NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1930, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

WJ EE’S SEVEN LOVERS

BERLIN, December 20. How many lovers jutiy a woman ol fashion have? This question was raised in a Berlin court yesterday during tJie hearing of an action brought by a husband for the annulment of his marirage. His counsel said that, his client ban discovered that his wife bad had 15 lovers before' the marriage. “Jt nearly broke my heart,” said the husband, a. perfectly dressed young man. , ‘‘She had only seven, and the last was -her husband, who took her away from her husband,” replied the wife’s counsel. The wife was a pretty girl of 21, ana she sat in court in a magnificent coat with a collar that was high enough to conceal blushes. The list of the seven lovers, all wellknown men on the turf, was read out, and then her counsel turned the tables on the husband by reading a long list of women with whom lie had had love affairs. Well-known women in Berlin society, actresses and film stars were included in this list. The court appeared to hold that the husband’s list cancelled the wife’s, and die petitioner lost his ease. The wife is now bringing an action 'or divorce. BANNED NOVEL. NEW, YORK, Dec. 20. The sale of a copy of Mr D. H. LawIre nee’s novel “Jjadv Chatterly’s Lover” lias brought Mr James A. de Lacy, 1 the. manager of the Du.nster House Bookshop, which serves Harvard professors and undergratuates, a sentence of one month in a house of correction and a fine of £IOO.

Alien imposing sentence in the Superior Court, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, Judge Fosdick said: “The book, viewed as a whole, is beyond reasonable doubt obscene, indecent.

and impure.” But the methods by which a conviction was secured were severely criticised by the prosecuting and defending counsel, and even the judge said that- the court entertained no cordiality for.the manner in which the New England Watch and Ward Society had obtained its evidence. The District Attorney, Mr Robert T. Buslmell, said that he wished the public to understand 'that he did not endorse the Society’s policy or tactics, and proceeded: I serve warning that, as long as I am District Attorney, if tile agents of this society go into a book store of good repute and induce and procure the commission of crime, I will proceed against them for criminal conspiracy.

For the defence, Mr Herbert Parker said, more scathingly: “They are a de-ested type of witnesses, who linger within the somewhat withered vineyards of'our moral prohibitory laws. These miserable false pretenders who pose brazenly as protectors of public morals, are nothing. . . .