Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1888-08-18 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

ADDING INSULT TO IN.TURY.  An action has been tried before 3kfr...histice Wills and a common jury at the Birmingham assizes, in which Miss Mary Elizabeth! Parish, milliner's assistant, of West Bromwich, sought to recover damages from a gastube worker, named Parkes. Defendant admitted the promise,but sought to justify the breach on the ground that after it was made the fad, became intemperate and addicted to the use of immodest expressions. Damages were laid at 1:200. The parties had known each other from childhood. They were 'engaged eight years,and counsel for the plaintiff urged that the defence constituted an aggravation of Parke's cenduct in discarding his client.—Miss Parish,a lady of 27 years of age, gave evidence, stating that the defendant began to pay her attentions many years IWO, and in 1878 he made her an offer of marriage, which she accepted. About two years later he induced her to resign her situation as a milliner's assistant, and to start business on her own account. The business proved unremnnerative. Defendant's family—the lady members of it—looked upon their engagement with diafe.vour.—Parlts, ih his evidence, stated that once when he visited Miss Parish at her shop he found her with a novel in her hand and a quart jug of ale on the table. He complained to her of having too much drink. She smelt,,he said onee, like a man who had been drinking,all day. They quarrelled over this question of beer. After he accused her she would run to the cupboard whenever he came as if to hide something. Shortly before her father died she sent for him on the pretence that she was ill. He went to the shop, and found her lying at full length on two chairs vomiting beer. Once, after defendant NM her the worse for liquor, she observed, "So you've came, have you ? " He said " Yes," and she replied: "Then you had better go back again, because I don't want you." They walked along in the direction of her home, and on the way she called him all the scamps, rogue's, and vagabonds she could lay her tongue to. She also disparaged his mother and sisters in most offensive language. He told her if she repeated the calumnies he would strike her. She repeated them, and he struck her; but she would not let him go until he had promised to see her the next night. He kept his promise, and plaintiff again insulted his mother and sisters, and in consequence he left her. She refused to go to his sister's wedding, saying she wouldn't "be seen in a pig race with any of the family."—Cross-examined, the defendant said he was now engaged to a lady who had Lad an illegiti. mate child. He knew of the plaintiff's fondness for drink before he promised to marry her. Several witnesses were called to depose to plaintiff's intemperate habits, among them being two girls who had worked for her, and who said they left because of her loose and tipsy habits. On behalf of the plaintiff rebutting evidence was called, Miss Parish herself denying the imputations against her of drunkenness and immodesty in her language. Sh• was subject to fits, and the defendant had sympathised with her in her affliction. A number of witness deposed that they had never hear ,1 the plaintiff use immodest language or seen her 2--unk.—The jury, after long deliberation, awarded the plaintiff £6O damages.  The execution in .0... inn, I II•••• •Aney, ago(' 31, for the murder of hie wife at Chesterfield on July 12, took place in Derby Gaol on Friday moniing. The convict paased a good night and slept soundly until aroused this morning. He afterwards ate a 1 .1 breakfast and walked firmly to the scaffold. was the executioner, and he gave the prisoner a OIL_ rope death being instantaneous. The prisoner hts @fay ia isol expressed great penitence for ' and Nig e4aatted the justick al tas •