The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-12-24
WIDOW SUES CLINTON MAN.
Jacksonville Woman Demands Dam
ages of M. S. Bailey, Alleging
Breach of Marriage Promise.
News and Courier.

United States circuit court, 9TH cir
cult, district Of South Carolina, was
filed yesterday afternoon the COM
plant in the case of Phena H. Love,
Of Jacksonville, Fla, plaintiff, against
Mercer S. Bailey, of Clinton, S. c.,
in suit for damages for alleged
breach Of promise of marriage col
tract, at which the damages are laid
at $150,000. In the amount involved
and in the prominence Of Tire parties
this suit is of larger interest than any
of the kind ever before brought in
this part Of the country.
The complaint, which is printed be-
low, states the salient facts Of the
ease from the plaintiffs point of
view. lit will be seen that the alleg-
ed courtship and engagement be-
tween the plaintiff and defendant
dates from the l4th Of August,
1901; and began in the mountains Of
North Carolina. Mrs: Love will be
remembered by hundreds Of persons
throughout South Carolina as the
former landlady Of the Blue Ridge
Inn in Hendcrsonville, N. C.
Mrs. Love is Il woman said to BE-
somewhere about so years of age and
is widow She is woman Of cul-
tivation, excellent manners and pres
ence, and enjoys the friendship and
respect Of many Of the leading peo-
pie in the church and civil life of
Jacksonville. and has prominent
friends in Charleston.
The plaintiff Mr.. Bailey, who has
been wiaower for fifteen or twen-
ty years, is one of the best known
men in the commercial and industrial
circles of South Carolina. For per-
haps forty years he has conducted
y highly successful private banking
business in the town of Clinton, Lau-
rcns county. About eleven years ago
he established the Clinton Cotton
Mills. a plant having $4,000 spindles,
and which has had uniformly sue
ceSsful history, paying for the last
y
Later onc Of his sons established in
the suburbs of Clinton the Lydia Cot
tom Mill. with 2l,o00 spindles, and
in this. too, Mr.. Bailey is said to be
heavily interested. 1t is also a high
~ prosperous company. Besides his
name appears at the head of one Of
the large mercantile houses Of Clin-
ton. The popular understanding Is
that the Bailey family, composed Of
M. S. Bailey and his sons. own the
controlling interest in these mills and
also are large owners Of lands, hous-
rs a:ld other properties. Mr. Bailey
is somewhere between 65 and 70
years of ace, and is prominent in re-
s.Eeious and other activities Of life in
\<plmon. The Bailey family wealth is
eliminated in current opinion as ag
.cr. Sgating $500,000 and upwards.
w. Mat the trial Of the case will de-
svelop \\cannot be anticipated, but the
allegatl ons of the complaint, especial
ly that relating to the engagement
ring as a(i evidence in the case, leads
to the assumption that in the course
Of the litigation an intensely interest
ing rcma.ice will be revealed. The
hotel in HendersonviIlc, which Mrs.
Z Love managed, is said to have been
|, the property at one time Of Mr.. Bail
Py. and the large acquaintance when
&Mrs. Love gained by reason Of her
connection with tnat establishment,
@gethcr with the alleged wealth and
ENaniing Of The defendant, promises
cause every successive step in the
navigation inaugurated yesterday TO
watched with the keencSt interest
roughout the South Atlantic States.
The complaint follows:
,N' when the time for the per-
Ip?""e Of said marriage approach
&p wit: about the - day of Sep
er. 1901, the defendant, because
a(flietion in the family of said
!a,t. requested the plaintiff to
ne the said marriage; the
+ thereto agreed and consent
the posiponemcnt at the de-
~ insistencc, and thereafter
* ne to time the said marriage
astance Of the defendant was
fl,d so that on the 26th day of
- |1r, 1902, the plaintiff and de-