MADAME COY'S BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7115, 13 July 1886, Page 4

MADAME COY'S BREACH OF PROMISE CASE.

A BREACH of promise cafie was heard the other day at the County Court, Melbourne. The plaintiff, Ann Eliza Coy, known as Madame Coy (formerly a prominent operatic artiste), is a widow with three children, and a teacher of music amd singing; and the defendant, Alexander White, who is a retired baker, a widower with five children. The parties are both residents of Prahran. The plaintiff became acquainted with the defendant in September last through his daughter, to whom she was giving lessons in music. After a brief period of courtship, White, who is nearly sixty years of age, made her a proposal of marriage, nnd the wedding day was fixed for tho 24th March. By the defendant's directions she bought a bridal dress and a quantity of furniture. When the eventful day arrived the defendant was laid up with a serious attack of illness, and, acting on the advice of his medical adviser, told the expectant bride that he waa not able to go through the ceremony owing to ill-health. Since that time, he alleged, he bad not recovered sufficiently to carry out his promise, though, as he said in evidence, " he never objected to marry the woman." Mrs. Coy issued a writ against him on the 13th April for the recovery of £500 damages, and the defendant paid £100 into Court to satisfy her claim. The jury found that White was quite well enough between March 24 and April 15 to have carried out his promise to the plaintiff, and gave her a verdict for £100.

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