THE GOOCH BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 37, 12 February 1910, Page 15

THE GOOCH BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

(Br MAX ADELER.) Probably yon have never head of the facts ln the famous Gooch breach-of-pro-mhse case? I don't vouch for them; I merely give them as they have come to mc. It seems that Thomas Hay had been engaged to be married. to Miss Julia Gooch, but bed given her np and gone off and married a woman who was worth over hoJf-a-mDlßlon dojjare. The money, '«£ course, was the attraction; but nobody understood how he could have gone back on Julia even for such an inducement, and I do not comprehend It myself, for it would appear from the sequel that she was the most beautiful and fascinating woman that ever appeared in this vicinity. However, Julia determined to be revenged, and she sued Mr. Hay for breach of promise, laying her claim for damages at £2000.

On tbe day of the trial she came into court with her veil down, and, while her lawyer was laying her grief before the Jury, nobody paid particular attention. After a while she came on the witnessstand and began to testify. Then she took off her veil, and the effect was wonderful. The attorney for the defence fell ln love with her at the first (lance, and, when he came to cross-examine her, he asked her questions which helped her to make out Mr. Hay to be the hardest-hearted scoundrel on the continent. When his turn came to speak, instead of assisting Ills client, he put ln a strong plea for Julia, and said that If the Jury didn't give her at least £3000, they would deserve the contempt of every honest man. Then he Bent a Uttle note to Miss Gooch, asking her to be his. In the meantime, the clerk of the court went over to see her, and proposed to her nnder pretence of asking her full name. The foreman of the Jury saw what was going on, and winked at her not to give a decisive answer until tie could ret out of the box to tell her of his love; and he sent her his card, with a memorandum to the effect that If she would hold off he would get the jury to give her £4000 damages. And all the other Jurymen also winked at her, and the whole of them lumped oat of the box and proceeded to propose to Julia in chorus.

Julia's own attorney had intended to pop as soon as the trial was over, but he was alarmed at the way things were going, and so he polled away a Juryman named Smith, and shouted to Miss Gooch not to pay any attention to xhese fellows until he could speak to her confidentially. Then Smith became mad that he was Interrupted Just as he was about to get an answer, and he smote the lawyer on the nose, whereupon the lawyer turned to Julia with a pathetic look, and asked her to gaie on his nose, and see how It could bleed for her.

Of course, the Judge was Indignant at these breaches of decorum, and, after demanding order in the court, he requested Julia to take a seat by him, so that Bbt would be safe from this unpleasant persecution. She did so, and the first tnnj the Jndge eald to her was:

"I love you to distraction. Say you'll be mine! Oh, Julia! I cannot live without you, darling—(silence ln the courtl) —but if you win accept mc, I wIU love yon more ardtently—(Mx—Jraes, compel that Juryman to take his «eatl) —than man ever loved woman before. 1 wnl make you—(Mr Wamsley, proceed with your argument, sir; don't stare at mc in that manner!) —the happiest woman in the country. Will you have mc?"

Then the lawyera aald -that they were willing to rest their cases, and the Judge •began to instruct the Jury. He made a strong argument for Julia, and said among other things that it was nonsense to. talk about less than £10,000 in a case like this. The Jury gave a verdict without leaving their seats for £12,000, and each of them screamed at Miss Gooch that he was the man that fixed that figure, while the foreman climbed down and tried to get up at the Judge's platform to explain that he wanted to make it £14,000, but the others' wouldn't let him. But the Jndge knocked him off with a volume of "Chitty on Evidence." Then Mr Hay arose and said that since the trial began he had found that all bis old love for Miss Gooch had rekindled in his bosom, and If the court would grant him a divorce he would marry her on the spot. But the Judge said the court would die first; and he tried to lead Julia home, but the lawyers and the Jurymen flew at him, end said they wouldn't permit It, . Then he fined all of them a hundred dollars apiece for contempt of court, and ordered them to be Imprisoned until It was paid.

Then he emerged with Julia, while the Jurymen blew kisses at her, and when the two reached the Gooch mansion they found the Jurymen sitting around in the parlour, waiting for Julia to come in. They had paid their fines on the Spot. The Judge was awful.mad, and while' he was arguing the matter with the crowd, Julia excused herself for a few moments.

She was gone an hour. When she came back she had a young man with her, and she announced that she had been out to consolidate with him. The Presbyterian minister had performed the ceremony.

The Judge said it was an outrage, and the Jurymen wanted to reconsider the verdict. But she got her money, and eight of the Jurymen committed suicide, while Hay's lawyer went Into a monastery and became a monk.

Perhaps this is not exactly true. I only give it as It was reported.