A LIFE'S ROMANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 8 April 1905, Page 13

A LIFE'S ROMANCE.

WIDOWS BREACH OF FROinSE CASE. LOED TCnTNSHE>~D SITED. T.AirrS SECRET MARRIAGE AT FIFTEEN. : Mrs Evelyn Diana Sheffield, a widow, ) is bringing an action for alleged breach of promise of marriage against John j James Dudley Stuart, the sixth Marquis Townshend. Before Mr Jnstiee Gran- : thorn, and a special jury, Mr Abel Thomas, ; X.C.. had not time to do more than open the case for the plairrtifT. The defendi ant Marquis is represented by ilr C. F. GUI, K.C. Air Thomas said there could be ao quesI den that on September 15. 1003, the dej fendant wrote a letter inviting the lady I to marry him. She accepted verbally. I '-md the marrkige was fiaed for October L One of the defences now was thac she . , was an adventuress, and unfitted to nil I the position of Marchioness Townshend. I Another defence, said Mr Thomas, raising ; ills voice, would be that the lady had j promised to find settlements, and on that '■ounition the offer of marriage was made by the Marquis, who afterwards declared himself entitled to withdraw when sbP i could not bring in enough money. ( s THE CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE. To meet these defences Mr Thomas said j that he would jiive the jury some account of Mrs Sheffield's life. She was a widow. aged forty, two years and two months older ihuu the Marquis, who was i.-orn Iα December. 1566. Her father was Captain Edward lieorge Turner. U.N.. her ■ mother a Spanish lady. Carmen Diana ; l> , Alba, and the plaintiff was beru in CaLrft arj orphan at an early age. the plaintiff was =ent ia 1377 to s:ay in Lowudes-square with a very old friend oi her father's. Sir John Sebright, wh.im she j looked upon as her guardian. I a 1579, I when she was only fifteen, she vras elan- ! destinely married to a Mr Sheffield, a gentleman of independent means, a great j ' sportsman, who sconred all the western I world after big game and big fish. Fie j i was thirty-throe years older thac sse j was. With him ?*lrs Sheffield tmvplled j I through America and Canada and over i : the Rocky Mountains. i This Mr Sheffield was a man of good ! position: one of his sisters was rhe Dowajrer Countess of rie had | J some orange rer>"os in Florida. watTi- he ■ j spent much uf his time, while M"s Shefi iieid made fre<:u»uf visits to England, a!- j j ways returning ro kpr husband wherever i ! he happened to bo. On these visits she I was always welcomed at the house <>t a I Mr Garden, irliu, with P:r John Sebright, ; had been !;?r f:cthiT's i.ld friend. This - gentleman lived ;it Wrench.iiu rial!. Norfolk, and that, said Mr Thomas, bmagut i him to tlit tin--: a.l'.r;rar!i>-n that wou!d be , cade against Mrs Sheffield—that she . been guilry o£ in:pr< prifty with Mr Garden, in spite of die fact that relations of j Mr O:\nirn wer-? always livin™ with him. ! THE Pr.AINTIFr'S FOIiTrXE. Mri Sheffield's husband dii>d <>n Octo- : I her -2. ISSS, and it was found that, al- ' th'ingh he had left her all Id his power I to leave, the L-rc-taiiefi estates passed to ' another branch at his family, nnd Mrs Sheffield <i:J not get back the full ; £11,000, whifh had been her little fortune from her fatter, and wbica her husband had had the uso of during their married i life. ?;nrp she had boon rffptving ' ;!bont £400 a year froai a grent-uncle. Fn \ l!S'.i2 "Mr Ganien und left tbe plain- ! ! tiff n small ■ property valued ar :._ou" : Mr Thomas said that he did uot know j woijli! nrjrpcl ;is oviilen , ** l of improper relations having existed. ![■• ' hirnseli' Thought in the '-:rr-nn!sran<-?s of Mr (Jnrden's old friendship with the plaintiff's father it was (mite a proper Qnveeding. It «•;:>; truv> that M r Garden had nor. boen living with his wife, but "his J i .co rlaushrers hiid been with him. and he (."Mr Thomas , ) thought that the wholo charge was the result of tiuletartle started by a Mrs Nichclls. a cook whom Mrs Sheffield hail out of the wortUoase at Eyre, and whom, said counsel. i Mrs Sheffield had had subsequently to dLsmiss summarily "for not quite playing fair with the accounts." Mr Thomas then moved to the second charge of -impropriety which it was sought to bring asainst the plaintiff. !n ISDTJ she took the Red House, ll<»tttnghatn. Suffolk, where she was visited by all the i woli-known people of the neishbourho/ul. ! including a Mr and Mrs Frank UondalL Mr (jondaU had helped her with advice In buMDfss matters. nnd <-!i;inrPF! were brought nirninst him :in<l her. "Fortunately," said Mr Thomas, "he is still alive , and can hi> calle-l." 'AN ADVENTUHER." ' After being asunfJated in a partnership in a bash establishment in Weibecfe-street. Cavendish Square, the plaintirr in !>»■- rember. 1900, took v>. Basset-road. North Kensington, and in 10<>l became acquainted with two rich Americans, who lived in Pitrk Lane, and whom Mr Thomas proposed lo leave nameless. Tho American 1-itly huil conceived a groat affection for an ;idventtirer who described himself as "Capt:iiu Mordauut." and Mrs Shompld had ronsented to allow "Captain Mordannt" and this American lady to see- one another ac her house. Later on thpse American friends , had invited the "Captaiu" and Mrs Sheffield to join them in Switzerland: But Mrs Sheffield allowed the "Captain"' to go first: yet it would be said by the defence that there had been impropriety , between her and the "Captain" at St. , Moritz. Eventually, the " Captain" was arrested for luggage thefts and sent to \ 1 prison. In Jnne. 1303, Mrs Sheffield and the '< : Marquis met. They went to Richmond ! and Earl's Court together, but. said counsel. Mrs [Sheffield always paid. "No : donbt. they assumed she was a wealthy widow. And as she had been to New , York Lhey imagined that she. li!ie all Americans, was over-running with m«uev." THE ALLEGED PROMISE. j And then on September 15. 1003. came I this letter containing the offer of mar- \ l riage:— Wcodfield Lodge, Streathain, S.W.. September 15. : My dear Mrs Sheffield, —Since I first I i had the pleasure of seeiDg you and en- ! J joying your kindness and hospitality, 1 ! j have not only louLed gladly forward, to ; I every visit I have paid you. but have i i e:\cb time found a friend in you. and | I have now corns to the conclusion that you j are the friend I always needed i J warm-hearted. syniLJathetic, and sincere. : above all! and wul remain so through tit'r , . ; This beiug the ease, I now write to asi if you will do what I am sure win make I i mc a permanently happy man. I assure I j yon, I will do my utmost in return. Will ; yon be my wife? I have thought very much of this, and i I if you consent, I trust it will prove in j j every senae a " _ mess to us both. I I j should be very pleased to see you to-mor-

row (Wednesday), and unless I receive word from you that my coming will be inconvenient to you, I will arrive about one o'clock.—Tours sincerely, TOWXSHEXD. The lady verbally accepted his offer on September IT. He gave her a. ring and ?he gave him a diamond pin from Tiffany's in New Tork with the gold head of a fox with ruby eyes. "And do yon know." said Mr Thomas, with a "he hasn't j returned it yet." At that point the Conrt adjonrfled.