Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1909-04-15
FOR BROKEN HEART
TvARYlNo LAWS IN BREACH or
PROMISE CASES.
Not Easy for Tilted pamsel to Recover
Damages from Falthiess Swain
Practical Arrangement Pre-
walls In Germany.

England Is the best place-from the
plaintiffs point OF view-for breach
Of promise action. All other countries
seem to regard with grave suspicion
any attempt to recover monetary COM
pensation for the loss of prospective
husband, and unless the plaintiff has
q strong case indeed It Is never worth
her while to carry her grief into the
law courts. says Tit.Bits.
In France breach of promise cases
are rare for the simple reason that
the law requires the plaintiff to prove
that she has suffered pecuniary loss.
Now this is not an easy thing to do
on the part of the lady, especially In q
country where girl without a dot
that is marriage portion-has poor
chance Of finding a husband. Holland
and Austria have adopted the French
system, and the result has been about
the same. Breach actions are rare.
the injured damsels or their relatives
usually taking the law into their own
hands.
Practical Germany, as might be ex.
pected, has perhaps the best method
for solving this problem. When a
young couple become engaged they
have to go through a public betrothal
ceremony that ought to knock all the
shyness out of them. In the local town
hall the pair declare their affection.
willingness TO marry, ETC.. ending by
signing a collection of documents that
apparently leave no loophole for e.
cape.
But II either party 10 the contract
wishes to withdraw another journey Is
undertaken to the town hall and an.
other collection OF documents signed,
witnessed and sealed. Then the au
thorities determine thu question Of
mpensation--should II. be claimed.
In this connection 1t may be said that
the man can. and often does, claim
solatium for his wounded feelings. The
usual award Ia one-fifth Of the mar
riage dowry. 1t is easy to understand.
when all this is remembered. how
loath the young people Of Germany
are to break their betrothal oaths.
As the law of Italy offers little or
10 protection whatever to Tilted dam
sells and SWANS 1t is not surprising
that the stiletto should be the favorite
mode of deciding breach of promise
cases. The Italian law demands that
the person suing for breach" shall
produce a written promise to marry
from the defendant; otherwise the &C.
ton cannot proceed. This difficulty
is almost insurmountable, and the ltal-
ian Judges are seldom troubled to ad-
Indicate between one-time lovers.
To bring an action for breach OF
promise of marriage against reign.
ing monarch Is an achievement, but
1t has been done, and by an English
lady. It Is now Is years since Miss
Jenny Mighell sued the sultan OF Jo-
hore, and as there was doubt wheth.
er the dusky one was actually reign.
ing monarch the case was allowed to
come into court. But the Judge quick
" disposed of the action by ruling 1t
inadmissible for the reason referred TO
and Miss Mighell was nonsuited.
II is remarkable that one Of the two
actions which have brought verdicts of
10000 each TO plaintiffs should
have had for its defendant the editor
of a matrimonial paper. The second
case was between well-known
actress and the eldest son Of an earl.