The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-27
LOVED LIKE A YOUTH
MISS MARY HAHN TELLS OF THE
FIRE OF ANTON BETTINGER'S
COURTSHIP
IN A BREACH0F PROMISE SUIT
The Three Score and Ten Years of
Defendants Life Had Not, Ac-
eording TO the Plaintiffs Testi-
mOny, Amy Depressing Eject ON
the Ardors OF, the old Gentleman,s
LOve-Case Now ON Trial.

| =
LOve-Case Now ON Trial.
>Xa
| The trial of the action commenced by
Miss Mary Hahn against Anton Bettinger.
| to recover SID, 600 for alleged breach Of
promise wasd begun yesterday before
Judge Lewis and "a jury in district court.
| and the court room was crowded all
| day with interested spectators who listen
ed eagerly to the tale of misplaced af-
| lection told by the plaintiff and her wit
| nesses. Miss Hahn, maiden Of forty
| two summers. was represented by c. ".
I. Dodd. and the defendant, who has
| turned the seventy mark, by c. d. and
| T.. D. OBrien
| The PLAINTIFF alleges that on May 1,
| 1897, at Portland. Ore. Mr. Bettinger, who
| is possessed of considerable wealth, prom
ised to marry her, and the wedding was
! set for the following October. Previously
| she had been receiving the attentions of
one c. A. Bach, a widower of forty-eight,
and. at the time of Mr.. Bettingen's pro-
posal, was considering an offer from Mr..
Bach. Immediately after the septuagen-
arian placed his hand at her disposal Miss
Hahn rejected the younger suitor and
she says "solely on account of the prom
Use made to the defendant" And in TAX
| ing this decisive step Miss Hahn had a
good deal to consider because she AYERS,
Mr.. Bach was a man Of good health,
habits and morals, possessed of a good
home and business, and earning a COM
petent income. Despite this sacrifice Mr..
Bettingen, it appears since October, 1897,
| has turned deaf ear to the appeals Of
Miss Hahn. and she is driven to ask
| monetary redress from the district court.
OF course the defendant had reasons, and
one Of them IS set forth In his reply to
the complaint)in the fact that the plain
tiff is the niece or the defendants de-
ceased wife, and is the niece of this
defendant by afhpfty. and that under the
statutes of the state of Oregon the mar
riage relation under such circumstances
is prohibited" 20
Miss Hahn, who speaks English with
difficulty, was present in the court room
when court opened.f She was attired in
jaunty shirtwaist that appeared becom-
ing on her rotund figure, and occasionally
she varied the intervals of whispering
to her attorney by glancing daggers at
the aged defendant, whose long, grey
beard and snow white hair were con-
spicuous beside cop. OBrien.
After the jubys had been impaneled Mr..
O'Brien made the opening move by ask
ing for a dismissal on the ground that
the plaintiff was the daughter of the de-
PENDANTS deceased wife's sister. and un-
der the affinity existing the marriage
could not have taken place.
An English case where a man married
his fifth wifes daughter and the eighth
chapter of, Leviticus were cited before
Judge Lewis finally overruled the mo-
tion.l Then Attorney Dodd raised a rip
pie of interest in, the court room by call
ing the plaintiff to the stand.
Miss Hahn was calm and self-possessed.
She was very much to the point as she
told her story under the questioning Of
her attorney. She was almost forty-two
years old, and said since she had been
in, America. had worked for a, number of
families, among them L.. L. Mays,
Joseph McKibbonss., L. A. Robinson's and
for Mr.. BurweA. She had gone to Oregon
originally to visit her sister, also a do
nestle, and had accepted a position there
with the family of Capt. MITCHELL where
she claimed the love troth was plighted.
1t. was on Sunday night, May 1, 1897,
and the date was indelibly burned into
the memory of the witness.
"He came Saturday night about 8
o'clock" she said. II know it was about
8 because that was the baby's bed time
He said he was glad to see me- and put
his arms around me and kissed me- We
went into the sitting room, and Mr.
Mitchell went out and left US there, with
me sitting a couch and Mr. Bettinger
on a chair. Then he asked me If was
going to marry Mr.. Bach, and told him
I was, and that Br. Bach had three men
working for him., and a woman to look
after things. Then. he said, If 1 did not
love you or care for you would not
n 70 100
want a wife, and do not want anyone
but you Then he game over and kissed
me and put hisI arms around me. I ask
ed him to go and see Mr.. Bach, who lived
at Salem, but ne said he did not want
to- se2
The witness testified that the defend
ant had told her that there was no rela-
tionship that could make any difference
since her aunt ~had. died. Then she told
him she would think 1t over, half prom
ised When Mr. Bettinger left to take
the car she had offered to assist him, but
he told her he,f felt like a young man,
ard she said he'iput7his arms around her
and kissed her. It was arranged that the
old gentleman Was to come back on Sat
urday and then there was another spell
Of hugging and kissing.
He almost lifted me off the ground"
said Miss HahnJ f..
When the following Saturday arrived so
did Mr.. Bettinger, beaming with smiles
There was more kissing and a remark
about the week having been long for him,
and then the aged swain was left on the
back porch while Miss Hahn went in and
waited on the table. After the dishes
had been cleared away, according to the
witness, there was still more hugging and
kissing. Mr.. Bettinger had explained
that he. was young for his age, and ex-
tracted a promise that the witness would
mr. Uyrit 70 oh Il
her that lots of young men would want
her as rich young widow, endowed with
the Bettinger fortune. He wanted a wife
that would take care of him, and he was
coming to live in Oregon and build a
bigger house than Capt. Mtchells There
was more hugging and kissing on part
ing.
Then on the. following day the lovers
visited Miss Hahn's sister at SeIlwood
and spent the afternoon and evening, and
while there, seizing the opportunity, Mr..
Bettinger had, according to Miss Hahn,
been very affectionate, even to the ex-
tent of making her sit on his lap.
The next time the septuagenarian called
on his alleged sweetheart, she testified.
she ran to meet, hin and gave him hot
drops for his to6thache There was more
love making. Which finally eliminated
with Mr. Bettinger's observing, while pat
ting Miss Hahns hair: II love you so
much, and you love me-
IL told him yesf' said the witness. HE
took my hands, irQL his then and said,
Mary. shall be back on Oct l. Then |
they discussed, the details of the wedding
and the defendant told how much money |
he had. 20 abs
On cross-examAnati5n Miss Hahn testi-
fed that she has Three sisters in Amer |
lea. At the time Of the love making |
she was forty years old and Mr. Bet
finger about seventp. She had worked |