LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM!

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 15

LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM!

A COY MAIDEN OF SIXTY-TWO « , t SUES A YOUNG LAD OF SEVENTY. At the Leeds Assizes, before Mr Commisi sioner Bosanquet, Q.C., and a common - jury, an action for breach of promise of I marriage was heard which was remarkable s tor the age of the parties concerned. T> Plaint^ff was a s P ins ter named Eliza Ann ' Raistrick, aged sixty-two, a. monthly nurse - at Pudsey, and she brought a suit to re- ' cover damages from George Galloway, aged i seventy, of Fartown, Pudsey, now out of ■ business. Defendant did not appear, and . was not represented by counsel. Mr Walter Beverley, who appeared for , plaintiff, said there was nothing romantic ' about the case. In the pleadings defendant denied that he ever entered into the agreement spoken to, and further that if any was entered into it was mutually rescinded. Plaintiff, who was a spinster, resided at Fartown, Pudsey, and followed the occupation of a monthly nurse* Defendant was out of. business, and resided i in the same locality. It seemed, said counsel, that in the month of August, 1898, plaintiff went to the defendant's house TO NURSE HIS DAUGHTER, who, was very ill. She continued to reside there in attendance as nurse until the daughter died in November, 1898. Then the defendant, who was a widower, was left alone, and he suggested that plaintiff should continue to live with him as his oSiodsekeeper'.' She declined to do so, and .-continued to follow her employment as a professional nurse, but occasionally visited the defendant at his house. Calling in this way one night in January of the present year defendant said to her, " Well, Eliza, I want a. wife to look after me and keep the house in, order. Will you have me?" She replied in the affirmative, and a discussion took place as to where they were married, where the breakfast was to be served, and where the banns were to be published. He told her he was possessed of .£SOO in the Pudsey Mill Company, lIAD .£2OO IN THE BRADFORD BANK, and thai "he was insured for the 'sum of ±l oo;:.payable at his death. Ho also said; to her, "Although I am . working-now if-'if '•'■ I fell out of work we shall be all right, and* you "need hot continue to follow your employment." '■ He asked her to give up.-■': her work, and she did so. He 'made, her.presents of money from time to time to enable her to make certain purchases, in view of the approaching, a ad he took steps to have the banns published at Calverley Church! - As a matter of fact, n they were published upon two consecutive 'Sundays, but between the second and third; I -Sundays he'wrote to the parish clerk with- - - drawings the banns; What was the reason for this the -jury had no heed to inquire. The question was how much should, be. . awarded to theiplaintiff for! this breach of contract. No clpubt it was a marriage,, of' ''" convenience; still,' plaintiff had suffered; damage in the sense of being out of-fjoclet ''f : ' she had given-up her employment, and the matter had become. '-■ - -.n- s■] THE TALK OF THE DISTRICT! ■ The plaintiff was called and examined. She said she was sixty-two years of age. She recounted . the circumstances 'under which she attended his daughter ai-nurse', ' and somewhat timidly" told" the jury (that- * she" said"" Yes" when he? asked her ctor.4; - be« his~.'wife& ■ He■ npifomised -her .that; in; the: event -of; his vdeaith=he ;"would -lea.ver

her his deceased daughter Agnes's" share* of his money. He bought her wedding dress and told her they would go to Bradxord to buy the ring, and pay a. visit to the bank for the purpose t>f withdrawing" some money for the wedding", intimating ' also that when she knew where the bank was the information would be useful tottier afterwards. Just afterwards defendant said he would" not be married, but LIVE WITH HIS BROTHER JOHN. ■ The ease had reached .this-stage when - Mr Harold Newell (barrister) entered the court, having been retained for the' defence, aud asked that the case height be allowed to stand over until the next As-'->. Slze3. ■ -- «-•-- •'■• <-~J t_,; ' : Counsel said the solicitors oh both sides--bed-come to an arrangement fo "this effect, : and he could not understand why^the casfe*"' had been gone or with. The defendant—an old man of- seventy— in thVembarrass- "' ment and-excitement of < the present action bad a few weeks ago tried to cut his* - throat, and; he was now xeally'attthe point' ?L -SWA-. -J He produced., a-doctgr's cersnowing that the-defendant was not' in a fit state to appear m court, log-ether with a, letter" from; the solicitors l . TO A 'POSTPONEMENT in Jmese circumstances j- ..... .. .._ .- After, .some .conversation, ; the:; learned Commissioner remarked that if the dr< fendant had taken it into his head to cut his throat, he could hot have the ca««« ad-", journed except on the usual" terms—pay-- " 1 *! or - c T osts - Addressing the jury, he - added: 'I am sorry to saythisVinteresting • case will not proceed -because it- is -sii"-. . gested that defendant is not in a fit state ' to appear to look after his own interests, lherefore the jury will, be discharged, and the case will 3tand over until the next*'Assizes.-' ~.,; *. „ * ;' .V' >-" The case thus came- ; to the ' present. - -.-,-: .. . -. ~ ,;,,; - -',