SINGER AND HEIRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14853, 2 December 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

SINGER AND HEIRESS.

WEALTHY WOMAN SUED FOR '■•■"•' - 'BREACH OF PROMISE. '■". / /

'• EY,E KISSES."

PORTMANTEAU FULL OF LOVE ' ' LETTERS.

The romantic dallying? of a plump, lady of 40, Miss Helen Smith, daughter .of the late president of the Wall-street Exchange, ■aero described to a tittering public at the Supreme Court of New York (recently v A woman of great wealth, eW was sued for £10,000 damages for breach of promise of marriage by Mr. Russell Urinvold. aged 28. who is at present in the chorus of a vomio opera. He declared thatiiMiss Smith Risked him to marry her three, years ago,unci had now broken off the .engagement utter trifling with his affections. Sho had. ho said, mournfully, destroyed his life*, and lie was not. able to give his .mind to-seri-ous business of any sort. Miss Smith has a son of 14. but divorced lier husband, Mr. Cummins.,four yoars«ago, *nd re-assumed her maiden name.. Griswold, a dapper young man With thin dark hair and pince-nez, wore a suit of black in the witness-box on a mrnt Tuesday, and gave his evidence in funetral tones. - " Shortly after we met," ho-sail, "Miss {Smith said ' Ruz/.ie lamb/ do«you lovo mo enough to marry mo*" and I answered, * Honey, certainly I do,.and Hwant<you to marry me,'"

" Did she ever give you any presents?" > queried counsel. "Yes," said (Jsiswold, exhibiting a diamond ring hist left hand, **sho gave mo this ring,, a diamond pin, a > Ipearl pin, neckties, and other '(things." Ho went, to hospital, and wasntfreated for ■ appendicitis, and tetters«came to»hiin,there feigned " Brunhilde." Always Talked of Love. "Miss Smith also visited me.""ho said, •'and she told me of her love fortmc. We always talked about" that every time sho saw me. One day shc*came from-Starrtford to New York, which she called Shut-eye- j town. We went to the»theatro'to sew 'The -Xove Cure.' ' "In the train that night on, the way! home we talked of .. our coming marriage, «i.nd she said life "without me would be miserable. She had my hand all the way home, and kissed me. several -times, saying *he did not care who saw." Griswold said he gave un a position as book-keeper in a bank and went to Stamford at "* BrunhildeV request to live with her and her husband as herisecrctary. ... , "We used to be'together* at nights and 1 make love.", he said. . " What kind of work did you do for Miss Smith at her home"/" cfieried counsel. 1 " I balanced her-checpies-books at the end <ff the month, sent' out invitations to dinner ... and tilings, and did odd jobs around the house." was the* repay. •,. , . 6*-j' Once, he said ..alter' their?difference, Miss ' Smith ran after him with; a patched vase in her hand, and said, "Rtnzzie, old sport, can't we patch -upon naff air?" He replied, "It is too late, Bruny."*. - • ' Then counsel began the*reading of some ; 200 love v" letters received by " Ruzzie" iron* " Brunbilde.7 and constant, amusement t was caused by the pfeniiftd sprinkling of terms of endearment, »»ny of quite an original nature.' "Rnzzie Jamb" had pride of ijtlace, hut often as not. Griswold was Miss Smith's •' beautiful boy" or " darling

sweetheart" , -/'■■ *» v V; <; One Tetter produced bore a, cabalistic drawing of .an eye. followed by.- the word kiss." '" Explain," urged.-counsel.- "Yes, sir,*' iaid'Griswoldi' "she-jseemed-to like to kiss my eyes. '■ •Rutziouand his < little •wyes,* she , used ]to say." I" . . . i * "Further questioned about" the " eye-kis* : , ing," Griswold said he always removed his glasses during the operation: "I never saw .a Woman kiss a man ore the eyes before," f " die remarked." ■'" It was a- brand-new experience for me. She asked .me if I loved her * Enough to r many -her.' That was going * pretty far for a" woman. I took it that * *h'ft'was proposing;" :. "~ Questioned about Miss Smithy divorce *>f her husband. Mr. Cirmroins. Griswold said she, told him her ltusband had discovered 150 of his letters to her, and di- ( rected her to go to South-Dakota and get ■a divorce on the ground of «deeertion,ior he *" .would sue her for, divorce himself. ,_ Griswold's counsel, addressing the jury, said: ".With her •eye-kiss' and her'talk of !t •Siegfried and Brißihilde she lured this little fcoy on. and entangled his heart." Miss Smith denied that she intended \ marriage, having had enough, she declared, ■'.. of the marriage state, in her first venture. The cause;ended in. aiiyerdictTor'the de- -..-. fendant. ~;:. . \>\~

The jury occupied sixihours<in argument on. the case.''.and only* arrived at theirjverilict after eight balk&s, the gist of which V showed seven for the*mlaintifT and -five for

the defendant. I>„ ,:<•••The jurors way*that<un finding! verdict for the defendant they'were notfinfluenced :- by -her'' sex. y .-■'-" _- '.-'■'.- ' r