MILLIONAIRE AND GIRL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 134, 13 July 1914, Page 5

MILLIONAIRE AND GIRL.

BREACH OF PROMISE SUIT. Miss Mae Sullivan, daughter of a former registrar of deeds in New York City, was plaintiff in a suit for £45,000 damages, against Mr Arthur J. Hoe, son of the late Mr Bobert Hoe, the famous printing press manufacturer, wrote the New York correspondent of the '' Daily Mail" last month.

Soon after the girl took her seat in the Supreme Court Mr Hoe entered with his wife on his arm. Mrs Hoe gazed curiously at Miss Sullivan as she told the court a long story of how the. young millionaire asked her to marry him, spent £IO,OOO on her, and finally confessed he was a married man with a child six years old. Miss Sullivan, clad in a neat dark blue dress, with a sailor hat, described how she met Mr Hoe and agreed to have tea with him at the Waldorf Astoria.

" Next day, while we were having tea, he said he loved me very much, and asked me to marry him. He painted a picture of the glorious happiness we should enjoy and added that no man had more wealth than he to lavish on a beautiful young woman as he had just inherited £1,600,000." At their next meeting he bought furniture for £BOO and rented an expensive flat. Shortly afterwards he left her, explaining he was obliged to go to England to settle his father's estate, adding that if she wanted a motor car he would foot the bill. "I BECAME HYSTERICAL."-

"He gave me £I6OO for the ear," Miss Sullivan continued, "and a friend bought the car, for which he paid £4OO. The friend refused to give me change and Mr Hoe, when he returned, declined to demand the return of the money, fearing publicity.' ' Miss Sullivan described how in the next few months Mr Hoe gave her presents worth £IO,OOO and repeatedly renewed his promise to marry her but never fulfilled it. In February, 1912, he confessed he was a married man. "I became hysterical," she said. "He then informed me that if I promised never to bring an action against him he would give me £2OO a week for life and make a will so that if he died I would receive £10,400 a year for life." The plaintiff explained that the action was for breach of promise and for damages due to the fact that Mi' Hoe attempted to have her donlared insane. She admitted that she signed the following:—"This is to certify that I met Arthur Hoe a year ago and told him of my poverty; that I was an orphan, and he helped m•, I have ruu up large bills against him. He paid the bills because I told him there would be publicity if the bills were not paid.'* The plaintiff said that all these statements were untrue; while she was debating whether to sign or not Mr Hoe dangled £6OO banknotes before her eyes and she signed. Counsel for Mr Hoe said the millionaire informed Miss Sullivan at their first meeting that he was a married man, and philanthropically offered to relieve her privations.