The Weekly Journal. — 1904-12-23 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

DAMAGES FOR THR LADY. William McCarthy a ship's engineer. residing at Campbell Sheet, Bootle, was the defendant in a breach of promise cams heard at Carnarvon yesterday. before Mr H. Lloyd Carter, Under-Sheriff, The plaintiff, a pre ,f 21, was Annie Davies, and she lives at i .;;norwic. She was tastefully dressed, and app .d in court wearing a smart white eilk blouse and a picture Eat. Mr J. T. Roberts told the jury that she met McCarthy in May last year. He 116111 at that time an engineer on the steam yacht Marguerite, cruising in the Menai Straits, and had been for some time chief engineer in one of Messrs Mclver'. boats. He promised to marry Mims Davies in September, but the ceremony was put off from time to time, but was eventually fixed for January last. McCarthy represented himself to be a man of mean., and said that he was possessed of £9OO, and that his mother was welLeff. AA he was her only son it was reasonable to expect that he would become the possessor of his mother'. property. The young lady, therefore, thought she was going to make a very good match, but, unfortunately, ahe was the possessor of a secret. She determined before marriage to communicate this secret to her lover, but when he became aware of it he abruptly broke off the engagement. The girl grieved so much about it, however, that he renewed the engagement. A great many letters passed between them, but tl.ere was no date to them. In the first letter which Mr Roberts read the defendant accused the girl of deceiving him with regard to the secret. "It pains me very much, dear Annie," he wrote, " for I love you with all my heart; but you have brought it all upon yourself. If you had told me the truth at first all would have been forgiven. It is now tee late; you have broken my heart. If anything happens you are to blame. Put the ring and my photo in the fire. This is the last letter you will get from me." For all that, it was not the last letter, for a considerable time later he wrote another saying he was sorry she grieved so much; but "Never mind. I forgive you all, and love you as much as ever. Let bygones be bygones. There is it pleasant time in store for us yet. We must forget that we ever had this trouble. From your own dear love." 1 he next letter was of a more formal character, and it said: "Just received yours. My reason for not writing was that I was advised to enter a speculation, which has gone wrong, rad I have lost all. It would he too long for you to wait until I gather enough to get married, so will release you from your engagement. _ As n matter of fact, observed Mr Roberta, the man wanted to release himself.  i The next chapter in the history was the , serving of the writ—sr difficult task, which I took much time. said Mr J. T. Roberts, for the dclendant could never be found at berme. Mlss Davies then went into the witness box cry! ',imported counsel's opening statement. She added that the defendant had told her that his WENS were -CA a month. He was not ;-ati%fied with the engagement rings sold at Peat Dinorwio—they were not good enough— : am] he went to Liverpool to purchase one for • her. She had spent about stlfi in preparing for the wedding. Defendant's solicitor said he bad received a letter from McCarthy regretting his inability to attend because he suffered from Bright's disease. and did net poess a shilling in the , norld. _ _ _  Mi Davie*. He told me that he was very and that he had never taken a bottle of n.edirine in his life.  The Solicitor: The letter goes on to say: "I have been compelled to pawn my watch and chz. in and some of my clothing. There is nothing before me but the workhouse or suicide. Why Miss Davies carries on this prosecution I don't know." The jury awarded £3O damages.