GERMAN BARON AND HIS ENGLISH WIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1907, Page 13

GERMAN BARON AND HIS ENGLISH WIFE.

LATE SIR J. BLUNDBLL MAPLE'S DAUGHTER. In the London Divorce Court on Monday, May 13, Justice Bargrave Deane had Defore him a summons taken out by Baron Yon Eckhardstein to have proceedings stayed which had been taken out by the Baroness (the daughter of the late Sir John Blundell Maple) for a judicial separation, pending the hearing of a divorce suit brought by the Baron against his wife in the German Courts. Sir Edward Carson said the wife's petition for a judicial separation was filed on January 20, 1907, and particulars of alleged cruelty and misconduct were j delivered in March. Her petition was a general one, and really filed upon the termination of a correspondence between the solicitors to the parties, in which Baron Yon Eckhard-, stein raised certuin questions, and required his wife to cease her friendship for a certain gentleman. In the wife's proceedings it was stated that the domicile was German, and that Baron Yon EckhardSTein had treated his wife with neglect, unkindness, and cruelty, causing her meßtal and-physi-cal suffering, and that it was unsafe for her to remain with the Baron. The proceedings in Germany were commenced on March 4 of the present year, and were for the dissolution of the marriage on the ground of the wife's disobedience in regard to her friendship for a Dr. Williams, her meQicai attendant. Therefore the position taken up by the hnsband was that while German proceedings, which would put an end to the matter one way or another, were pending, that Court ought not to proceed and try the charges made in the wife's suit. There had been no delay on the part ot Baron Yon Eckhardstein, who had, in fact, been urging the matter 00. He (counsel) was told the Baroness had not appeared in proceedings in Germany, but the case -was now in a position to be tried. In these circumstances, counsel rnLHended that no case had been made out lor those proceedings to take place tb<*re. No effort was being made by the Baron to compel his wife to live with him, and there seemed no basis for the judicial separation proceedings in a cas« where the domicile tfas admittedly German. Neither had the Baron taken any steps with reference to the cost. It had been said by the wife's solicitor that the husband had applied in Germany tor custody of the child. The allegation' was untrue. It was also said that the Baron threatened to throw himself out of the window, or leave her and go abroad, if his wife did not give him enormous sums of money The petitioner, the affidavit further stated, was a nervous lady, and by means ot threats the Baron had obtained the sum of £170,000. irrespective of £60,000 he obtained from Sir J. Blundell Maple in order to pay his debts, in addition to an allowance of £3000 a s»ear made by his wife, and £1000 a year Sir 3. Blundell Maple had left him. There was not the slightest foundation for the statement. It was suggested by the Baron that the dispute he-' tween the parties arose because the Baroness would not give up her friendship for Dr. Williams. The Baron denied the threats to obtain money. In some correspondence it was said by the Baroness' solicitors that she did not see that her husbar-d had any right to dictate to her in respect to her medical attendant- Sir Edward Carson pointed out that it was not until the wife refused to comply with her rAisband s request that she commenced the separation proceedings. In Germany, It appeared, a husband could obtain a divorce on tht l ground of the disobedience of the wife.

Mr. Duke, for the Baroness, suggested that the German proceedings had been brought to harass the lady. The Baron had threatened his wife with his clenched fists, and she had had to sacrifice a considerable portion of her settled fund at £300,000, in order to avert her husband's bankruptcy. He had assaulted and bullied her, so that she had to seek the protection of her mother. She charged her husband with misconductHis Lordship dismissed the summons with costs.