO Collect
-a g Judgment Reserved.

WOOSTER, o., Oct. 23.-COnsiderGble
Ouriosity centers on the winding up of
the most celebrated case that ever drift.
ed into the Common Pleas Court of This
county. The case in question originated
away back In 1845, when Wooster was
lust emerging from ber swaddling
clothes. The effair can truly be styled
sensational one, emanating from q
matter wherein little scantily-clOthed
cupid was an important factor. The
central figure In the case Is none other
than Gen. ThOs. I. Eckert, now General
Manager of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, and another equally as
prominent a parsonage IN the affair Is
Mrs. Mary <. BartOl, then Miss Mary E.
Fleming. Both were residents of WOos.
ter half q century ago, when the present
rather interesting casa developed.
Everybody knew Eckert as Tom, good
looking young fellow Of twenty
one thereabOuts, dudish In dress,
vet Withal an affa6le young man,
whose initiation into the swirl of world
ly strife began In drawing Wax-ends
through leather In dinpy little har-
ness shop, owned by his father IN WO0s
ter. Later on he developed intO tele
grapher, went up the stairway OF promo
tiOn, by what motor depOnent sayeth
not. and now poses as General Manager
of the Western Union Telegraph COmpa-
ny. 1t was during the time that he was
engaged In chasing needles through
leather that his affections drlfted il the
direction of Miss Mary Fleming, then
a belle of Wooster. Tom paid assiduOus
attention to Mary, very much so in fact.
as her tally shows that he never missed
calling on her but one night in three
wears, a fact that pOTtTays the mOnOp0-
listic tendency that charscteTiz45 the
company he now represents. All the
other Oeaus we're shut out, SO to speak,
and Tom had the pole In what appeared
to be q matrimonial race, i'll which he
and Mary would come in under the wire
neck aud neck. 1t i5 stated that he even
cautioned her to reject all other euttors,
and give him clean field. IL was fra
lV settled In the mtnds of the town gOs
siDs that Miss Fleming would sOO4 be
come Mrs. Tom Erkert. In fact, later
developments showed that Tom aud Ma
ry had similar idea. But that event
never trsnspired, hence the following:
lhe records Of the Common Pleas
Court show that In May, 1845, Mary E.
Fleming instituted suit for $4,000
damages against Thomas Thompson
Eckert for breach Of promise. Old
timers remember the suit as the event
of the day, and the verdict for 81. 250 re
turned In favor of the plaintiff met the
appreciation of the community. The
trial was attended by every BODY able to
be there. The sympathy of all was with
the plaintiff anu sven the members of
the bar volunteered to assist her, as did
many witnesses. IL was developed by
the testimony that Tom had proposed
and the proposal had been accept ed.
The wedding was to be quiet one, aud
was set for December 25. 1874 A sleigh,
Ing party left Wooster that day for q
pleasure trip to MassillOn. The wed
ding, according to Miss Fleming, was to
take place secretly just before the party
started, and the groom and bride that
were 10 be would join the party and
surprise their friends. The ceremony
was to havs been performed by Rev,
Harrison Jones, now resident Of Mount
Union, and one of the best Disciple min
listers in the State. Miss Fleming had
her wedding garments prepared, but at
Kckerts request the wedding was post
poaed, although he and miss Fleming
accompanied the party to MassillOn.
From that time on Toms affections
for Mary became chilled; his attentions
to her were not as noticeable as before,
and finally his calls at the Fleming res
idence ended. The why and wherefore
of this sudden termination OF what ap-
peared to be an Unsuitable infatuatton
never developed, but Miss Fleming as.
cribed 1t to interference on the part OF
Eckert's father, who opposed the union
on the ground that the Fleming family
was poor, Mary's mother being at that
time the widow Of a local attorney at
law. The breach Of promise suit fol-
lowed, with the $2,250 Judgment
against Eckert The Judgment was
given in September, 1845, over fOrty-one
years ago. Three years or so after the
suit Miss Fleming welded John BartOl,
now deceased, and is at present, as all
along, highly respected lady, the pro-
prietress Of private boarding house.
kckert's prominence makes his career a
matter Of general information, and he
now ranks as one of the moneyed men
of New York. he was twice married.
After the $4,000 judgment against
Eckert was given no attempt was made
by him to liquidste 1t. II Is stated, how
ever, that his friends attempted to effect
a compromise while the suit was In pro.
0ress but were unsuccessful. The mat
Ear has remained In that shape all these
wears, although several attorneys were
employed to collect the money. The
Judgment was renewed once, some years
ago, aud on this point hangs the final
disposal of the case. During the past
wear the case was taken into court and
the revival of the Judgment was Pc
titiOned for. In the meantime Eckert
employed an attorney to fight the case
on the ground that the Judgment had
been Outlawed by the statute of limita.
tiOn, The plaintiffs claim Is that the
recent litigation was not for the pur-
pose of reViVing the original action, but
that 1t was for continuation OF juris-
djctIon already acquired. NJ. A. DAugher-
tv was up from Columbus the other day
and argued before Judge Parsons In
favor Of the plaintiff, Mrs. Bart0l. The
Judges decision is reserved.
Public sentiment is with the plaintiff,
and Eckert's action In lot Satisfying
the Judgment is s0undly condemned,
especially so because he lost the suit.
Mrs. Bartol is In such financial posi-
tion that the money would be boon to
her In her old age, and since Eckert Is
able to pay the amount many times over,
his action is considered unmanly. The
original judgment, with interest,
amounts to 5000. Able counsel will
andeavor to collect the money, which tS
oOccIdorod fuat lu dua Mrs RQrfnl