Las Vegas optic., 1914-09-10
OIL PAINTING The
CAUSE OF
Woe
LED TO BREAKING OF ENGAGE
MENT AND A BREACH OF
PROMISE SUIT

Santa F'e, Sept 10.-Remarkable is
the answer filed by A. R. Manly, the
progressive leader of Taos county, to
the suit for $4,000 damages for breach
of promise brought by Miss Margaret
A E. Waddell of Los Angeles. 1t
seems that an oil painting, which is
remembered by many Santa Feans,
as having hung for many years in one
OF the leading homes of the capital, is
TO blame for the breach between the
two principals; at least Mandy so
AYERS. for according to the answer fill
ed in the federal court today some
time during the month of November
A. d. 1912, plaintiff left Los Angeles,
Calf, for New York to sell on com
mission, an old painting owned by the
defendant, which painting plaintiff
stated should realize a large sum of
money and wrote and telegraphed
this defendant to meet her in Albu-
querque, and it was then and there
agreed by and between plaintiff and
defendant that their marriage should
be deferred until after the painting
was sold"
But alas and alack: plaintiff while
in Albuquerque purchased an undivid-
ed half interest in said painting for
the sum of $5Oe,h proceeded to New
York and there obtained an opinion
fl lom an alleged expert, who pro-
ncunced the picture valueless. There
upon said plaintiff in reply to letter
written by this defendant, asking her
to come to Taos, marry him and make
the best of circumstances, wrote this
defendant that this marriage engage
ment should be called Off"
Defendant thereupon released her,
but nevertheless would have been will
ing to marry plaintiff but for the fact
that several months prior to the COM
mencement of this suit plaintiff wrote
him sundry and diverse scurrilous and
defamatory open letters on postal
cards, and sent same through the Uni
ted States mails directed to points she
knew defendant was not staying at the
time she wrote; also wrote to relatives
and friends of the defendant libelous
and defamatory letters" He also "be-
lieves she published copies of the
complaint in sundry and divers news
papers in communities where defend
ant resides or is known, to cause de-
fondant great mental suffering and
humiliation" q,
But not only was the painting which
came from home in which marital
unhappiness led to divorce, jinx,
but so was also one of the many law
suits in which Manly was interested
off and on, for the answer says further
that the proposed marriage promise
given on October 19, 1912, which de-
fendant admits was contingent on
''how a certain land suit then pending
soon to be heard in Ration, in which
defendant was interested should be de-
cided." But the judge who decided
the law suit was as cruel as the Judge
who passed on the picture, for ION
further hearing that in the meantime
the defendant had lost the land suit"
said plaintiff called off the marriage
engagement, according to Manly.
The defendant denies all knowledge
of the alleged 500 trousseau bought
in England and brought over at the
cost of $500, of the s., ,5Q0 alleged to
have been expended in preparing for
teh wedding, of the $1,000 plaintiff al
leges she advanced to defendant, but
defendant asserts that he returned to
her $50 of the sum she had paid for
a one-hah interest in the picture, and
that she refused the balance of $3.50
size had paid on the picture when he
tenderde the sum to her.
Ityis believed that the picture was
last on exhibit in the new county mu-
scum Los Angeles. The two princi
pals to the suit are English born, but
Manly has become a naturalized citi.
zen, while Miss Waddell is still a
British subject
Means of letters are to play an i'm
portant part in the trial, according to
attorneys Miss Waddell is represent
ed by Renehan and Wright, and F. T
Cheetham represents Manly. The de
fcndant was divorced from his frs
wife whom he had married when she
was only 16 and who was the daughter
of a prominent Maryland family.
Mineola, N. T., Sept. 10.-A super
Mineola. N. Y, Sept. 100 super
cadino Indictment eharpino rut1rde