GOLF COURTSHIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16471, 6 July 1921, Page 6

GOLF COURTSHIP.

NOT ONE LOVE LETTER IN 19 YEARS.

£550 “BREACH” DAMAGES.

11 Not a single love-letter passed between the parties,” said Mr Schwnbe, Iv.C., appearing before Mr Justice Avory and a common jury on behalf of Miss Ada Ethel May Chance, aged forty-four, who sued Claud Frank Outsell, aged forty-five, for breach of promise of marriage. When Miss Chance explained that Gutsell never wrote passionate letters, Mr Justice Avory remarked : “It is quite a treat not to hear them.” It was stated that they became engaged in 1902 while employed at Messrs Shoolbred’s, and golfed together and went to the same place for their holidays. A letter was read in which Gutsell described how. when in the trenches. he saw some flowers in No-Man’s Land and, crawling over the top. he got them and sent them to Miss Chance. “ I hope you will like them,” he said.

Mr Schwabe said Miss Chance gave up the best years of her life waiting for Gutsell’s financial position to improve. 14 Then after all those years he changed his mind and married somebodv else.” In 1914 when Gutsell was a sergeant in the Queen’s Westminsters, Miss Chance went to the camp. While there a telegram arrived which she was curious to see, and after the name had been torn off Mr Gutsell gave it to her. It said: Si May I come to see you to-dav? Love. First he said it "was from' his sister, but afterwards admitted that it was not. Miss Chance was angry, but forgave him before thev par ted. but Mr Gutsell now said the engagement was broken off then bv mutual consent. In one of his letters from France be said :

I am glad you are golfing a bit. Go in for it as much as you can and give me a hiding.

After leaving the Army in 1916 Gutsell and Miss Chance spent a holiday together at Ambleside. He visited her at Hampstead two evenings a week. KISSED TILL TRAIN STARTED. In the spring of 1920 she suggested to Gutsell that theV should get married, and he repli©sE “^ e *? re right. lam quite happy. This upset her. She became ill and bad to "o home, and when Gutsell saw her off bv train he put his arms round her ana kissed her till the train started. On October 5 lie wrote: Ido hope von are sleeping better, and will send vou on some medicine.” but it turned out that he was married to another woman of twentv-nine on September She wrote to him, but got no answer. To her brother, who went to see him, Mr Gutsell said he was thorougnlv ashamed of himself. Afterwards he wrote to her; , P “ I should hav© written before to tell you I am married, but as so many times you have told me it was ail nnished with us and have offered your ring back. I considered when you went away I was free. It is needless for me to write more. 1 am very sorry for the pain I have given f you and can onlyask for forgiveness. ’ Miss Chance m evidence said that while in France Mr Gutsell wanted to pay her subscription to a golf clu b but she would not allow him to do so. He never wrote passionate letters. «e too cautious for that, she remarked. In private he was affectionate. When he went to the front he left her his bank book and jewellery and he had told her he was earning: £IOO or £450 a year, that his father had left him nearly £IOOO, and that he had a sum in the Post Office which would bring him in an annuity of £1 a week when he was fifty. She sent him parcels while he was at the ana she had given him presents worth or £BO. His letters to her invariably concluded “with much love ’ and were signed 14 yours affectionately. ENGAGEMENT RING AND GOLF. Miss Chance told how once, after her engagement ring had been repaired, she refused to take it back trom Mr Outsell. She was trying to bring the question to a head. He forced the ring back into her pocket. Mr Watts (for Mr Gutsell) asked Miss Chance if he ever wrote her a loving letter. Miss Chance: He has never in any of his letters used language which one would say was s Mr Justice Avory: Gushing? Miss Chance: Yes, gushing; that is a good word. Miss Chance said it was not tru© that she ceased to wear her engagement ring after October, 1914. She did not wear it at business or when she had chilblains. “ And I did not wear it at golf,” she added. “Very few women wear their rings when out golfing.” Mr Justice Avory: I am glad to hear it Miss Chance: Some women take off their wedding rings. Mr Watts; That is dealt with m another courtA jam story was told in one of Mr Gutsell’s letters from the front. It was about plum and appie jam. Said th© wi iter : So unpopular was the jam that when one consumer met another he said: “ God punish that —— (the manufacturer).” And the answer was: Aye, may he be punished.” The Judge: We have heard about plum and apple jam beforeFRIENDS ONLY AFTER 1914. Mr Gutsell in evidence declared that the engagement cam© to an end after the telegram incident, and when they met afterwards it was merely as old friends. He told Mr Schwabe he could not remember how long he had been acquainted with the woman who telegraphed to him in 1914. W as your relationship with her mere*ly platonic P—Not exactly. She was sending you her love, you s:nmv?—What happened in 1914. when a man was going to France? Wasn't everybody sending their love? Ask yourself tho question. Mr Schwabe : I don’t think I should get the fiame answer. (Laughter.; When did you arrange to get married to your present wife?—About the last week in -August. Mr Gutsell jsaid h© was now getting n salary of £ooo a year in his present position and lived in his mother-in-law’s house. The jury awarded Miss Chance £550 and costs.