BREACH OF PROMISE

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

BREACH OF PROMISE

Ada Innes, a young woman of petite figure, wearing glasses, sued Joseph Frederick Styles, in the Banco Jury Court, before Mr Justice Halse Rogers and a jury, claiming £2OOO damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage, says a Sydney paper. Mr A. H. Ferguson, in opening the case to the jury, said both parties lived at Bateman’s Bay. Defendant met Miss Innes at Christmas, 1928, and fell in love with her. Shortly afterwards lie proposed marriage to her and gave her a diamond engagement ring. He subsequently broke off the engagement, an anonymous letter having come into his possession. Miss Innes, the plaintiff, said that three days after ifhe defendant met her he took her for a drive in his car. “He said to me,” proceeded plaintiff, “ ‘Ada, I simply adore you. I worship the ground you walk on.’ ” Plaintiff said that after defendant proposed marriage to her, she told him she was the mother of a child, and he said that that would not make any difference to him. “He asked me how old I was and I said 24,” she went on. “He was so fond of me that he used to call and see me cat, the place Where I was working, and help me to wash up.’’ In March, 1929, proceeded Miss Innes, defendant wrote her the following letter from the Commercial Travellers’ Club: —“Gear Ada, —I have to inform you that our engagement is finished. The letters of warning I mentioned to you can be seen if you desire, so kindly write to the above address and let me know. P.S. —If convenient to you I will meet you at M’Mahon’s wharf on Friday, 11 o’clock. Only wrlto to say if you will." “Anybody’s IViark.” Mr Windeyer, K.C.: Were you in fho habit of referring to the defendant, among your friends, as “old parrot-face” ? —No. Do you regard this man as a silly old fool, free with his money, and a nyb ody ’ s gam c ?—N o. Isn’t it a fact that people got money out of him, and thal lie was regarded as anybody’s mark at .Bateman’s Bay? —Yes. And you became engaged to him?— Yes. Did you write a loving letter to a young man named Jim Evans, telling him that you had been dreaming of him, and that you wished he were with you then? —No. I never wrote that letter. Plaintiff said that on one occasion, when she was driving with Styles and t another man, Styles asked her on j which finger women wore their wedding and engagement rings. Styles subsequently told plaintiff that he had received anonymous letters from Bateman’s Bay, and he was going there to find out who wrote them, Mr Windeyer: Didn’t he say he

Claim for £2OOO Damages Fails. Fiance Considered an “Easy Mark. A Casual Courtship.

was going to Bateman’s Bay to find out your true character? —No. Plaintiff said defendant bought her a dress and a hat and bought himself a suit to be married in. He also bought furniture for the house. That was after she came to Sydney from Bateman’s Bay, in March, 1929. Christmas Dinner Party. Joseph Frederick Styles, the defendant, said he had made a fair amount of money in the country and had now retired. He met the Innes family at their home, where he had Christmas dinner. He took Miss Innes home from work. Mr Windeyer: You took her out in your car, I believe? —Yes. And on one occasion she said: “Joe, will you marry me?” I said-: “Well, I have not known you very long.” So we shook hands and parted. Did you over tell her you adored her?—No. But I kissed her two or three times. (Laughter). Defendant denied that he ever asked Miss Innes to marry him, but there was talk about marriage. “Her relations,” said defendant, “were doing all the marrying. They were putting it about that I was going to marry her. That’s what I was told, anyway." Mr Forguson: "Who told you?— Percy Barber was one. And there was a hawker w’ho said to me: “I hear you are going to get married. I can sell you some presents for the bride.” His Honour: This seems to have boen what you might call a “casual courtship.” Mr Windeyer: Yes, only on my client’s side. Mr Ferguson: Was there any engagement between you?—Only for live minutes. Defendant said he had bought Miss Innes a ring, but there was no engagement until he and Miss Innes came to Sydney. Defendant’s Levity. Styles appeared to be a man with a strong sense of humour, and the comic side of his character came out occasionally in the way in Which he replied to questions. Mr Ferguson took exception to sucli levity. “This is no laughing matter,” he said, “it is very serious.” Defendant denied that ho'ever.had any woman housekeeping ior him, or that a Mrs Barber had been the cause of the shattering of Miss Innes’s romance. Perclval Barber Called. Percival Banbcr said he had often driven with defendant in his car when Miss Innes was a passenger. He had never heard any talk between defendant and plaintiff regarding marriage. The jury returned a verdiot for the defendant.