The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-01
SUITS FOR BREACH OF PROMISE.


Henry B. Sire, who has been condemned
by New York city jury to pay Esther
| Jacobs SOS 200 for breach Of promise of
marriage, was not the kind of person to
| awaken the sympathies of the average
| jury. At the time that he promised to
| marry Miss Jacobs he was q party to
| chronic Illicit relations with another
woman; he admitted on the witness stand
| that his associations had been almost ex-
| clusively with dissolute women. The man
| evidently did not love Miss Jacobs in
| high-minded way or he would have cleared
| himself entirely of his immoral disabili-
| ties before he asked a virtuous woman to
| become his wife.
| Miss Jacobs, however, while reputable
| girl, was not q delicate person, for she ac-
| cepted very costly gifts of money, jewels
| and wardrobe from Sire; she knew and
| her parents knew. when she became en-
| gagged to marry Sire, not only that Sire
| had been a very dissolute man. but that he
| still retained his Illicit relations with his
mistress when he asked for Miss Jacobs
| hand Miss Jacobs had seen the woman,
and she understood perfectly that her en-
| gagement with Sire was practically de-
pendent for its fulfllment on Slre's buy
ing of the woman or in some way success
! fully shaking himself free from her
entanglements. Sire broke his promise of
| marriage 10 Miss Jacobs because he found
| he could not get rid of his mistress except
| at a pecuniary sacrifice larger than he
| cared TO make.
OF course the jury did not give Miss Ja-
cobs her damages OF $4,000 because they
thought she was very delicate person
! who had received any sentimental injury;
| they probably thought that Sire deserved
| to be mulcted in exemplary damages as q
| filthy old fraud who was not decent enough
| TO free himself from immoral bondage be-
| fore he undertook to make an honorable
| marriage; and the jury probably thought
that while Miss Jacobs had not probably
| received any serious sentimental hurt, that
| she had suffered serious practical injury 10
| her best matrimonial prospects by the
perfdy of Sire and the unpleasant
! exposure which his conduct forced
her to make of her private affairs. 4
| woman who was perfectly willing TO con-
fess in court her readiness to marry q rich
! man for the sake of his money, in spite of
his very bad character. and who did no,
| hesitate to let the world know that Sire
was unwilling 10 marry her, when she was
| perfectly willing to marry him. is, of
course, not very fragile or sensitive
! plant OF young wcmanhood, but, of course,
her lack of de.icacy of feeling did not
at all invaldate her just claim for dam
| ages - her matrimonial prospect of
an advantageous pecuuiary settlement in
life. Women are not granted damages for
| breach Of promise because of their lack or
their excess OF fine womanly sensibility;
they are granted damages because from a
practical, material business standpoint
breach Of promise Of marriage is q serious
injury TO a young woman who looks for
ward 20 marriage TO LIT her TO s. state Of
agreeable Independence OF the toll and
trouble involved IN winning for herself q
respectable livelihood by her own unaided
exertions.
The woman, who BY her engagement TO
one man. has lost her chance 10 accent
other advantageous offers. has suffered
serious practica! injury when she IS Tilted
| She is older; she mas been out Of the free
f5r-ai," race; she has suffered something
10y being thrown over she Is like q
/ plum that. while il has not been eaten
has been handled so freqgenty that it has
lost tho beautiful blue bloom it wears
when first picked from the tree She IS s
csst-ot woman. aud her chances Of win
ming in matrimonial -ace are not quite
SIS good as those Ct her sisters who have
never been jlited o. east 3 shoe"
The law takes this practical view. ana
because II does awards damages to women
fer practical injury 70 their mater =.
prospects of good settlement in lie rather
| than for sentimental hearts. OF course. a
proud woman Who has resliy suffered a
sentimental wound. presses her hand 10