Wicked 'Make-up' By Three Sisters

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 300, 18 December 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

Wicked 'Make-up' By Three Sisters

A 34-YEAR-OLD artist's model alleged, in the King's Bench DivisidVi, that a 67-year-old company director had broken his promise to marry her. Miss Marie McCarthy claimed damages from Mr. Cyril Asplan Beldam. Mr. Beldam denied the promise, and pleaded that at all material times Miss McCarthy knew he was married. He was described by counsel as by no means "a weak old man, but a man who prided himself on liis physical condition/' Mr. E. G. Hemmer-ie, X.C., for Miss McCarthy, said she had three sisters. Mr. Hemmerde described how Miss McCarthy met Mr. Beldam at the house of her .sister, Mrs. Noble (then Mrs. Saxton) in IO2S. Until 1934 they were casual friends. Then Miss McCarthy met him at Chando* Court. Buckingham Gate, where Mrs. Ghiick, another sister, was living. He told her of the death of his wife in South Africa, and from that time he began to pay her very great attention. "They were constantly about together at hotels, restaurants, and theatres." said Mr. Hemmerde. "He was constantly telephoning her—sometimes three or four times a day—and telegraphing her. "On October 18, 193."), which she remembers because it was the date of a ball at the Dorchester, she and Mr. Beldam were at her sister's flat at Chandos Court when Mr. Beldam said: 'Marie I have something serious to sayto you, I want you to marry me.' "Miss McCarthy was rather surprised. She was very fond of him and afterwards became very much in love with him.

I He entertained only a few quiet people for dinner and bridge. He had one eir. He was popular anion;; the (11 ill people, but never went round with the -tar.-. ) Hi- closest friend wa< the late A 1 Honsberjr. pajrman for the Marx brothers, and -lack Hcimy. Factor worked hard and produced one fairly pood film. "Daniel Boone." star- 1 rinji C-eorpe O'Brien, and several poor smaller films. Then lie told Ills associates that he did not like the film business. '1 he chief reason for his dislike was that he did not make money. So he shut up his house, dismissed the servants. sold his car and tlew hack to his lavourite town. Chicago, and his favourite business- stocks and shares.

"They went to th e Hyde Park Hotel ' where they met one of the other sifters ! and they had cocktails. Mr. Beldam ' said to the other sister, 'I have asked Marie to marry me.'"" They then returned to Chandos Court and Miss McCarthy put; on her ball dress to show it to Mr. Be.Vdam, because he had said he could not< go to the ball i that night as he was in - mourning. A week later he callod again at the ' flat and said, "Well, whait' are you going | to do?" Miss McCartVhy said, "All ! right, Bobby. I will ma,try you." He was going to South .Africa towards the end of November and it was sug- . gested that when they were married ! they should live in South Africa. He j said he understood that Sir Abe Bailey's house was for sale and would try ' to buy it. Mr. Beldam said he was- going to make a marriage settlement of £50.000 on her. He said to Miss McCarthy. "We will marry at Easter, 19.»7, and we will have our honeymoon ;it Monte Carlo." He never gave her a ring. He treated 1 her, however, with the greatest generosity, giving her a great deal o.f money. He began to speak about the difficulty of seeing her at her sister's houseywliere there were always a lot of people, and suggested that she should take a flat away from her family. She took a flat in Mayfair (\ourt. Mrs. Ghiick remonstrated, but .Mr. Beldam said: "What's wrong about X.it? Vt c are going to get married." Miss McCarthy was a woman who never had an affair of any sort witte-.a man. She was in love with Mr. Beldaan and trusted him. j She had no sooner got installed in th* t flat than what her sister no doub\i ( feared happened. According to Miss McCarthy, on the ( very first evening Mr. Beldam seduced ' her. and on several occasions during the fortnight before he sailed for 1 i South Africa had relations with her. |

Mr. Beldam sailed for South Africa on November 20. and tie Tore leaving he gave her £">OO in note-. Oil February 13. 193 i',. he wrote: — "I am indeed a lucky fellow in all ways, don't you think so? Lucky in one way tor having ,-ucli a darling little pal as Marie. lake care of your daintv little self. . . At the end of January Miss McCarthy had moved to Prince's'date Court, and on May 4 Mr. Beldam returned to England. ~ Mr. Hemmerde pointed out that in June he was writing to make a luncheon appointment with Mrs. Noble, and r-av-ing. "How exciting it will be after all these months to see my darling littic pal and to resume our pleasant chats after lunch." At that time Miss McCarthy had not the faintest knowledge that the man who was engaged to her was seeing hoi sister at all. In the summer of 103 ii Miss McCarthy had an accident when her taxi collided with a lorry. Mr. Beldam gave he; £2.i0 to go to fJermany for treatment and wrote to her while -lie vvas there in a number of leitprs- —

