AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1676, 30 September 1887, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

What promises to be a aentatlonal case, presenting unusual features, has been m tbt Divorce Ooart at Sydney. Thomas Alford Dorn sues for a divorce f r m his wife Harriet on the ground of her adu tery With Albert Nloolson, a solicitor, and claims £1,000 damages. The parties were married m Christohuroh m 1880. They Afterwards came to Sydney, where the petitioner beo*me an hotelkeeper. A little over two years ago his wife Instituted proceedings for a judicial separa lon from her husband. The petition wan granted, and the husband was committed to prison for refusing to pay the costs of the proceedings. He remained m gaol for two yean, and was released a few weeks •go by Mr Justice Manning, whs spoke Strongly against his incarceration. His counsel said that the grossest p-rjary was used to get him imprisoned. Mr and Mrs Dorn were passengers from England to New Zealand m 1873. They did not •gain meet till 1881, m Christoburob, where she went to an hotel of whfch Doro was manager to seek an engagement as barmaid. At this time she had been ■educed, and had a child, but the acquaintance being resumed Dorn married her m 1881. The misbehavior took place In Sydney, *here Dorn and hia wife had Comß m 1882 He, being the manager of •n hotel, had occasion to engage Hico'son professionally, and the latter, according to petitioner's counsel, bad basely abused the confidence reposed m him. While dining at petitioner's houaa and expressIng friendship for Dorn, he led bis wife Into Infidelity and intemp?rence. Dorn on making discoveries of what bed gone On, sent his wife into the country for a change, and events arose which caueed them not to live together agahi. She lived with Nicolson at Newcastle. The oast li canslng a deal of interest Mrs Dorn was a very pretty woman, and n w Is handsome. Evidence was given of Mre Dorn's lntempa aje habits, which brought on hysterical fits On one occasion, when carrif d upstairs and locked In * room, she jumped from the balcony. At other times she threw bottles and tumblers at her husband's head. Great amusement waa caused by the reading of a letter purporting to be from the corespondent to Mrs Dorn. The following Is an extract :— " All the anonymous letters m the world won't shake my true, true, true, true love and respect for my own sweet honey. I do not know who Mrs Jemima Ann Robertson could have meant by the ' wicked eyed little lawyer,' but if they are the windows cf the soul, you oould have looked throught mine down into my aoul, and have seen there your own sweet image enthroned and enveloped by a hallo of love and eßteem. Good bye, darling dackuy, dearest dovo, sod God bless and preserve you for your only own." (Signed with Initial.) The letter also refers to money and other proailo matters. Mrs Dorn fainted after this letter was read, and bad to be taken oat of Oourt.