The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-06
Attorneys for C. III. LalOr
Ask that Big Damages
Be Set Aside
HIGHEST EVER MADE
IN UNITED STATES
When Compared With Fortune of the
Defendant-Miss Anna C. Dyer Had
Been Awarded $4,000 for Breach of
Promise-Decision Reserved.

RUTLAND, May 6-That the Dyer
Lalor verdict of $4,000 returned by a
jury in Rutland county court 10 days ago
was the highest ever awarded in this |
country or Canada according to the size
of the defendants fortune, was the claim
of attorneys for Charles H. Lalor of this
city against whom the verdict was OBJ
tanned by Miss Anna C. Dyer, also OF
Rutland, on proof of breach of promise.
Attorneys for Mr. Lalor asked that the
verdict be set aside and automatically
with this goes the motion to reduce the
verdict.
There were three paragraphs in the
motion which set forth that the verdict
was against the evidence in the case, that
the amount awarded was excessive and
that the jury was biased by prejudice and
passion.
The motion was argued before the full
bench, Judge Fred NJ. Butler Assistant
Judges Edwin Horton of Chittenden and
Samuel R. Hitchcock of West Haven.
Attorneys NJ c. Weber Of the firm of
Weber & Leamy and Attorney j. c.
Jones of the firm of Jones & Jones, ar
gued for the defendant and Attorneys
Bert L. Stafford and Edwin w. Law
renee of the firm Lawrence, Lawrence &
Stafford argued for Miss Dyer, in oppo
sition to the setting aside or reduction Of
the amount awarded her by the jury
Miss Dyer sued Mr.. Labor for damages
of $4,000 alleging that they became en-
gagged to be married in 1902 and that she
had waited for him to fulfill this promise
until the fall of 1918 when he was mar
! ried to Miss Margaret Sullivan. Miss
Dyer claimed that she had been waiting
lor him all those years and that she
gave up her scholars as a music teacher.
Mr.. Lalor was proprietor of the Hotel
| Bardwell for a number of years.
| Attorneys for the defendant claimed
/ that the verdict was entirely out of pro-
portion with the amount of wealth proved
as possessed by Mr. Lalor, who they
claimed was worth between $4,000 and
100000 at the outside Attorney Weber
cited many cases and stated to the court
that in only three cases in the country
were verdiets of an equal or more amounts
sustained and in these he cited extenu-
ating circumstances such as seduction or
other similar injustices to the injured
party.
He said that the largest verdict ever
| awarded in the state finally went to the
supreme court once being cut by the low
er court and the case was finally settled
without being re-heard, the verdict at
this time being $1,000 Attorneys for
Mr. Labor claimed that Miss Dyer could
not recover for any suffering she might
have had for none such was proved. She
originally agreed to wait until Mr. Lalor
had completed his ambitions and she had
not objected to the plan during the many
years of their courtship. She did not
claim that she had ever been stunned by
her friends
) Attorneys for the plaintiff claimed that
there was suffering ON the part of the
plaintiff who was forced to see the home
of comfort and even luxury go to the
hands of another, even after the many
years of promises of Mr. Ialor
1t is claimed by counsel for Miss Dyer
t that the only Rutland county case
: which afforded comparison as to the Just
ness of the amount was case in which
! the plaintiff was awarded Si,l00 this at
t forwards being cut by the court to 5000
l In this case eie defendant was shown tt
: be worth hut $1,000 and as percentages &c
G it was claimed that the verdict of 800, 00(
! in the Lalor case was not excessive.
j Decision was reserved Many case.
were cited by both sides in the case anC
E these will be taken under consideration
t by the court.