The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-21
MIKE Was A THRILLER.
EdCna Gorges Awarded $4,000 for
BIighted Affections.
The Jury Inclined at First TO Give Round
S500o-she Can Have Her Pick OF
Husband Now.

Pretty Fdena Gorges won her breach OF
promise suit against Michael Human.
steward of the steamship China. The jury
awarded her nice sum as damages, so that
unless her lawyers gobbe most Of 1t up for
fees. she will not need to stare poverty in
the face as struggling seamsiresS, but
may be as naughty as Duchess, when
next some one happens along to ask her to
change her name to his.
The defendants side of the case was not
so interesting as that of tile fair plaintiff
all plaintiffs in breach Of promise cases
from time immemorial have been described
as fair. 1t was day of denials. Human
rather overdid the wholesale denial bust
ness--and Sc the jury thought. He has
reason to be thankful that the jury did not
punish him more heavily. The first ballot
was for an award of $4,000.
Human took the witness-Stand at the
opening OF court in the morning. He ad-
United the introduction TO her by her
brcther-in-law and that he kept company
with her "for quite while" but be never
uttered words Of love. He denied that he
had ever gone to the theater with her more
than four times, nor to plcnlcs, not having
been to one in nine years.
''She says y0u promised TO marry her?"
asked his counsel, eX-Judge LAWYER.
81 never made such a promise"
"Did you ever give her an engagement
riag?"
the one for my wife"
'She says you gave her money Is that
true?
GAVE HER MONEY.
Yes, sir; several times. She asked me
for II. and said she was poor and she and
her mother had such hard time to get
along. l was one of IA children and had a
hard time to make a living and was brought
up in an orphan asylum, which leaves me
SO unlearned. L knew what 1t was, and
therefore had feelings for her,"
Human denied the promise OF marriage
made at the d3athbed of the girls mother.
He was at the funeral and the taking Of
Edena into his hack was al the request of one
OF her sisters. because she was screaming
and crying over the grave and no one could
induce her to leave. He remem bered hay-
ing dictated a letter to Miss Edena, and
gave it from memory as follows:
To Miss GOrgeS: I hope That you amt got the
idea of marriage, which as l never had. This
thing has gone TOO far. / treated you as child
and a friend, which l always will be-
This was written to deny the report of
their intended marriage. He once received
by messenger note from Miss Edena-
please Mike for Gods sake call on me-"
= He had destroyed this note after marriage,
when Mrs. Human was going through his
vest and ulearihed the soiled and creased
missiYe. He called and the subject of mar
riage was discussed and he then gave her
ocdHt COneOidllOu anu less nope, when ne
informed her that she did not suit him be-
cause he could not read or write and she
could not write much English either.
Miss Edena having testified that she had
never written TO him, the defendant pro-
dpced note Of November ID, 1890. but on
rebUttal it was proved thata sister had writ
ten 1t at his request TO acquaint him OF
Edena'S condition, she being then sick.
TO SAN RAFAEL.
Human confessed that be had gone to San
Rafael TO be married in December, 1890, to
overcome objection of his brides mot her.
and insisted that he had given the plaintiff
only SO as present at Christmas in 1890.
He maintained that he had given her in
al So for various things; pleaded that she
always locked the door on him when he
visited her. played like a child with his
affections and finally he declared that he
had Informed her Of his intended marriage
some five or six months before the fact.
Mrs. l.. Bagnall, very loQuaclous sister
OF the defendant, WAS called for the plaintiff
in rebuttal and denied having made certain
statements attributed TO her.
Louis Morton, former lodger of hers,
contradlcted her to say that when in
formed OF her brothers marriage she was
greatly surprised and said he should have
married Edena, as had been arranged.
The plaintiff also contradicted her. affirm
ing that she had suggested that IL man
had treated her as her brother had acted in
this case she would either shoot or horse
Attempts were made to have Human
admit that before the commencement OF
the suit he had transferred $4,000 of prop
erty. The truth Of this was denied by coun-
sci and client.
Miss Gorges was recalled and affirmed
that be had shown her properties in Oak
land and represented himself to be WORTH
$4,000. She had gone at the sisters sugges-
tion to San Rafael to satisfy herself of the
marriage and then obtained her first positive
knowledge Of the marriage. The license
represented him as &c years Of age.
NEVER ASKED FOR MONEY.
She denied having asked Human or any
man for a cent, and affirmed that he had
never given her a nickel until the $50 in
greenbacks for Christmas. No deliye ~
was ever made Of any letter from him.
~ on never asked TO see his ranch ?'
mo; l was not interested in it,
You went TO Oakland, though, to see his
property there ?"
"Of course. He said that would be nv
future home, and in that / was interested"
Mrs. Nelson, a married sister, ADM tied
having written the letter from Edena TO
Mike" She denied his testimony that, in
her presence, be had Tepudiated any inten-
ton to marry Edena-0n the contrary.
'- There was testimony that Human and J.
NJ. LOene, the witness Of Tuesday, were
most intimate. and every assertion Of the
defendant having been successfully contra
deied, the case was closed the plaintiff s
counsel declining to make any argument,
The jury was out less than 30 minutes,
and Mrs. Humans BABY cried loudly ia
protest as the clerk entered the verdict.
which was for $4,000 damages. 1t was the