RICH TURK AND PRETTY GIRL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

RICH TURK AND PRETTY GIRL

£500 FOR BREACH OF PROMISE.

MARRIED MAN MULCTED.

An Alsatian girl, Miss Madeline Woolf, was awarded £500 damages for breach of promise at the London Sheriff's Court a few weeks ago, the defendant being Mr. Nino Hassan, an ostrich feather merchant. Counsel for Miss Woolf said the only question for the jury was one of damages, there being no defence. Miss Woolf, a young girl, had been cruelly deceived by the defendant, who was a married man, and who kept that fact from her.

Hassan, who was 40 years of age, was a Turk, but naturalised in England. He had a large place in Paris, where he kept two motor-cars, and lived in considerable style, a well-known dancer being a member of his household. He had made the acquaintance of Miss Woolf by going to her business place to buy dresses for this lady. He was very insistent in his attentions, and eventually proposed marriage. Being accepted, he was introduced to Miss Wool!'s friends as her fiance.

On February 13, 1913, he persuaded her to leave her situation, and five days later, whilst her adopted mother had gone to Alsace to get the necessary papers for her marriage from Germany, persuaded her to stay with him in the flat which had i been taken in view of their approaching j marriage. Directly afterwards he left far i London, writing to Miss Woolf stating that he was obliged to go, as something had happened which might bring about a temporary change. The next day he wrote that, he was troubled and had had no sleep all night: and that he had written to her adopted father explaining things. Miss Woolf then went to London, and by a chance telephone message learnt that Hassan was a married man. On March 9he wrote: —•_ "Dear Madeline, am sure you feel just as rotten as I do, but, dear girl. I could not help it. lam not going to be sentiImental and make all sorts of excuses, and give explanations. I thought things were going to be different, but fate decreed otherwise- . . . For the present things must remain as they are. . . Believe me. I am not a blackguard, and regret more than you the circumstances. I will see what can be done, but cannot be pushed by scenes and threats. . . Exemplary damages were asked for, as Hassan was a very wealthy man.

Miss Woolf, a good-looting, dark-com-plexioned girl, gave evidence bearing out counsel's statement.

Judgment was entered for her for the amount mentioned above, with costs.