AMUSING IRISH BREACH OF PROMISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMUSING IRISH BREACH OF PROMISE.

At the Cork Assizes an action fyr breach of promise of marriage was concluded, in which the plaintiff was a widow named O'HaHqran, a publican, and the defendant a Limerick pawnbroker named Kyan. Mr. John Ryan, the defendant, was examined by his counsel (Mr. D. B. Sullivan.) Hβ deposed he lived at 23, Patrick-street,. Limerick, and had a pawnbroker's establishment in DenmarkBtree.t. He was fourteen years in business. Ho. married: in 1863, and had five children, the eldoat of whom was sixteen yeara. JEtis

wife, died on the. 23rd November, .1881. His mother also was alive, and lived on Charlotte Qa»y. He knew the plaintiff's husband; he died in September last at LisdoOD varoa. He was in the habit of going to their iouse both before his death and afterwards. He was gqing on in irHt way until. th* 28th of April, and up to that time had been drinking wine, into which she uind to put whisky From that date out he used to drink whisky, and had been in the habit of. getting drunk. He w.aa in the habit Of remaining in the house Until eleven and twelve o'clock at night. The first reference to marriage between them waa on the -2nd May. Previous to that she. used to be laughing and joking with him about setting married. One morning she aeked him if it was true he was going to. be married. " And u I was," said I, " what harm would it bj ?" To that she said nothing, but mentioned a young, lady's name. He kaew h was an invention of hers for the purpose of getting him to say something to her. She said saS thought he would never g-.-t married again, and she said she; also would never get married. (Laughter.) He was in the b*r on the Jnd oi May, and she invited him and her brother upstairs. She played th» piano, and after that they played cards. A bottle of wine was brought up by her brothel-, and he (defendant) drank the -whole Of it before h« left She commenced the cuurting business in a, chafliag sort of way. She said she would marry, and, said he, "Suppoein* she would marry a man like me." Sue said she would, and then lie told her he would marry her, bat that he should first coasuk his mother and hisdaughtqr, and if they approved of it the matter wonld be all tight. She said very well, and that she would be able to provide for her children. He slid he would settle what moaiy he had on his children, lhen she said something about goir.g away on the honeym.,bn. (Laughter.) He said, 1 " VYe 11 talk atout that afterwards. I dpn't care about much, demonstration over the business, and Would like ta do it quietly." (Laughter.) After that he went in the eveaiu.K to tell his mother, but did not' See her till day. His mother and dau-hter did uofc approve of the marri.vgf) at all. His. daughter said if tie married Mrs. O'Halloran she (the daughter). woulJ leave the house and earn her bread a3 b-sfc she could. His [ mother said to him when he told her of the j matter, "Sure, you would not marry thai; person that so recently buried hur husband, and just after having a baby. She is not a per-on that would suit you. She ie rather gay. She would not ma;ch yon at all. If yod were a poor man maybe'she would.nOt thick of euch a thing. I'll never consent to it." He saw the plaintiff that eveuing, but did not tell her of this until the next diy. She said a good deal of things about the matter which he voaid rather not mention, amongst them being that she would make a very nice little step-mother—(laughter)— and that she would treat the children better .han they were treated before. He went to Dublin on the sth May and returned en the 10th. He had been drinking all this time, and on the advice of Father O'Dwyer he went to Mount Mellar.vy On the 30th May. He returned on the 4th. June, and he saw posters up about the town stating that Mrs. O'Halloran was going to sell her place. Be Was very much surprised, and when passing her door her brother called him in. He went upstairs at her request, and the door of the drawing room Waa opened. There was nobody there but herself at th« time, and she threw herself upon his fleck outside the door.; He relieved himself of her—(laughter) —and she did not seem quite pleased about it, and said h<j was very cold. (Laughter.) He said in : reply to that he was after coming from.tbe chapel tliat morning, and. that he should be 'circumspect, and that he did not Want any of her caresses. (Laughter.) That! was the last day he was in her house or spoke to her.