A BRUTE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 84, 20 November 1872, Page 2

A BRUTE.

The proceedings iv the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, disclosed one of the most paiut'ul stories that have disgraced the auuals of JXelsou. In a few words, a German, whose real name appears to be Diedrieh, though he goes by the name of Blecher, as her betrothed lover seduced a youug girl of German descent, a native of Riga, who was there earning an honest living by her industry. Everyone who knows anything of the customs of JNorth Germans, is aware that betrothal is almost as formal and irreversible a ceremony with them as marriage itself. He decoyed her to London, where he went through the pretence of a marriage, which the poor girl iv her ignorance of the laws of a strange land, supposed to be valid. She has conducted herself, as the evidence adduced by Blecher himself proves, with the utmost propriety since she has been here, supposing herself married. The scoundrel in a fit of jealousy, real or pretended, has turned her out of doors with his three children, and had to be sued for their maintenance. Though the Magistrate has ordered the highest sum he can, we believe, for each child, and declared this to be the most " heartless and utterly shameful case " within his experience, justice is most imperfectly satisfied. Probably, however, at this distance, and with foreigners to deal with, nothing can be done to punish the feigned marriage, or even to recover damages for the breach of promise and seduction. Possibly nothing but barren sympathy can be offer-ed to the victim, but one is tempted for once to regret that the village horsepoud is not among the institutions we have brought to our adopted country. With a certain refine ment of villany Mr. Blecher has sought to justify his ruffianism by absurd imputations, not justified by a shadow of evidence, of unfaithfulness on the part of the unhappy victim of her own trustful affection and his unmanly cruelty.