Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-10
DAMAGES FOR WIDOW
 IN MOCK COURT TRIAL,
Audience Of 5oo Enjoyed Fun in Enter tainnaent Under Y. N. C. 4. Auspices.

As had been predicted for the past two weeks or more, the mock court trial held at Oiyn1plC hall on Tuesday evening under the auspices of the To- cal '. M. c. 4. proved q decided sue cess, and the large audience, number ing jn the vicinity Of 500 people, left the hall highly pleased with the even was for breach of promise, and many were the humorous incidents brought out in the testimony Of the several witnesses. pro and con. The case was most interesting and complications arose again and again as the hearing proceeded, making 1t indeed very hard for the jury to reach verdict which was finally returned in favor of the plaintiff
 Judge Nelson J. Ayling occupied the bench, and the court was called at S.16 o'clock. Twelve true and honorable jurors, representing well known busi- ness men In the country, such as John D. Rockefeller, the oil magnate, Teddy Roosevelt. etc, were sworn in. Those who comprised the jury were James L. Case foreman. Leonard o. Smith, Frederic II. Cranston, James C. Mac pherson, Walter F. Lester, Nathan A. Gibbs, Shepard B. Palmer, Frederick W. Lester, Joel B. SlocuIn, D. D., Her bert B. Cary. Rev. c. H. Ricketts, Edward Y. Messinger.
 The clerk. Hibberd R. Norman, then read the complaint made by Jerusha R. Perkins Cldrs. H. M. POllcck) against Charles H. Haskell, a well known busi- ness man of thLs city, charging him with breach of promise and asking damages Of S3.48 as compensation for her injured feelings.
 The testimony was then commenced and the first to take the stand was the Widow Perkins. She reviewed the circumstances, very romantic indeed leading thG haQiTUfT7u- 1$ n Quaintarce with the defendant, Mr Haskell. She testified that he had asked her to marry him and that just after his proposal and upon the intru- sion of someone into the parlor, he, Mir. Haskell, suddenly departed and went tearing up the street as rapidly as he possibly could, and that she had not seen him since. Other witnesses who testified in tho case were Dr. E. r. Linnefl, Miss Jerusha F. Prelxins (Miss Marion Pullen). the Widow Per kins' charming niece, pr. Frank Fl. Bunnell. Col. Charles ". Gale and Mrs. William II. Oat.
 When the defendant, AIr. Haskell, took the stand ;n his own behalf there was considerable Of a stir among the spectators. who strained their ears to tho utmost to catch every word of the testimony.
 Mir Haskell told of his first meeting with the widow and stated that he had 5 house which she conducted, but he also said that the attraction which drew him there was not the widow, but her pretty niece. Meeting the niece alone was a difficult matter. because of the vatchful eye Of the widow, but MT Haskell told of an ingenious method which l1s pursued. He would sit up with the widow one night and tire her out 50 that she would have to retire early the next night and this left him %~-o-~ A@ sa4 ly with Miss Perkins. He said the widow asked him if he wouldn't like to marry q. charming girl with $2,000 and he answered yes. It was then that she threw herself into his arms, overcome with joy. This was what caused him to depart so hurriedly be- fore the eyes of the intruder, who, by the way, was belated boarder return ing home iIl the depths of the night. The defendant said that he supposed all the while that it was the widows niece, and not herself, who was tho girl with the S2,0O0,' and that was why he had said he would marry her,
 Several love letters written by Mir. Haskell to JeruSha n. Perkins were read in court. The Widow Perkins was the possessor of these letters, but Mr Haskell said that they were in- tended for her niece, who bore the same name. and that the widow had mistaken ownership.
 If1e uS1SndSHC s aLLOTIleys ATl0uJ F Libby, Esq. presented his argument to the jury, and he was followed by the prosecuting attorney, Col. \. Y. New ton, of Worcester, Mass.
 Judge Ayling then charged the twelve tried and true men, and they retired to the jury room. After delib- eration, they filed back into the court and through their foreman. James L. Case, stated that they had found the defendant guilty of breach of promise and had awarded damages to the amount of $3.4S. the sum of s to go to the jury and the remaining 4S cents to go to the judge. The court was then adjourned without day in approved form by Deputy Sheriff George Fl. Stanton as court officer.
 X number of local hits found their marks, as was evidenced by the bursts of hearty laughter. All in all, it was an evening of innocent fun and rare enjoyment, conducted with mock digni- ty.
 The patronesses Of the evening in- cluded Mrs. John C. AveriIl, Mrs. Will liam B. Dirge, Mrs. Leonard W. Bacon, Mrs Charles T. Butts, Mrs. Frederick s. Camp, Mrs. George D. Colt, Mrs. Edward D. Fuller, Mrs. Charles ". Gale, Mrs. Frank A. Mitchell, Mrs. ". T. Olcott. Mrs. Charles L. Richards and Mrs. Leonard O. Smith.