BREACH OF PROMISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19891, 9 March 1928, Page 11

BREACH OF PROMISE.

ROMANCE ENDS IN COURT.

PLAINTIFF SECURES DAMAGES. SUM OF £137 10s AWARDED. [3T TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI. Thursday. After hearing for sonic hours to-day the story of a broken engagement, the Chief Justice, Sir Charles Skerrett, awarded Ethel- Rebecca Parker, of Tailiape, £137 10s damages against John Kerr Carter, a sigowriter, of Wanganui, for breach of promise of marriage. The amount claimed was £350.

Plaintiff said that al the age of 19 years ijhe and defendant met, and from then onward they were devoted. It was arranged that they should bo married toward the cud of last year, but last November she received a letter from defendant' saying lie would not marry her. He had persisted in his refusal. She came to Wanganui to see him, and also saw his mother, who was cold and would not relent. -

After this, defendant met her and said she could go away and get a position. He offered her £25. A further interview brought no more satisfactory results, and defendant said she had better take it to Court.

Under cross-examination plaintiff said she considered defendant had enough to get married on. He was receiving £3 15s a week and was due for a rise. He often said to her that nothing in heaven or on earth could separate them —parents or anything. She would have waited u couple of years longer for him, but' he said it was 110 use going on. She did not think money would repay her for the stress she had to go through. Adeline Beatrice Parker, mother of plaintiff, said after the engagement had been broken she cams to Wanganui and interviewed defendant. Ho said his mother was in ill-health. He then concluded the interview abruptly and told her to take it to Court. The defence was that at no stage of the proceedings did Carter definitely break off the engagement. The promise to marry at Christmas was 011 condition that he was earning sufficient money, and that his parents consented. Neither of these things materialised. • His Honor said in his opinion plaintiff's claim had been established. All the cor respondent showed clearly that, defendant fixed Christmas as the time of the wedding. He said so in letter after letter. Both parties were reputable citizens. Defendant, it had been shown, was a man of courage and ability. It was rather difficult to know what amount to fix as damages, as defendant was not a man of affluence, but he thought £137 10s would cover tho case. ' . ,