BREACH OF PROMISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18022, 22 February 1922, Page 8

BREACH OF PROMISE.

OTWENTY'TWO AND TWENTY. f A SHORT ENGAGEMENT. FERVENT LOVE LETTMIS. JURY AWARDS £50 DAMAGES. [BX lILEGIUFH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuosd»y. Breach of promise to marry was alleged against George Richard Taylor, of Christchurch, Government employee, aged 22 years, in the Supreme Court to-day, by Elvira Violet Elizabeth Moaclem, aged 20 years, by her guardian at litem. Thomas John Meaclem, of Christchurch, labourer. The sum of £200 was claimed by the plaintiff. Mr. J. R. Cunningham appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. C. S. Thomas for tlio defendant. Mr. Justice Adams presided.

The plaintiff alleged that on or about January 13, the defendant verbally promised to marry her. On January 17 he rxprcssly repudiated the contract, and he had refused to carry out his promise. In consequence, plaintiff had been caused illness and suffering. Mr. Thomas said ho admitted there was an engagement in January, and it was broken off. It " really boiled itself down to a question of damages,"

Mr. Cunningliam said Taylor becamo acquainted with the girl in August of last j oar. They soon came to terms of close acquaintance. Whilo plaintiff was- away in Askburlon, Taylor wrote to hor some 12 letters, " poui'ing out his soul to her." lii three months, in spito of these letters, the girl did not fed that sho was sufficiently in love with him for marriage, but Taylor became all the more persistent, and at last wholly won her affections and thev became engaged. #ut then the scene suddenly changed. At about mid-day on January 18 she received a letter containing the following " I have become possessed of certain information which absolutely compels mo to end my engagement with you. Upon such information it will be to our mutual advantage to keep this business quiet and do not attempt to see me again, as it is no use whatever. So I will say good-bye. .Will you kindly return the ring. 1 That evening the girl met the young man coming home from work. He said he had received a Utter stating that she had had to do with a married man. He said ho did not -know where it came from or from whom! The accusation was false. Sho asked him if he bolieved a statement of that sort, and he said no one would dream of writing such a thing if it were not true. Late that night Taylor sneaked up on tiptoe from the front gate and was about to push a letter under the front door when the mother confronted him. Letter from Defendant. In the letter were the following words: " Elvey, you asked me if I were man enough to so over to-night and see your father. It is not a question of my being man enough, for, in the first place, I would have visited you with the allegations, had it not been for your father's temper, wliich you know is volcanic." The fear was expressed ia the letter that the parent wotld make the thing heard by neighbours. There was only one thing to be done, it stated. Was Elvira, prepared to undergo an examination by the defendant's doe'vor, at his expense, as she Kiid there was nothing to be ashamed of! If such examination proved her innjjeent, then ha would do everything in his power to 'bring the filter of the anonymous letter to justice. It would be to thai mutual advantage to keep things dark until such time as her case was .proven. Of course, in case of her proving her innocence, he did not hope for her respect again, but he would do his best to help her. He signed' himself " Yours sincerely." A more degrading letter, said Mr. Cunningham, cowd not have been yent to a young woman—a suggestion that she fhould submit herself to examination by liis doctor to prove if she wero chaste or unchaste. The action had been brought to vindicate the girl's reputation. Elvira Violet Elizabeth Meaclem gave cadence. Besides writing the 42 letters, defendant visited her at week-ends. 0m» of the. Love Epistles. " I will read one of the letters to show what sort of things they were," said Mr. Cunningham. " Gee, Elvey honey bunch, it 18 a long time since you went away. Evidently there is not much hope of your coming back for some time. Dearest, oh how Ido wish you were here now. I would make cuch a fuss of you, my precious angd. I am fairly aching for you to-night, dear. I feel that if you were here, I could not let you out of my sight, but would have to cuddle y° u U P

tight for fear of somebody stealing you from me. Precious one, when I was in the room to-night, with all the crowd, and there were five girls there, I could not help comparing them with you, darling. They pale into insignificance alongside the vision of yon, and I wish that I cot Id only have had you there to let them see the sweet little angel I was to ask some-. thing: If she would have rae. They would | be very much surprised to see that such ! a silly coon like me could havo such a perfect jewel like yot> sweetheart, if only to sp&ik to, let alone to be able to gay you were my girl. You are the most ravishingly adorable sweetheart a chap could possibly have. There is only one i thing to complete my happiness dearest,! when I think of you my own dear little I sweetheart, and that is to have you here J and to be able to take your pretty little facß in my large paws and kiss those I little cherry lips of yours and to feel i them return the kiss. It would be heaven angel darling, simply perfect bliss."

Taken as B«ad. "Axe there 42 like that ?" asked Mr.' Thomas. Mr. Cunningham: Forty-jtwo of various degrees of affection. His Honor: Are they all "linked sweetness long drawn out" like this. Mr. Cunningham • Much the same. His Honor : Then, we will take them &s read. During the cross-examination >of plaintiff. Mr. Thomas asked: I suppose you don't give up hopo at the age of 20?. Plaintiff: I feel I could not trust anpther man. Mr. Thomas: You don't ask tho Court to believe you are "on the shelf." Witness (hesitating); No, sir,' Mr. Thomas: You plead you had illness and suffering. Was that what was meant when you said you went off your food and sometimes thought you were going silly? Witness: Yes. About Six Sweetheart*, Mr. Thomas: I suppose you had some other sweetheart. You had one in Ashburton ? Witness: Yen. Mr. Thomas: And you broke it off? Witness: Yes. Mr. Thomas: Did you go off your food and feel you were going silly? Witness: No, sir. Mr. Thomas: How many sweethearts do you think you have had? ~®"e ss hesitated and was urged by Mr. Thomas to reply. "About six?" he suggested. "About that," wa s the " Did , any of those make you go off your food?" asked Mr. Thomas. k I Witness: No. 1! ' oma8: y° tt < w hile you were ' getting these perfumed letters of love in Ashnurton, break off your affection with a boy here? Witness: Yes. ■ . Mr ' Thomas: So you had tw o strings to your bow ? b His Honor: No! Two beaur to her string (laughter), . 1 */ * damagee. awardcd plaintiff* £50