Sequel to Divorce Talk

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1922, Page 1

Sequel to Divorce Talk

PARIS, Jan. 13. Accused by his wile, .Mrs Ryan, formerly -Miss Audrey Creighton, an Ymeriean violinist, of forcing her to lake poison, -Mr Tliomas Steward Ryan, in American journalist in Paris, made a statement to-night before an examining magistrate denying the allegation. Mrs Ryan, who is stated to have swallowed three poison tablets, is now in the American hospital at Xeuilly, aijd her condition is said to be improving. Yesterday she declared to a magistrate whom she bad summoned to her bedside that she had been separated from her husband for some time. On Wednesday night, at his request, they hail dinner together lor the last time, as they vvfcre arranging to get a divorce. Afterwards they went to his rooms at an hotel in the Rue de Rennes. Mrs Rvan’s deposition proceeds: “Suddenly mv husband brandished a knife and threatened to kill me and to cut his own throat unless l swallowed some tabloids. Frightened, and hardly realising what 1 was doing, 1 took them. Immediately 1 felt a terrible burning sensation in my throat. HUSBAND’S ACCOUNT.

In his statement to the examining magistrate Mr Ryan said : “4 went to India to improve my financial position. Then 1 wrote to my wife asking her to join me. When she refused 1 gave up my post and came to Fiance to try to persuade her not to leave me. Last Wednesday I arrived in Baris.” When he remonstrated with her for having refused to join him in India, he learned for the first time, he said, that the main reason why she was unwilling to do as he desired was that she was m love with another man.

From his statement, it appears that Mrs Ryan took the poison when she was asked by her husband to consummate their long distant marriage. ‘‘Never!” she cried, “I would rather die!” Mr Ryan, according to bis statement, thereupon replied, “If you wish to die you have only to swallow sonic of those tablets in my suit case.. While his hack was turned, lie said, this is what she did.

“KILL YOURSELF TOO.” tie heard a murmur of pain and saw his wife gripping her throaL “'C God, I have done it!” she whispered. “If you love me, kill yourself too. Mr Ryan said he tried to do as he was told, by inserting the blade of a pocket knife into his neck and wrists, but the blade was too blunt. He rushed into the hotel hall for help, crying, “She has killed herself!” and later took his wife to the nearest public hospital jin a taxicab. . Asked why be was not at his hotel when the police called, he said: “I could not stay another minute in the room :or even in the hotel, where such a tragedy had taken place. It was my desire to get the awful sight of my wife poisoning herself in such agony out of my mind.” Mr Ryan is a special correspondent of the Chicago Tribune. The affair is alleged to follow a series of marital disputes between Mr Ryan and his young wife, whose case has been before the Paris courts for four years. Mrs Ryan petitioned for divorce on the ground that she had been forced to marry her husband by bis alleged threats to kill i her and himself. I Mrs Creighton, the wife s mothe , ! savs the couple separated immediately after the marriage ceremony. My i daughter,” she said, “was just 18 and ! v ery impressionable at the time. Mr Ryan was then a soldier and came to France with, an ambulance unit.