Morgan v. Martin

Nov 29, 1898
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Strout
Strout, J.

This is an action by a married woman against another woman for alienating ‍​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍the affections of plaintiff’s husband. The cause comes up on exceptions to a ruling sustaining a demurrer to the declaration.

This court ‘held in Doe v. Roe, 82 Maine, 503, that ‍​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍such suit could not be maintained. We are aware that in some jurisdictions it is held otherwise: but we are satisfied with the reasons given in that ‍​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍case, and adhere to them. As said in that.case, “an action in favor of the husband- for the seduction of his wife has been regarded of doubtful ‍​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍expediency.” Such actions “seem to be better calculated to inflict pain upon the innocent members of the families of the parties than to secure redress to the persons ‍​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍injured.”

We are not disposed to enlarge the range of this class of actions.

Exceptions overruled.