A DIVORCE CASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 974, 20 June 1883, Page 2

A DIVORCE CASE.

For the report of the following case, tried at the Timaru Supreme Court yesterday, before Mr Justice Johnston, we are indebted to the Herald :—Strong '' ork Morrison, petitioner ; Catherine Morrison, respondent; John O’Shea, corespondent.—Mr G. Harper, instructed by Mr White, for the petitioner; Mr C. W. Purnell for the co-respondent.—Mr Harper read the petition, which showed that the petitioner married the respondent at Orari, on the 2nd May, 1863, her maiden name being Catherine Gordon. They ..lived together happily till 1876, when the respondent gave way to intemperance. The petitioner did all he could to prevent her from getting drink. Ju«t before 1880 she left petitioner and went to live in Ashburton, where she led a very questionable life. In June of 1881, she went to live in adultery with one O’Shea, the co-respondent, at Ashburton Forks. The usual affidavits in the case had been properly filed. The petition was presented on the 9th October, 1882, and the citadon on the 12ch October. The evidence he proposed to call would be only general, dealing only with O'Shea. He then called -James Blyth, who said he knew the petitioner, Strong Work Morrison, in the year 1863. He was at that time a pilot. He also knew his wife, both before and after their marriage. Her maiden name was Catherine Gordon. He remembered distinctly the day they were married, because he got married at the same time, and they made the one ceremony do for both marriages; It was at the Stamps, Orari, and the officiating minister was the Rev L. L. Brown. He had knows them during the last (fifteen-years as man and wife. The last time he saw the respondent was about four years ago in Timaru. He saw the petitioner and wife occasionally between the year 1876 and 1879, and they seemed to be always on good terms with one another.—To Mr Purnell : The last time he saw them they were together in Timaru. He knew Morrison’s partner, Mr Green, but was not aware of any dissension between them.— Austin Kirby, a detective officer at Timaru, said he knew petitioner and his wife. The latter was living in Ashburton when he became acquainted with her in the year 1879, under the name of Mrs Morrison. In April 1880 he had occasion to visit O’Shea's house at Ashburton Forks. Witness described the place, which was literally a hovel, four posts erected with a tarpaulin or-sheet over them, adjoining a stable. When he got there he saw the respondent in the house washing up some dishes: He waited at the house for about an hour and a half, and during that time had a conversation with her about thb way she was living. While there he had a conversation also with the co-respondent, but it did not relate to this case. The place where O'Shea lived was about twelve Indies from Ashburton, and the nearest houses were about half a mile from it. ' Witness could not say exactly how long the respondent had been living with O’Shea. —To Mr Purnell : He knew Morrison in 1879, and had a conversation with him about the life ,his wife was leading .He was not aware that o’Shea’s dwellinghouse had been burnt down previous to his visit in April. He did not see anyone else there but the respondent, O’hea, and was positive the house contained only one room.—Henry W. Felton, sergeant of police stationed at Ashburton, said he knew a woman there by the name of Mrs Morrison. He also remembered seeing her in Timaru in 1863, and knew that she was the wife of S. Morrison, pilot and harbormaster. Ha remembered her being arrested in company with another woman in 1879, under the Vagrant Act, when she gave the name of-Catherine Gordon. He knew a man named O’Shea, but did not of his own knowledge know that respondent had lived with him. He saw her once in June, 1880, outside O’Shea’s house, as he was passing. Owing to her character she was kept under the surveillance of the police. In witness’s opinion she was about 38 or 39 years old.—To Mr Purnell : O’Shea’s house is above Ashburton, some 11 or 12 miles distant. He saw the petitioner in 1876, but he did not know of his keeping a public-house. S. Morrison, the petitioner, was then called, and said that he first became aware of his wife’s misdeeds in 1879. In that year she w;ent away with the corespondent. ; Mr Purnell :He was not keeping a public-house, but living on his means at the time his wife left him. He did not know, what she was doing at Ashburton except from what he read ii> the papers.—To flis Honor: He ha,d taken steps towards obtaining a divorce in 1879, but had desisted as he could not afford the expense of having the case heard in the Divorce Court, Wellington Ailliatn a mounted constable, knew pne Mrs Morrison, whorwas living withaiinan named O’Sheaj about 12 miles from Ashburton. He never saw O’Shea there, but he knew that it was his house. It consisted of four posts ‘witli tkrpaulin over | them.—Mr Harper said that was the case. He did not intend to make any application as regarded costs.—His Honor granted a decree nisi, without costa.