IN DIVORCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 883, 25 August 1910, Page 3

IN DIVORCE.

At the Palmerston sittings of the Supreme Court before his Honour Mr Justice Cooper, a petition was heard for dissolution of marriage by Charles J. Little from his wife Margaret Little, on the ground of her alleged adultery with Frank Yates Lethbridge, at Feilding on June 26, 1910, and on other occasions. Petitioner also claimed the sum of ,£SOO damages from co-respondent. Mr H. Gifford Moore appeared for petitioner; Mr H. R. Cooper for respondent; and Mr A. L. Herdmau, with him Mr L. A. Elliot, for co-respondent. The following jury were empannelled : —K. H. Kidd (foreman!, B. J. F. Perry, John R. Wingate, Edward F. Paisley, T. A. Hardie, S. W. Sutton, Win, R. Smith, Samuel Moses, Ernest J. Tunnicliffe, Charles Heard, Arthur J. Ford, Frederick C. Edwards. His Honour excluded the public during the bearing of the case. Evidence lor the petitioner was given by Charles Joseph Little, James Bates and George Berner Knyvett and Winifred May Avery, ladv help to Mrs Little, and for the defence by Mrs Little, Dorothy Little (daughter), Edith Ellery, Frank Yates Lethbridge and Norman McDonald Lethbridge (nephew). The jury were asked to answer these questions : —Whether the respondent was guilty of adultery with co-respondent, and whether co-respondent was guilty of adultery with respondent. After a retirement of three hours the jury returned a unanimous verdict that the charge of misconduct had not been proved. The petition was therefore dismissed, with costs on the lower scale. In fixing these costs his Honor remarked that he did not wish it to be thought that the Ceurt disapproved of the verdict. Little was a comparatively poor man, and his Honour did n A think he could pay higher costs.