Transatlantic Chase,

Levin Daily Chronicle, 24 September 1918, Page 3

Transatlantic Chase,

SOLDIER BROTHER CITED AS CORESPONDENT.

DRAMA OF MANY PLACES.

A remarkable story of a chase ove: America after a runaway wife was told by Mr Harold Eraser feimson, a London merchant, who cited his own brother. Major Arthur Fraser Simson, as co-re-spondent in his suit for a divorce. Mrs liay Francos Simson, the wife, and Major Simson, had abandoned a defence that liad been entered before the case came on for hearing in Mr Justice McCardlo's court. Mr and Mrs Simson, were married on April 9„ 1897, at Sydenham ,and.afterwards'lived at Sydenham and in Hampshire. They had two children. In 1904, said Mr Simson, in Ms evi denee, his >vifc told him she was going to visit some friends in Argyllshire. Next day he found a letter from her in which she announced that she was gping to Canada with his brother. He , immediately made inquiries, and at a 'shipping office in Lveipool learned that a cabin had been booked by a steamer that had sailed on July 14 or 15 for Montreal, and that the cabin had been booked in the names of Captain and Mrs Simson.. He decided to set sail on July 16 by the s.s. Lucania for New York, hoping that by travelling overland to Montreal he should arrive there before" the boat on which his wife and brother were travelling. He in New York on July 23, aJid hurried across the city in time to catch /the train for Montreal, arriving at the latter place the same evening. A relative had already met his wife, and subsequently he saw her and had great difficulty in persuading her to leave his brother and return to Mm. TJtilmatcly she consented to do so, after police pressure had been brought to bear upon th c brother. He returned to England with her, and they continued to live together until a year ago. He had reason at times to suppose she was still in communication with her brother, but lie had suspicion that there was any further misconduct. In September last his (laughter was doing war work in "Wiltshire, and his wife, \vith the view of being near her, stayed at the White Hart Hotel, Salisbury. He proposed to pay a week-end visit to Salisbury on Friday or Saturday, September 14 or 15, and on the morning of the 14th he had handed to him at his offico in Knightsbridgc two letters both written by his wife the one addressed to him and the other to his brother, Major Simson, at the Eoyal Automobile Club, Pall Mall. To himself she stated that the hotel at Salisbury was full, and suggested he should*, postpone his visit, wMlo the letter to his brother invited him to eome down, she having secured rooms. Upon rccpipt of these letters he (petitioner) immediately wtjnt to Salisbury and found his brother at the White Ilart Hotel in his wife's sittingroom. He asked for an explanation, and his wife said she had no excuse to offer. Later, on October 3, he received a letter from her in which she said: "You spoke the other night of my living in the house as a sister and as a friend. . ...... I 11G ™: sta . n ' l it. You' are a young man still, with good health, etc., and probably _ many years before you. How can tlus sort of thing go on? It seems kinder somehow more human, to let us both ge anothor chance in life." Evidence of Major and Mrs_ Simson staying at an hotel at Kcswiclc was I adduced, and his lordship granted thc petitioner a decree nisi with costs and | the custody of the younger children.