A COCKNEY SPANIARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12225, 21 March 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

A COCKNEY SPANIARD.

THE BROKEN" VOWS OF A "COMIC

OPERA SAILOR."

What seemed like a page taken bodily from a ladies' novelette was unfolded for the delectation of Mr. Justice Darling and a common jury lately. It came before them in the guise of tin action for breach of promise of marriage, brought by a professional pianist, who Had advertised in a newspaper her desire to meet a kindred soul, against the gentleman who replied to the advertisement, saying be was an officer in- the Spanish navy and "a proud Spaniard of the bluest blood in Spain," but was described in Court.as a "comic opera, sailor" and a " transportine cockney." , . Miss Flora Guest Padgham, tue plaintiff, is an attractive-looking girl of twenty-three. The defendant, who was cited in the name of Schael. but signed his letters " Carlos Valencia," did not appear, but entered as a defence that the promise to marry was rescinded bv mutual consent. Mr. Williams, K.C., made the Court laugh by his statement of the plaintiffs case. After her advertisement appeared, said he. she received a reply from the defendant, dated January 14, 1900, fi- m a house in East Dulwich Road. It ran: —

"I enclose two cards—one from my late vessel, the other from my present vessel. I am a Spaniard, in the Spanish —tall, "sft llin, dark, not swarthyconsidered wellmade. lam a, gentleman born and educated, and was on board the Aierete, which was sunk in Manila Bay. lam twentyfive, and I sincerely hope you will grant me an interview. I now hold the post of First Lieutenant. lam 41in round the chest, and a very persevering and determined sort of individual, no matter how dangerous a thing might be to accomplish."

This letter was signed " Carlos Valencia." Miss Padgham replied, and in return received four photographs and a second letter: —

" I am highly proud to say I am a Spaniard and of the bluest blood in Spain. Of looks I will not say anything, but I am 41in round the chest."

Ultimately, said counsel, they met "under the clock" at Victoria Station, and he turned out to be a handsome-looking man. Miss Padgham took him home and introduced him to her mother, and he at once asked her to many Mm.

"My very dear Florrie," he wrote on 'January 28, 1900, " you must take these following words as meant with emotion. I speak these words from my heart, for I am of a very sensitive nature. Any mar. who owns you as his wife ought to he proud. Oh, Miss Florrie, my darling! my love! I send my very best love." Also lie sent her some verses, written and composed bv. himself, and he said, for publication in "La' Heraldo di Madrid. They ran: —

Oh! hid me not from thee' depart. . I will not, cannot leave thee now: Did thy sweet smile not warm my heart, The pangs of life would cease to flow.

When danger circles thy dear form. Thinkest thou I'd turn and flee? No, no, with thee I'll brave the storm, And share its wildest rage with thee! 'And e'en if death thy fate should be, Then let me perish by thy side. Far sweeter thus to die with thee Than live with all the world beside. Thine image ever fills my breast, Wo other form than thine I see. Then what can soothe my aching brain When thou art far away from me?

But, dearest, thy fond heart alone To mine true peace can ever give; And proud to call thee all mine own, , 'Tis but for thee alone I live!

The verses, and the Judge's inquiry, "Is there no chorus?" made the Court laugh loudly. Apparently emboldened by his essays in fiction the defendant invented a wealth of new and picturesque events. One letter. dated February 3, said: — "I am delighted lam pleased, jubilant. I have just heard from Spain that I have been elected vice flag-captain of the best torpedo boat in the Spanish navy. I send you my fondest love and affection. Be good, and remember me always. Take it from me, what I say I mean. I nearly gave my life to Spain; now I give my life to the girl I love. If by any chance you should cease to care for me I don't know what would happen."

" Was he a real sailor?" asked the Judge at this point, and was told that he was nothing of the sort. " A stage sailor, perhaps," suggested his lordship. Counsel went on to describe another of Schael's imaginative stories. He had, he paid in a letter, been invited to the Spanish Embassy, and there became intoxicated. But this was not sc- bad as it might have been, he explained, because the Spanish Ambassador got drunk too. The defendant was, however, reduced from flag-captain to third lieutenant.

"I am not a captain, (he wrote), but a plain third lieutenant. My stripes and medals are taken from me, and my sword with the big gold hanclle is now only a plain steel sword. lam writing to you with a glass of brandy beside me." The degradation ceremony was apparently peculiar. He had to leave the room between two files of twenty attaches, all of whom had their backs turned to him. But there was one consolation. "As I passed out the Ambassador's wife held o&t her hand and said, 'I pity you, Valencia,'"

Mr. Justice. Darling became curious to know if Miss Padgham really believed there would be twenty attaches at the Spanish Embassy, and it appeared from Mr. HumeWilliams' reply that he had strainod her credulity to breaking point. As a result she wrote to the Embassy and learned that Schael, .or Valencia, was not in the Spanish navy. Then she broke off the engagement. Schael threatened to commit suicide, and naively said that he had invented the stories in order the better to engage her affections;. This argument and his opportunities prevailed, and the engagement was renewed, but in July of last year Schael altered his views. He refused to carry out his promise, and tried to get Miss Padgham to return his letters and sign a document promising not to sue him. On her refusal he became violent and so injured her that she was some months in hospital. Counsel added that Schael, who had now left the country, had been an electrical engineer, earning 25s a week.

In one of the letters a sentence was written in Spanish, which led his lordship to say, drily: "The writer is evidently not a Spaniard, or he would not have addressed a lady in the masculine gender." "His French is also nob of the best," eaid counsel, ." He seems to me," said the Judge, "to be a very ordinary transpontine cockney." In corroborating counsel's statement. Miss Padgham mentioned that the defendant said ie had an uncle who was going to leave Eim £60.000. Was Mr. Schael a handsome man? —No; not in appearance. But in his manner he was very fascinating. ' " Handsome is as handsome does," put in LSs lordship. Summing up his lordship said the defendant was the sort of sailor one met with in comic opera, but that was no reason why the jury should enter into the spirit of the thting and give a stage verdict. After deliberation they awarded Miss Padgham £100 damages.