A DOCTOR SUED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8102, 30 August 1904, Page 2

A DOCTOR SUED.

_♦ A ROMANCE OF WEST INDIA AND EDINBURGH. Lord Kinca-irney, in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, closed the record in an action in which Bella Maekinnon, Gladstone Teri race, Edinburgh, sued Dr Joseph Skea-Ic, Mayers Nurse of the Grange, Basseterre, St. Kifcts, West Indies, for £1500 damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage. .Pursuer says- that she -was an intimate friend of defender's wife, t-o whom he was married in 1891, and -who died on 'November 14, 1893. Defender returned to Scotland in January, 1896, and stayed with pursuers family in Edinburgh until May !1, 1896. During the visit he is said to have j courted pursuer with a view to matrimony, | to have professed great love for her, to have ! treated her with extreme kindness, and to have -succeeded iv obtaining completely her i affections and a dominating influence over Uler. He expressed a wish to marry purXsuer, and in the last week of February, 1896, at Montague Street, pursuer avers that she and the defender mutually promised and agreed to marry each other. During the remaining months of his visit* they are said to have frequently discussed their prospective marriage and future plans and i prospects, and defender explained that he | should have liked to get married at once, ! but that he was so unsettled in regard to ' staying in the island of Anguilla, where he had been practising, that he thought it ! would be better for them to wait until his I next visit to this country. About the same ' time defender informed lier that he was ; possessed of private means of about £1000 per annum, and that his practice was worth £350 to £400 per annum. After defender left Scotland an extremely affectionate correspondence took place between him and pursuer. He wrote to her practically every mail, and she received over one hundred and thirty letters from him. In many letters he discussed his prospects, and informed ber how his work was progressing, and asked her to purchase for "him books, surgical instruments, and articles of clothing. On January 17, 1898, he wrote: — " I am trying to get a comfortable home and everything ready." Defender left Anguilla and went to St Kitts, where he had obtained a Government appointment in 1897. He returned to Scotland in 1900, but only remained ten days. During that visit he explained to ■pursuer that he had not time lo make arrangements for the marriage, and promised to return at the same time in 1901. and undertook td write to pursuer's brother regarding the necessary arrangements for the wedding. After that THE AFFECTIONATE CORRESPONDENCE continued, but, as he did not return at the promised time, pursuer Avrotc reminding him of his promise. Defendant came to Scotland in December, 1903, and, though his demeanour was somewhat changed, he at. first spoke of the marriage as about to take place immediately.' Latterly, however, he refused to carry out his promise. On January 14, 1904, he wrote a letter to pursuer, in which he said that when he was in Edinburgh things were nofc as he would have liked them, and he continued : "I do not think^ under those circumstances, that I should be engaged to you, and take you after marriage to the Indies. I think* it- would be a great sin to take you like a lily and le^ y° u droo P and die in a, strange land. . _. . It seems that you are hysterical, and I could not be engaged to" a hysterical lady, so,- as I have said already. I think it the most honourable and manly thing to tell you plainly my thoughts on the matter- It is better to speak" at once.' f Ybu have been very kind, and I appreciate it all, but marriage is a thine for lifcS aIMl ' . musb nofc be rushed into unless with duo consideration. I got - a letter from. John, statins! that to hi? knowledge you were, not hysterical, but when I received the telecram I know that it- was a fit of hysteria, you had and wrote to know what was 'the cause.' • • luting you will take what is written here as coming from me nfter deep consideration.— l am, yours, Joe -" , , . M Through defender s failure to carry out his alleged engagement pursuer says she has suffered much loss, injury and damage. She aave up her situation as mantlemaJcer, and has suffered much m her health and Sings ;fc consequence of -the defender V. Co lsSs for trial were ordered.