DIVORCE COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 282, 17 August 1918, Page 12

DIVORCE COURT

UNDEFENDED CASES DECREES NISI GRANTED His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir loberf Stout) presided at the Supremo Court yesterday and heard divorce cases. The case Cecilia Hamilton Hobbs v. Leonard Alexander Hobbs was an application for dissolution of marriage on the grounds of habitual drunkenness. This case was originally set down for hearing before a jury, but the defence was withdrawn, and tho case was accordingly oet down as an undefended case. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for (ho petitioner. The petitioner and her sister gave evidence, and showed that the parties were married on June 3, 1912, and there were two children of tho marriage. The respondent wns constantly drunk, and scarcely ever worked a whole week at his occupation as a farm labourer. Two yeara ago tho petitioner had to leave her husband because of his drunken habits. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to bo made absolute in threo months. Margaret Aylward, for whom Mr. P. W. appeared, petitioned for the dissolution of her marriage with Michael Francis Aylward on the around of desertion. Tho parties were married on Januiry 23, 1902, and there were, two children of the marriage. Tho respondent deserted tho petitioner in 1911. Sho brought proceedings against him for maintenance, but he did not obey this. The petitioner had not seen him or heard from him for the past six years, and sho had maintained herself and her children over since. A decree nisi was granted, to be mado absolute in three months, and costs wero allowed on tho lowest scale. William Francis Ludlow, carrier, Newtown, petitioned for a dissolution of hie. marriage with Jtuth. Ludlow on the grounds of misconduct. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for tho petitioner. It was disclosed in evidence that there were seven ohildren, one of whom had died. Tho respondent left her home ou April 11 last, and went to live in Caroline Street with a man named Samuel Lord. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months, with costs on the lov/est scale.

Herbort Barton, carpenter, petitioned for the dissolution of his marriage with Louisa Barton on the grounds of desertion and misconduct. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for the petitioner. The parties were married on February 211, 1883, and there were four children of tho marriage. , About twelve years ngo the respondent left home and had gone to live with a. man named William fcitonor. ami they had passed as man and wife at Wellington, Palmerston North, and Christchurch. Mrs. Barton earned a living as a fortune-teller. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months, and,costs weco allowed on the lowest scale*. A returned soldier named Joseph Raitt, for whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared, petitioned for the dissolution of his marriage with Elizabeth Jane Raitt on tho grounds of misconduct. The parties were married on July 31, 1906, at Christchurch. The petitioner , enlisted and left New Zealand with the Ninth Reinforcements, and was invalided and returned to the Dominion on June 15 last. During his absence his wife received his pay and allowances. When he relumed he obtained his wife's address from Base Records, and went to Tui Street, and there found his wife and a returned soldier named Telford, who were both very drunk. When questioned his wife admitted that sho had been living with Telford for the • past eight or nine months. Corroborative evidence wns given by Samuel Fee, private detective. A decree nisi was granted, to be mado absolute in three months, and costs were allowed on the lowest scale. Horace Charles Il'iek eought a dissolution of his marriage with Hilda Mary I'isk on tho grounds of misconduct with a man named Conrad Benzley. Mr. O'Loary appeared for the petitioner, iho parties were married on October 2, 1909, ■and thero were two children. The corespondent boarded with the parties, and the respondent left her home and went to Auckland with Beazley. taking one of the children with her. She wrote to her husband from Auckland to say that she was living with Beazley. She returned to Wellington a month later and stayed a. week, when she admitted to her husband in the presence of a witness that she was living with Beazley and was going ba.tk to him. From Auckland sho wrote to her husband and asked for tho ■ reply to be addressed to Mrs. Beazley. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months, and awarded the petitioner costs. Margaret Murphy, represented by Mr. P. W. Jackson, sought a dissolution of her marriage with Charles Daniel Murphy on the ground of desertion. Tho I parties wero married at Hawera on October IG, 1912. There was one child of the marriage. Tho petitioner had a child previous to her marriage, and her husband knew this, for eho took the child to live with them. Later hor husbaml ordered her and her first child out of the house because she would not consent to tho child being sent to a home. When they separated ho had agreed to all(sw her 15s. per week, but she never received anything from him. The petitioner went to live with her mother at Potone, where she was still living. Sho had not seen her husband or lived with him since 1913. She was not of the s-anio religion as her husband. A decree nisi, was granted, to be made absolute in three months, and , costs voro allowed the petitioner. Charles Edgar Biirgoyne Jenkins, for whom Mr.' C. Tringhiun appeared, petitioned for a dissolution of his marriage with Emmeline Adams Jenkins on the grounds of desertion. The parties were married in July, 1902, iu England, and there were two children. They tame to New Zealand in 1912, and lived in Wellington. The respondent, who is a. nurse, left her homo iu 1913, and the petitioner had not seen her since. He had olt'erwl her a home, but she refused to return to him. After hearing corrolxjrative evidence His Honour granted a decree nisi, to bo made absolute*in three months. William John White, miuer, for whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared, applied for n dissolution of his marriage with Clara White on the ground of misconduct. Tho parties were married in September, l'Jfll, at Waihi, where they lived. Prior to her marriage with the petitioner the respondent had divorced her first husband. Tho parties kept a boarder named Bergman,' and, according to petitioner, his wife fell in love, with tho boarder. She left her- home o» December 21, 1908, ostensibly for a 1 olidny of five days, but never returned home. Bergman left two days earlier. The petitioner instituted inquiries, and found his wife in tho Auckland Hospital, where she passed under the name of Mrs. Bergman. Petitioner wroto to his wifo requesting her to return home, but sho declined to do so.' Corroborative evidence was given by a policeman who knew the parties in Waihi. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be ma:le absolute in throe months.

James Sheppard, engineer, sought a dissolution of his marriage with Annie Sheppwd on tlio ground of misconduct. The parties were married on December ill, 18116, and lived at InvorcnvgUl. • There were two children of the marriage. Petitioner had reason to accuse his wife of undue familiarity with other men, nnd they quarrelled. The respondent left her home, and eventually she picked up with a man named Macintosh in l!) 01, with whom she lived. She had since given birtli to a third child. Petitioner hail not lived with liifl wife since she left her home. Those statements were corroborated by a witness, and His Honour granted a decree nisi, lo be made absolute in threo months. Petitioner, for whom Mr. J. Scott appeared, was allowed costs.