THIRTY YEARS’ WOOING

Evening Star, Issue 20019, 9 November 1928, Page 2

THIRTY YEARS’ WOOING

BREACH OF PROMISE CASE MAN- OF - MANY EXCUSES. Damages to the extent of £I,OOO were awarded by, a jury at Leicester recently against a man who had evaded mar-; riage by making various excuses for thirty years, and finally broke off the engagement. The money was ordered to be. paid to Miss Annie Mills, aged fifty, a small 'shopkeeper, of Leicester, 'as the result -of 'an action- for 'breach' ■of promise she brought against Frank Jesson, aged fifty-three, wheelwright and corn merchant, also of Leicester. Mr C. ,E. Loseby who appeared for Miss Mills, described Jesson as “a man of considerable means, probably worth £10,000.” Counsel spoke of the plaintiff as a rather stupid ■ and credulous woman, who allowed the wedding to be postponed on various pretexts.’ Jes-' son first, courted her in 1897, when eho was twenty, and continued to do so until August Bank Holiday last year., At the wedding of a friend of plaintiff s.. Jesson said : “It will be our turn next.” He said they ought to get married, but his father was rather peculiar, and would cut him out of his will if he did so. Miss Mills then agreed to wait. Marriage was discussed from time to time, and eventually defendant advised Miss Mills to start a “ bottom drawer r and make prepara tions. He sent small things, and also; boxes to put them in. Several presents also cam© from relatives of his.

“DID NOT -BELIEVE IN RINGS." All the articles in the. “bottom drawer,” remarked Mr Loseby, “ were now out of date. After hie father died in 1910, Jesson pleaded that ho ‘did ;not care to leave his sister.” She, however- died in 1917, and he made further excuses: He was repeatedly “ twitted in regard to the “ bottom drawer, 1 • and the marriage ifcast.'was actually discussed. There was no ring, however, because Jessoir said he “ did not believe in rings.”' " ... ' In 1924 Miss Mills’s brother was married, and it. was suggested thaj. defendant should make a double event of it. He answered : “ Annie need not get .worried; we’ll get married all right. Plaintiff thereupon asked him how much lower they were going to walk out together, as after twenty-five years she was‘ beginning to lose patience. Counsel added that Jesson, in breaking off the engagement, had apparently made up bis mind to renew his youth by keeping company with a younger woman. . ... .- ~ Mr Henderson, for defendant, said the defence was that there wae no engagement. ■ Mr Loseby quoted from letters, in which .lesson wrote to Miss Mills : “ Good-night, and God bless you for ever and ever. From your ever-loving Prank.” . .. “ \ thousand kisses. ’ ’ “ With fondest ,love. ( from your loving sweetheart. Frank. “God bless you. I had a good, cry last night when I read your _ letter. Sorry I could not give you a big kies, as I shall do when I see your face.

PLAINTIFF TELLS HER, STORY.

Miss Mills,' » good-looking, wdlbuilt woman, declared in evidence that while they were engaged .lesson was so intensely jealous that he would not allow her' to speak to another man. Defendant declared that he never proposed to Miss Mills. He used to give her Ss a week. Mr Justice Acton : What was that for? , , Defendant: She used to buy some beer for me, which cost about half a crown, and she had the rest for spending mrnov. .

Did you ever have any real affection for her? —No. • Yet in one letter you say it will kill you if anything happens to her. Is that the letter of a liar?—Yes. Mr TiOseby : And at the end of that letter you say, “ God bless you for ever.” Is that hypocrisy ?—-. Yes. In summing up, the judge said that hard things had been said about .lesson, but the hardest was by his: own counsel, who apparently thought his .interest •would be best served by depicting him as a most contemptible person.