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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1988, 25 January 1907, Page 1

EXTRAORDINARY DIVORCE CASE. SENSATIONAL ENDING. LONDON, Doc. 15. Olio of the most remarkable matrimonial cases ever before the Divorce Court lias come to an unexpected termination in the withdrawal of some very serious charges. Tho parties to the suit were: Mr. William Evans, a young gentlomnn, 25 years of age, said to be very well connected and wealthy, anil formerly an o(Uccr in the 4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, who in 1900 married Miss Lucie Watkins, the daughter of a Staffordshire coachman, who at tho timo of her marriage was employed in a milliner’s establishmon tat Ttydo, Isle of Wight ; Mr. Frank Priaulx, connected with a well-known Guornso.v family, a wealthy young man, who, owing to delicate health, has spent, some time farming in South Africa; Air. Thomas F. Norhury, secretary of a Stratford-on-Avon brewery company; and Airs. Dardino Simmonds, who was mentioned as intervener.

Tito suit was n cross-petition for divorce, tlic husband asking for a decree against liis wife on the "round of her alleged misconduct with two co-respondents—Mr. Priaulx and Mr. Nortmry. Mrs. Evans petitioned for divorce, making a number of foul and odious charges against, her husband. She admitted misconduct with Priaulx. hut denied it in the case of Norhurv, who was dismissed from the suit, no evidence against him being offered. Letters written -by tho woman Evans wore;read, and proved of the most) outrageous nature, At last her counsel, Mr. Shearman, rose and said that, the evidence had taken him so. entirely by surprise that ho must ask for time to consider the position. This was accorded, and on the Court resuming yesterday Mr. Shearman at once rose and stated that he wished unreservedly to withdraw all the charges which Mrs. Evans had made against her husband. Ho had carefully considered the lady’s position in the' case, and he did not intend to offer any evidence. He thought the judge would understand that after certain evidence, which was put bcforo the Court, both he and the gentlemen who instructed him (Messrs Lewis and Lewis) were placed in an exceptionally difficult position. They wore taken by surprise by some of the evidence, but had be tlien declined to continue the case ho would have had to take upon himself tho responsibility of leaving tho lady destitute Now, however, Mr. Evans said he was prepared to make a small monetary provision for the lady and satisfy her costs, and he (counsel) thought she would accept the offer. On behalf of Mrs. Evans, he unreservedly withdrew all charges against the husband. “more particularly one, which I will say nothing about.”

Mr. McCall, K.C.. said lie only wished to say that his client had no desire to go back from the offer contained in the letter in which he said he was prepared tb make his wife an allowance, and was anxious so far as he could to avoid leaving her destitute and thrown on the streets. Mr. Evans asked for .an unconditional withdrawal of the charge of cruelty and the more odious charge: and those charges being unconditionally withdrawn, he had no objection to what was ordinarily done, to jiay the lady’s taxed costs.

Mr. ’William Evans, the petitioner, thon went into the witness-box again, and was asked by Mr. Barnard, K.C., “Is there a word of truth in any of these charges?” “None whatever,” replied Mr. Evans, emphatically. Mr. Justice Bargrave Deane, addressing the jury, said ho should first aslc them to return a verdict in the case as to whether the husband had been guilty of cruelty to his wife. On that there had been no evidence offered, so' they would find for him. On the second point no evidence had been put forward by the wife, but,” said the judge, “we have got in Court a series of books, pictures, and photographs of such a character that I am sure you will be glad it is not necessary for me to show them to you. They are so offensive and so disgusting that I am rnoro than pleased that they have not got to be produced for your inspection.” Mr. Evans had sworn they never belonged to him, and the jury had seen a certain number of letters put in, which would, no doubt, satisfy them as to how the pictures carno to bo brought into Court. There was no evidence that they belonged to the husband. “I am suro, gentlemen,” concluded the judge, “it is a satisfaction to you to know that the case has come to such a proper end.” The jury, having declared that Mr. Evans was not guilty of any of the charges alleged by his wife, the judge granted a degree nisi, and ordored the wife’s costs to be taxed and paid by the husband. The judge: I propose to order the officer of the Court to destroy all those books, photographs, and pictures.

Mr. McCall: Will your lordship suspend that order until the decree is made absolute? The judge, after some discussion, said he would have them all sealed u pand endorsed. They were not to be opened except by his order. Mr. Barnard (for the husband): Will your lordship say that the letters are not to be included in that order? The Judge: You mean the Watkins letters? Mr. Barnard: Yes, The Judge: Yes, perhaps they had all better go together. Most of the evidence in the case was too uttterly fold for publication.

FEMININE BANDITS. LONDON, Dec. 15. “What are girls coming to nowadays?” is often asked by the dear old ladies who yet survive early Victorian times. Well, it is really not easy t'o say. Quite recently a very pretty and coquettish young Irish girl entered upon the business of discovering Irish deserters from the army and entrapping them into custody. Having discovered them, she soon made their acquaintance, and at once began to flirt with‘them, diliberately sett ing herself to fascinate them and win their affections, which, being accomplished, as was most invariably the case, she suddenly handed over her victim to a sergeant and filo of soldiers who were in ambush hard by, and then laughed at her disconsolate and deluded adorers, who, it is said, felt her perfidy far more keenly than their certainty of severe punishment. Not long ago, too, somewhere in Hungary, Or Bohemia, another very pretty and charming young girl was chosen as the captain of a guerilla band noted for its audacity and success, but still more for its cruelty. It turned out, when the members of the gang were ultimately arrested, that this charming feminine leader was solely responsible for the fearful cruelties practised on the victims. For while the masculine brigands cared only for plunder, this young girl’s delight was to torture her victims most exquisitely to test their endurance, or for the mere fun and excitement of the thing. It was the stipulation that each victim—after all obtainable plunder had hcen wrung from him—should be handed over to her, bound hand and foot, for her to torment, which she did until death or madness ensued, it being her special amusement and occupation to invent refined tortures for the sufferers, and also herself to inflict them. And now the news comes that several weeks ago a girl named Flva SherrifF, aged 17, has been terrorising tile countrv for many miles round “Marian, Indiana. Influenced by her lover, an outlaw, she dressed herself in men’s clothes,' and set out on a horse-thieving expedition, much valuable stock falling into ber hands. She successfully evaded all attempts to capture her until a few days ago, when she was found hiding in an abandoned limekiln and secured. Really some girls arc very nice in those civilised days!

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