AN AUSTRALASIAN ROMANCE

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2038, 16 July 1875, Page 2

AN AUSTRALASIAN ROMANCE

A Case presenting some of the elements of romance in real life occupied the attention of the Woodend bench "on Monday (says the Kyneton Guardian). About twenty years ago a man named Thomas Stevens was a passenger to Australia, and on board the same ship wa.« a young girl named Elizabeth Scott. An intimacy sprung up between the r 'two_which was continued after their arrival in the colony, , and although not ratified by marriage, two children, were the result. Stevens followed the calling of a carrier between Melbourne and the dig-,, gings, at that time a most profitable one; and he and his housekeeper settled at Springfield, near Woodend. After being there some time, Stevens,' who had amassed considerable wealth, went to Melbourne for the purpose" as he' alleged of making his will, taking" the children with him; ' "but the next thing that Miss Scott heard of him was that he and the children had ( sailed for England with no intention of , returning." This was in 1861. A year 'or two afterwards Miss Scott married a baker at Woodend named Hammerton, who committed suicide about four year* ' ago by throwing himself down a 7 well. She was - next wqped and - iron by •a respectable young Swede 'named' Oscar P-eslin, and since their marriage the pair have resided, with some intermit-, sions, on the property purchased >by ■Stevens, which Mrs Pestlin had always' treated as Her own. A few months ago,, however, Stevens himself- returned from England, -and ' Mrs Pestlin was served iwith notice to quit.' To this she paid no 'attention, and on Sunday, the 13th mst, Steven3 went to the place, indulged in rtry abusive language, and threatened to pull the jhouse over Mr and Mrs Pestiin'sheads—a" 'threat which.:he partially executed by tearing down- the verandah. He was summoned" 'for the threatening language, on Monday, the defence being 'that the property was his own, and that he was only trying to get the Pestlins out of it. The bench held that this was no defence,

aud'inflfcted 'a fine with cosls^'a cross summons being dismissed with costs. Stevens ostentatiously displayed a bag presumed to contain money, but elected to take fourteen days' imprisonment in Kyneton Gaol rather than pay;fche amount awarded against him.