PALMERSTON SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1005, 10 February 1912, Page 4

PALMERSTON SUPREME COURT.

DIVORCE CASES

GIBBS V. GIBBS. The Supreme Court resumed the hearing of the divorce suit George William Gibbs against E. E. Gibbs, respondent, and G. A. Thompson, co-respondent, on the grounds of adultery. After counsels’ addresses, which lasted till mid-day on Thursday, the jury retired and returned at 12.30 to ask if his Honour would take a 10 to 2 verdict. His Honour stated that he would give the jury three hours to endeavour to reach an agreement, and if by that time they were not agreed he would take a 10 to 2 verdict.

At the expiry of the allotted time, the jury returned a verdict by ten votes to two, on the following issues: Has the respondent been guilty of adultery with the co-respond-ent ?—Yes.

Has the co-respondent been guilty of adultery with the respondent ?—Yes. His Honour made an order for a decree absolute to be moved after three months, with costs against the co-respondent, als costs against the respondent to be paid by the petitioner, and recoverable by the petitioner trom the corespondent, costs to include witnesses’ expenses and disbursements, also £5 5s costs second day’s hearing to be paid by the petitioner to the respondeat. KEW V. KEW AND NIEESEN. George James Kew petitioned for a divorce from Hanna Mary Laura Kew, on the ground of adultery with William Nielsen.

The case was undefended. Mr Prior appeared for petitioner, and stated that the marriage took place on January 29th, 1908, the parties then living at Mangaweka. On March xst, 1909, Mrs Kew deserted her husband, and in May a child, of which he was the father, was born. It was alleged that on July 2nd and subsequently, respondent committed adultery with Neilseu, formerly of Halcombe, with whom she was now living at Greytowu,

The evidence of petitioner and Samuel Fee, enquiry agent, Wellington, was taken, after which a decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three mouths. McPhun v. McPhun.

Isabella O, McPhun, of Tokomaru, brought an action against David Alexander McPhun for divorce on the grounds of desertion. The evidence of petitioner showed that the parties were married in January, 1901, at Waikanae, and they lived together until July, 1904, when respondent sold the furniture during his wife’s absence on a visit to her mother. Petitioner had not seen him or heard from him since January, 1906, and was unable to find him. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute after three months, with costs against the respondent on the lowest scale. The mother was given the custody of the child until further orders.