The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-16
WERE ENGAGED.
DR.. Lowry Spoke Of 1t in Let
terS to Miss Smith.
Missives We're Signed "Your
Husband to Be-
HERS A LABOR OF LOVE
Worked For $40 a Week and
Paid Her Own Expenses.
Last Of the Dentists Letters,
HERS ALABOR OFLOVE
Last Of the Dentists Letters,
the End of the Romance.
Endearing Terms Discarded and
a Typewriter is Used.


Lowry's counsel to evidence about the
amount of salary and travelling expenses
paid Miss Smith while travelling for DR..
Lowry:
Business love and sentiment SO in
termingle in this case that it is very
hard to separate them. Therefore, L
shall have to permit all transactions, OF
whatever nature, between these parties,
to be brought out, that a fair determin-
alton of this matter may be given. The
suit is a most peculiar one. In the an
nails of jurisprudence its counterpart is
hard to find"
The evidence is that she received $40
a week, out of which she paid all her
expenses except railroad fare, and Of
ten walked in the city streets to save
street car fare. At the same time DR..
Lowry was boarding at a fashionable
Kansas City hotel and when he travel
ed always stopped at the best hosiery.
From the Planters hotel at st. Louis
he wrote her of the fine accommodate
lions he was enjoying.
The correspondence covered a period
of more than a year, beginning in 1897
and continuing into 1898. For the first
six months the letters were much the
same, full of super1ative terms of en-
dearment and expressions of unbounded
affection. Business was not forgotten
by the doctor, but Miss Smith was urged
to sell machines by gentle coax1ng, and
requests were prefixed by darling,
dearest my own darling" and SIM
liar expressions. AS time passed, how
ever, the aGQOr dlnl1n1Sn6Q, uIIl1 the 0Ild
came with a fiat declaration that all
thought of the writer marrying his
sa1eswoman was to be dismissed.
The most patient listener in the court
room grew weary of hearing the jum-
bles of my own darling and Grown
and bridge work. before the reading of
the DR.. Lowry letters was ended. 1t
was o'clock before Miss Smiths at
torney announced that he held in his
hand the last of the letters sent to Miss
Smith by her employer-the letter which
she says stunned her and resulted in
the suit for breach of promise. The
letter, dated March II. IL p. m, 1898,
was as follows:
Dear Martha: Sent machine,
pamphlets and blank contract notes
yesterday. Can furnish two sets of an
terror dies, with counter dies all in a
neat little tray to fit or made special,
for ST. If there is demand for them
take the orders, to be delivered in three
or four weeks and let me know immed-
lately, can make them up. You had
better have contracts registered.
You must not go to the expense of
coming to Kansas City, for the facts in
the case are these: I have tried and
prayed and struggled to convince my
self that it was best that our engage
ment continue, but my struggles are in
vain. I can not feel so. 1t would never
do. You would be most unhappy, be-
cause I would be-therefore it must and
should be mutually dissolved. 1t would
be dishonorable in me to do otherwise.
too late. You, of course, will continue
in your present capacity-at least, 1
want you to. Things have not turned
out in a financial way as L expected
them to, but it might have been worse.
God bless you and turn you into
successful channels. is the prayer of
yours very sincerely, H. >. IL.
In the opening address to the jury the
ATTORNEYS for DR.. Lowry stated that
their client denies the existence of an
engagement at any time The express
sions in the last letter would seem to
conclusively establish the contrary. Not
only in this instance, but in many
others, the writer speaks of an engage
ment, and there is general curiosity to
hear how he will explain away these
references when he takes the stand to
testify.
When all of DR.. Lowry's letters had
been read, Attorney Beebe applied to
the court for permission to inspect the
letters written by Miss Smith to DIR.
Lowry, which the defense will, when the
time comes, read as an offset to those
of the dentist. Mr.. Beebe stated that
the plaintiffs attorneys cheerfully al
lowed the attorneys for the defendant
to read the letters in their possession,
and that the case could not fairly pro-
coed until he had enjoyed similar IA
vors The direct examination of Miss
Smith has not yet begun, and Mr.. Beebe
said that the questions put to her might
be largely influenced by the contents of
her replies to the dentists letters.
While Miss Smith was, as she claims,
striving desperately to free the doctor
from debt that the marriage might take
place, he was in no sense Stinting him
self in his mode of living. While at
tending a meeting of the dental board,
of which he was a member, in st. Louis,
he boarded at the Planters hotel and
enjoyed the best. He took no trouble
to conceal his manner of living from
Miss Smith, the following being a let
ter written while in st. Louis:
t'St. Louis, Sept 10, 1897.-My OAR
ling: Your letter received this a. m.
1t is no trouble to get letter at the
Planters hotel. Am so sorry you have
Hope to hear more favorable report of
your physical condition right soon. Ar
rived here in good shape. The Planters
is lovely much nicer than Southern.
The board has been working hard all
day and is yet in session, but [ snatch
members of the board are all about me
and talking dental talk. Am so glad
YOU procured two more orders and
doing so well. The board has taken in
about $500. They owe about $175 of it
to me for Old Point Comfort expenses
and official fees for services as member
of the board. 1t is a, pleasant day and
lovely bath between; one room is re-
ception and the other private consu1ta-
ton. Be a good girl and don't get into
any mischief or I'll spank you. In haste.
Goodbye, darling. Lovingly.
There is no indication in DR.. Lowrys
letters that Miss Smith ever commented
adversely upon the style in which he lived.
H. 4ii1S -, to apotbep go, se
gested in the following:
My Own Sweet Darling: You are faith
full to the last, aren't you? l got your
sweet letter this morning, that you wrote