SHE CHANGED HER MIND

NZ Truth, Issue 1186, 23 August 1928, Page 5

SHE CHANGED HER MIND

Trotting Owner's Wife Throws Off Matrimonial Harness V (From "N.Z. Truth's" Specia.l Auckland 1 Representative.) " Because I love him! " retorted Maria Catherine Bright, respondent m recent divorce proceedings, when counsel put [the query to her: "You looe your husband so much that you "want him to be tied to you for no purpose on earth. Why?" ,

CHANGING her, mind is a truly feminine prerogative, though, and last . week Catherine altered hers to the extent that she petitioned the court to rid her of William George for all time on the ground of his desertion. Lawyer Hanna championed Catherine's cause and told Judge Blair that his honor had presided over the previous hearing, when the husband's petition for divorce on the ground of mutual separation had been dismissed. The latest proceedings were being brought on the admissions made by William .George' Bright m his evidence m the earlier easel The judge had held on the husband's petition that the separation had been brought about by his conduct towards his wife. In "N.Z. Truth's" account of the previous case, on May 10 last, m which it was stated that William George Bright, the petitioner, was a prominent sportsman arid trotting owner, the judge was y." reported; as having said that he had apparently tired of his wife and had gradually weaned himself from the home. His honor would not suggest that' he had spent his time with other women; he might have spent it at his club. He had not observed even the ordinary amenities 1 between husband and wife, all the wife's advances being rejected. His correspondence had disclosed him as a domineering, dictatorial mar and hisT habit of swearing at his wife had made her 1 very unhappy. • Bright had deliberately set himself out to .force his wife to turn hirii out of the. house; because; she would not do so, he did it himself. "The separation has been brought about by the wilful and wrongful conduct of petitioner himself. The petition is dismissed." Lawyer Hanna tendered, a newspaper report setting out the judge's decision as given above, at the

Husband's Choices

' 4 same time remarking that Lawyer. Singer, present to watch the husband's interests, agreed that it was . a correct record of his honor's ver- - '..' diet. y Likewise, Lawyer Singer had perused tlie depositions taken m the earlier proceedings and was satisfied regarding the admissions made therein by Bright, which no ( w. constituted' the ground for the present action. "Truth" readers will recollect the Bright .divorce case «of last session, during iwhich William George Bright candidly admitted a liaison with his housekeeper while living apart from his wife whose advances he had rejected. v / • He declared that he preferred to go to prison rather than live with Catherine, Whom he accused of extravagance, neglect of her home and children, and with being "virtually church mad." Defending the action, Maria Catherine Bright accused Her husband """ ' of flirting with the maid, while she (the respondent) was ill m bed; with being unduly friendly with- other women, including a "Mrs. T." and a' "Mrs. H.," cruelty m his treatment of her, neglect and refusal. to live with her as a husband. . ' • She also gave a general denial to his allegations concerning herself. After Catherine had told his — honor last week that she had mar- " ried William George on May 30, 1899,- she sketched an outline- of Fjer matrimonial troubles. The v judge was' already familiar with them. Mrs. Bright said the unhappiriess culminated m. her husband's departure from the home m July, 1920, arid despite her efforts to 'induce him to return to her, he had not done.so; Judge, Blair, helped Catherine out of the matrimpnialTharness by graritirig her a decree, to take effect. in three months. , ■ ■ ■*. '■■-'.■-■. •'