The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-21
The Last Breach of Promise Case.


The damages Of $4,000 which HENRY Il.
SIRE has been condemned by jury to pay
+, ESTHER JACOBS for breach OF promise OF
marriage. constitute punishment whlch
tho fellow well deserves. Whether in abso-
Lutte Justice she deserves to set the money
is another matter.
SIRE was obliged to confess In his own
testimony that he is Il man utterly UNFIT 10
marry any decent girl AT the time when
he made o ESTHER the promise OF marriage
for the breach OF which he has been lnulcted
SO heavily. he was sna,leu up in Illicit reia-
tons with another woman. Of course, that
does not lessen his offending. but rather
aggravutcs it. He proposed marriage to
ESTHER when he was at least morally de-
barred from entering into lnatr!mony with
her lie Acknowledged that his nsSoc!-
utluns had been With dissuluto women al
most exclusively. The only thing to be
said In his favor Is that he took II fancy
to IL reputable girl like ESTHER when lie
met her In his ipfrequent incursons among
decent people. He was also liberal III his PEE
cuniary expenditures upon her. His court
ship seems to have been costly business for
him. independently of the S25.OO0 damages.
ne QueStlOu VI IL gin . luhihS pNSh bi'o
of money and jewels and wardrobe from a
man to whom she is aliianced Is question
OF taste to which we shall not refer. except
to say that its decision depends on the tone
and custom of the society in which she Is
brought up. The JACOBS family do not seem
to have objected to ESrIER's getting all she
could out of SIRE in this way. and arpar-
entity lie was profrse in his giving. However
bad he might be. they seem to have gone on
tie theory that us his money was good it
was Il good thing TO get; and there are pco-
pie in social circles holding themselves very
much higher than the society in which the
JACOBS family moves who arc not more
particular than ESrHERI parents as to the
moral character and previous careers of the
men to whom they are willing to give their
daughters in marriage.
Neither can it he regarded rs surprising
that ESTHER herself was ready to overlook
the past Of her atilanced. Very nice girls
often assume that love for them and love
bestowed by them will have power to trans
mute dissolute fellows into exemplary hus-
bands. The trouble in EsrHER'S case was
that SIRL'S immortality was not past, but
present. He was not off with the old and
new and reputable. and she was not igno-
rant Of the fact. She knew all about the
other woman and her claims on SIZE. aud
60 did her parents. Nor was ESTHER
young, giLdy, and unsophistica;el girl.
She had reached years OF discretion long
before and she understood the case Of her
afianced perfectly. She had seen the
woman, and she knew that SIRE was not
free to marry herself. Her engagement to
him was an arrangement practically de-
pendent for its fululment on his buying off
the other woman or in some way olsen
tangiing himself.
OF course. that afforded 10 Justification
for SIHL'S sneaking out OF his promise to
ESTHER. 1t only made 1t incumbent OH
him to free himself from his immoral
bondage. as. apparently. he might have
done at pecuniary sacrifice. II lie had
really desired to get free. II lie was I'M
der q prior obligation to the other woman.
from which he could not escape. his case
was the worse. for his engagement to
ESTHER was IL fraud. In whatever
light YOU look at 1t. SIRE has
richly deserved his punishment. As to
ESTHER. she is jubilant over her victory.
though it was purchased at price which
most women might think extortionate.
She has advertised her willingness to
marry SIRE. in spite Of his bad character.
and his unwllinguess to marry Ter in
spite Of her desire to become his wife. But
such standardization is inseparable from
every suit for breach OF promise OF mar
riage. In order to get substantial repara-
ton for sentimental wound inflicted, the
woman must endure worse wound to the
feminine pride by proclaiming TO the
world that she has been cast Off. For that
reason these suits are not popular among
the proud women Of this country. They
prefer to endure their modification In pr-
waite. They do not look on money dam
ages as an etllcaciOus plaster for hearts
doubly wounded.
1t must be remembered, however, that
there are great many people in New York
and that both their traditional and in
stlnctlve notions Of dclicacy differ widely.
The trial Of this case afforded an interest
ing revelation Of tho tone and habits OF a
variety of social life in New York which
seems to be fruitful field for the explora-
tions OF philosophers. moral teachers,
novelsts, and playwrights.
TDwARD MURPHY Is the lender Of the organ.