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Dunstan Times, Issue 360, 19 March 1869, Page 3

Tho following amusing Divorce Case before Sir James Wilde, is reported in the “Liverpool Albion” of 23rd November : “The petitioner was the wife of tho Rev. D. W. Davis, of the diocese of Ripon and Manchester, and her alleged reason for divorce was his continued ill-treatment, because she was disinclined to prosecute a suit in Chancery against her brothers, who were trustees of her father’s will. She said that he had struck her several times, and once threatened her with a bill-hook. Mrs. Davis herself was the chief witness to make out her case. She was a person of education, but gave her evidence in rather an eccentric manner. When asked whether she was really alarmed at the bill-hook, she said that she thought her own thoughts, she had stated the facta, and that the Court must draw its own conclusions from them When Sir James Wilde pressed her on the point she rep led, “You are a judge, judge for yourself.” At a later part of her crossexamination Sir James put the question once more. Witness.—Can you make me answer you, judge? Sir James.—No. Witness.—Then drop it. (Laughter.) Matilda Hemmingway, a servant, gave strongly confirmatory evidence Once he throttled her till the blood came out of her ears. The respondent, in defence, said bio. wife’s conduct was so strange and eccentric that he believed she was out of her mind. Her way of managing her child was, in his opinion, contrary to all common sense. She would keep it sitting in a basin of cold water for from half an hour to an hour at a time. She would also allow it to run about on tho cold stones naked, and would give it while a baby strong drink, which made the child roll about on tho floor. A judicial separation was decreed.”