Liked "My Little Pal In The Pink " "It i« a]vvay s so nice to sep my In tic pal in the ]>i 11k. On your rptnrn you say I iim-t 3< ><>k fur you in tile brown. "You »»111 ~t .-I'iul mo a picture o' your lowly figure—in a bathing c-uit. as -<-:inty as f »<>?— i 1 ilo. Naughty Bobby I Don't you think >o?" When Mis= McCarthy came back Mr. Beldam gave her £100 to celebrate her birthday on August •">. • Towards the end of that month she told him she thought she was going to become a mot her. | '"He laughed. ' said Mr. Hemmerde. I "and then >aid: 'That's all right. 1 always wanted to have a child by my tir-t marriage, and if it is a boy 1 hoiie be will he a cricketer.'"* Mr. Tlemmerde said he gathered that Mr. Beldam had been a cricketer of some eminence and was known to the Midd! p~ex County team. | On Ins advice Miss McCarthy consulted a doctor at St. George's Hospital. She ] did not tell defendant about her coni dition until September l(i. | \\ hen Miss McCarthy heard the true position and that Mr. Beldam wa.s niarj ried. she wa.s completely crushed. | Mr. Beldam, added Mr. Hemmerde. said Miss McCarthy was his mistress I and that lie paid her £3So. an average i of about £20 a visit. Sir Patrick Hastings. K.C. fcrossi examining! : Have you and your sisters for months past been arran-nn" this case?— No. Sir Patrick Hastings: Do you know that your sister Margot. sitting at the back of the Court, cent to this gentleI man (pointing to the solicitor's "table >

1 a piece of paper 'which purported to be a proof given by the sister sitting here (pointing to Mrs. Gluick) in which it is <zoing to he alleged that the defendant had tried to procure an illegal operation I upon tou. that she was proposing to go Jo the Director of Public Prosecutions and to say so in Court if tie case came on. "T know nothing about it," cried Miss McCarthy. j Mr. Justice Charles: You are quite j sure about it ? j Mis* McCarthy did not reply, j Continuing his cross-examination, Sir Patrick said: "It is my painful duty to suggest that you three sisters are Tery naughty young women." | "01. how could you?" sobbed Miss McCarthy. Sir Patrick: Don't cry yet. Did you think your publicity agent was coming into Court ? Did he tell you that von would make thousands of pounds and dollar* out of lilm contracts from the publicity in this case?—Xo. I have been begged and implored to give a statement to the papers, but I would not do it. 1 '"I suggest." Sir Patrick continued, that the lir>t time Mr. Beldam visited you was on October 18. 193-Vand on that date you suggested to him that he should have relations with vou?" ! "Oh!" exclaimed Miss McCarthy. "It isn't true.'' i Sir Patrick: lam suggesting that this is a wicked make-up between these three sisters to get money out of this man. Mr. Justice Charles: It is called by another name—blackmail. "Money never entered into it,"* dedared Miss McCarthy. Sir Patrick: You are three clever sisi tors. scheming adventuresses, three dangerously clever women. j "At an interview," Sir Patrick asked, I when later cross-examining Mrs. Gluick. I "were you prepared to swear that Mr. Tie Ida ni made a suggestion to you and _\\ou said: "\ou deserve to be put into the d<v-k at the Old Bailey'? Were tou prepa scd to go into the box to swear that?*'

! '"I am going to swear it* now,"' -was the reply. • Sir Patrick": Couldn't you jhave gone Ito little innocent Marv Ann and said. ""Darling, don't wreck your lit'?. Why. that old gentleman ha- relations with darling Margot;"* Wouldn't t Viat haw gone a long way to stop it ?—I < ould | have said it. J Couldn't you have said: "Think of poor Margot. who lias ] );i <l all thi- iioiicv out of him. Don't throw v our life avv a v on the old gentleman who. after all.few ill f>e .O in a couple of years?"—Marielhad always believed the as-o< -tat iofSjiet \ TfNMI Mr. Beldam anil Margot wa- ti iend- '.ip. and 1 Wi-hed her view to remain at l) :il. Why didn't lou -a v : "Don't w n k your life for i-randfat iter, because that> what lie i- ju-t li"'k at bin:!'' —I he is very st rikiugdooking. Sir Patrick, ojiening tlie ca-e for Mr. Beldam, told the jury: "I am not to put him before you a- a man of morals. He ha- behaved extraordinarily badly. 1 .tit th ; s is not a court of morals. Tlics.- three si-ters have jiut their )n .<1- i" .get her to rob him. There is not a word of truth in their story. This idea of marriage never entered the head of an v one.

"1 his woman. Margot. was a woman with win.in he had lived for some time. .Tins sort of thing i- reprehensible, but it ha- happened before and will go cm happening until the end of time. "She has gone ou cheating him for years, and got a linal sum of £].~>o from him, on parting, a- a wedding present. Received Letter Within A Week "Within a month lie got a letter from Mary Ann saving: "Will you come and see me ?" "He went and -aw her. and from tlu.t time lie u-ed to lunch with her. Then he u-ed home with her between ." p.m. and ."i p.m. and have relationwit h her. ju-t as it happened witu Ma rgi >t. "He paid her. 1 don't mean to sav be paid her .-a-h down. liut thev knew he v\ as generous. " 1 here isn't an element of a breach of promise of marriage. There i-n't a letter, except tlie sort of letter that a -illy old man might write to his mistress."' Approving the jury's decision not to heai Mr. Beldam s evidence, the itnlne said: j "'This case was no more than a c>n ; spiracy by the three women to extort ; money from the defendant. ' "I shall consider whether it i- not my duty to report the matter to the Director of Public Prosecution*. ""It is a fortunate tiling that a jury of ladies and gentlemen hate seen through a fraudulent attei.-.pt. "I will con-idcr "hat steps I will take. ! to put a period, if possible, to the • | vities of th.se three dangerous v.onien. j Di-missing the suit, be awarded Mr. j Beldam costs.