-.-■lShe.sent him a m.te f> come to see her,,pn|tJtie,.Sth., ; June,.buE. ha did not go. l!i k, ; wajs,.:jtrub>ff tha 6 ".he danced at her h6use;.?aud;C; ; ?kis3ed'. her ■■■ often, but the dunimg|:Va3'? : Hho ■'-result'".'of drink, he presumed:-.-.- : Asf t6;"the selling of her house 'and*.business', he'never advised her to do so?: He nf ten heard her say aho waa going to give up the hou-e and go to live iu another, street, as her business there was going down. The" witness was then crossexamined by Mr. O'Brien, Q.C : Did yon kaow what you were about when you promised to marry her V—Well, I was rather merry. : Did you state at the time thab you were in receipt of £600 or £SOO a year ?— No. Did you ever state anything to that.effect?— No, Is that a falsehood on her part ? -Yes ; n perfect falsehood on her part, on the part of the bard, and Of her brother. They are all perjuring themselves in that statement?— Undoubtedly. She pur, according to you, whisky into your wine ?—Well, I did not see her, but I would swear she pute'ther whisky or brandy into it. ■ It > occurred more than once,' and my belief is that it Was doue with a view to make me merry. (Laugh'er.) Was it not in order to soften the way for y<-ur proposals?—l daresay it was something like that.' She was always trying to make love to you?— Yes. ' In fact, she was the pursuer, and jon were the pursued ; is not that it, my bny'—Perfectly right, sir. (Laughter.)- jfjiii you ever get your | holograph tak-n, may I ask?—Yea.' s ' I never gave my photograph tn her ; it must be her husband got it four years ago. "'Did'youSever , give her your photo* graph'' that I rem-mber. .Did you ever, give her a Jittle ornamental key tor a watch ?—No." Did she s?n t them back ? did;"' When did yon give them to : t0.;..h0r?.-^I-' ; d-id !not give them to her. She tobk'them from me in the presence of that man , -there.': 5 ? (Gr. at laughter.) Ons day in i the bar she; asked me- for my watch- ' key to wind her watch. „. I gave it hsr. It was so trifling IViid not think about asking her for it afterwards... Did you get her phqI did, an , ] it was since this thing ; commenced 1 too: , ":- (The. witness here cOmraenc'd, tothegfeatamusementofallincourt, to eearch his numerous pockets for the photograph, which he failed to tind. Whil« so engaged he remarked meditatively, " I ought to have some.of.the bard's poetry about me, . too.") When you dame from Melleray she threw herself upon you—didn't she?— Yea. She put her arms round your beautiful person? (Laughter.)— Yes. "Oh. my own darling John," said she. and she kissed you ? —(Laughter ) —That is not it. Now, my innocent man, -what Used you. call her ?—Never anything but Mrs. O'Halloran. (Laughter). Used you to call her "My own little Madge ?'' (Renewed laughter. never asked me to call her " Madge." Did you never call her your own love ? (Laughter.)— Never. DM you ever kiss her ?—I did. (Loud laughter.) When you were kissing her did you kiss her more than once ?-=-! did ; twice. (Laughter.) Counsel—Twice altogether* Ah! weren't yon smacking her every hour in the day ? (Great laughter.)—Oh, you, should give' her some time to attend to customers. (More laughter.) How often dH you put your arm round her waist! (Laughter.)—l: couldn't tell you. How often did you squeeze her hand!— She oftetier kissed me and squeezed my hand, (Renewed Laughter.) And when you were smacking her iii that way did you say, "Now Mrs. O'Halloran, let me kiss you?" (Laughter.) Is it now j. —Not exactly. (More laughter.) Did you ever call her " Maggie never called her by her Christian name in my life. You were ' the pursned, and shq was the pursuer. On your oath was she constantly kissing you against your will ? (Laughter.)— Certainly not, Wasit.abouthalf-and-half?--I suppose so. (Laughter.) Did you ever call her your own darling ? (Laughter,)— Never, Never said a word about love at all?— She often asked me if I loved her, and I said I did not. (Laughter.) On your oath did you promise to marry her?— Certainly not I told her I could never love anyone a?t P r the death of my wife, but I told her th»t I could reapppt her. The jury returned a verdict for tho plaintiff, with £250 damages.