The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1893-12-02 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BREACH OF PROMISE ACTION.  In the Queen's Bench Division, on Tuesday, Mr. Justice Lawrence and a common jury were engaged with the action of Hiscook v. Gridland, which was brought to recover damages for alleged breach of a promise of marriage. —According to the statement of the plaintiff's counsel, his client, Miss Frances Hiscock, was residing at Croydon, and the defendant was a brewer's traveller living at Norwood. The case was not an amusing one, but it was as hard a one as that jury were likely to have before them. The plaintiff was twenty-three years of age, and was a dressmaker, though in time past she had moved in a better position in life. There were, however, circumstances that rendered it necessary for her to leave home, and in autumn last year she carried on her dressmaking business under the name of Miss Hill at Sydenham. In September of that year she found that her steps were dogged by a man who seemed to be a gentleman, and who turned out to be the defendant. On the 29th of that month he spoke to her in the street. He had from her ascertained her name, and on the 30th he wrote to her a letter, dated from "3, Station-roadbuildings, Catford-bridge," and in it he addressed her as " Dear Miss Hill," and asked her to meet him at a railway station at four o'clock, and hoped that she would not disappoint, adding that he would oome from Bromley on purpose. He signed the letter, "Yours very sincerely, "L. Maldial." She did meet him. He said that he was master at the well-known brewery which belonged to Messrs. Nalder and Collyer, at Croydon, and had £250 a year, and that he was deeply interested in a Chancery suit; that he was not rich, but was in a comfortable position. Within three weeks he offered her marriage, and she accepted his offer, though he said that he could not marry until the Chancery suit was settled. She accepted him upon these terms. He said that a house should bs looked out for, and that the furniture should be bought of Messrs. Jones and Higgins, at Peckham. He wrote her many letters, and on November 10 one in which he addressed her as "My Darling Pet," and used various endearing expressions. The intimacy continued until August of the present year, when she found out that he was a married man, that he did not reside at Catford-bridge, but simply had his letters addressed there, that he was not malster at the brewery that he had mentioned, and that his name was not " Maldial," but Cridland. When it was found that the plaintiff was about to be confined he wrote that he would pay the expenses of the affair, but they must not exceed £10; that he would allow her El a week, or more if he could, unless she got married. He proposed to visit her again, but she forbade him, and the present action was brought.—The plaintiff was called to prove her case, and the further hearing was adjourned.  Thomas Brown, a well-known Norfolk prize sheep breeder, was fined on Monday by the Downham magistrates £2O and costs for not reporting the existenoe of sheep scab on his farm in the summer and autumn of this sear. It was stated that 3,000 t-heep are effected in 30 localities. About noon on Monday a shocking accident occurred in the vicinity of the railway station at Llanerchymedd. A goods train was being shunted, and a porter named Ellis was in the act of alighting from the engine, when hi 4 clothing became entangled in the locomotive, and he was hurled under the tender, both his legs being cut off. Ellis is a young man, and newly married. A dead body of a man was found floating on Saturday in a pond on Hampstead-heath, London. It had been in the water several days. He is about 30 years of age, had a double row of teeth in the upper jaw, and on his collar were the words "Mr. Hamlet." _ .  ..... --.—. Frederick Wain, boatman at Worcester Cathedral ferry, committed suicide owing, it is said, to domestic unhappiness.