FLEW AWAY

NZ Truth, Issue 1201, 6 December 1928, Page 7

FLEW AWAY

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.'..•■ i ii-i.V • '■ " • • •; v. ",". ' '■ ' (From "N.Z. Truths*, Sydney Rep,) j , Mrs.Gl adys Sahdford, formerly .■ Gladys Herining, a 'tall, father atfikih'g-lo6kirig->-woman F appeared m- the box at Mr. Justice Halse Rogers' Divorce' Court, to ask his Koho"r't& 'grant her. a dissolution of marriage with her husband, Frederick! Esk Sandford, who was a squadron -leader m the R.A.F. during the War, ' :■ .. i .. ; ..-,.••■' THE ground-. uppnwhioh- the -divorce '; wa^i. „asko'a;:^w;?A wilful, desertion ■without -Just cause '•or. excuse for three years arid^pwairds;' , 'Airman Sandford did not', appear and' was not represented 'by .counsel. •■■•. •, , .* . petitioner,! who' was fashionably at-. tired, 1 removed her •glove' to' take 'the b;oqk when'beirig sw.orh. SJie told' the court that she married Frederick . Esk Sandford at St.- Mark's Church of England/ Darling .Point, on April' 3, 1920. !§pth;-w l ere -29 .years, old, at, the time. She was a, widow,' and he was a.squadron -leader; in the Rdyal Air : Force. His' addre.ss. at; that period Was RqyalvAero Clubi London, England. Hfe^yifiastheison of a gentleman pf independent; mearts : and a native of New^Sp.uth Wales,: while. she beionged'to'Remuera,.Auckland, New . V .Zejala'nd.' "; ' '." ' ' Prior, to their 'marriage, Sari'dford ; had^beenUb'the War, and?he-had joined up". with the Air Force and had seen service', m [Egypt and elsewhere. . He; Was jiri Egypt m. 1923,- -but > left there for. ■Australia m October of the same year, and returned to Australia. ' ' After. his return the;coupfe gradually became, estranged. :She.«:devel.6ped a nervous .-breakdown and other illness, and he' told 'her "A sick wife is no go"od' to me." .He went back to. Egyptyand she did- not -see him .'for;, a long- ''time; But she understood he was now m Australia.- ' • ' l •, ' ' Six Months In Bed Mrs. Sandfprd -handed his honor a copy of a letter she sent to her husband, and when he had perused it he asked her if she had received , a reply to it She next submitted a letter received from her husband, and his honor asked her if she ; had replied to It. . ■ ■-„•■ - "I -did not reply,"' she answered. "I was too ill. I was six months m bed." Mrs, Sandford. explained that after, she was well enough she summoned ' Sandford,to the Children's ■ Court and asked for. support. She secured an order, but after paying about £80 he knocked off paying, and she had not received anything since.' . His honor: What do you do for a • llylng?-r-l have been. selling shares oh commission, but at' present I am . a oommeroia! traveller and maintain myself and my mother. . Estelle Muriel Qhristian, a very small woman, not half .the size of Mrs. Sandford, to her close relationship with the latter over a long period of time,*- during' the whole of which the elusive < Frederick Esk Sandford was not visible., Both m Australia and New Zealand she had lived with Mrs. Sandford .and had never seen her husband about the nor had she known her . to . receive . support from him . recently. His ' Honor expressed his satisfaction with the evidence offered, and granted Mrs. Sandford her decree nisi, made it returnable m six months, and . ordered Sandford to t pay the costs.