LOVE IN A STUDIO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13396, 26 January 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

LOVE IN A STUDIO.

PHOTOGRAPHER'S SIX LETTERS A DAY FROM HIS MANAGERESS. The story of a photographer's love affair with his manageress was told at Leeds Assizes on December 14. when Miss Annie Elizabeth Fleck was awarded £250 damages against Mr. Warner Got hard for breach of promise of marriage.

Miss Fleck was in Mr. Gothard's employ as his Leeds manageress for ten years. Seven years ago he proposed marriage and was accepted. In January, 1901, the couple were summoned to the death-bed of Miss Fleck's' father, and Mr. Gothard then, said counsel for the plaintiff, promised to behave honourably to Miss Fleck. Later in the same' year, however, he became involved in the affiliation proceedings brought by a, young lady in his employ at Barnsley, and an order was made against him.

Miss Fleck decided to continue the engagement, and up to 1905 she wrote him numerous letters, although still in his employ, and still held out hopes that marriage would take place. She bought furniture and a wedding dress, in which she was photographed. The extreme intimacy existing between the two made matters worse.

There was no question, said counsel, that thev were generally regarded as beintr engaged.

Miss Fleck said in evidence that when proposing Gothard said lie did not want Flint, a young man employed in business, to have her. He told her she was the only woman besides his mother he had ever kissed, and since then they had been continually in each other's company.

Miss Fleck's mother, in evidence, said Mr. Oothard had promised to marry her daughter-as soon as he got his people settled.

In his defence Mr. Oothard said it was quit untrue that he had ever promised marriage to Miss Fleck. Tie said there were times when she did not appear to be herself.

The Lord Chief Justice, in summing up, said the case was a strange one. The defendant kept the plaintiff in his employ until 1905, although she was bringing charges of an unpleasant character against him. It seemed significant that he kept her in his service while she was annoying him by writing six letters a day to him.