A CRICKETER’S DIVORCE SUIT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1298, 17 March 1883, Page 4

A CRICKETER’S DIVORCE SUIT.

• In the Divorce Division on 21st of December, Sir James Hannen had Lefort* him the case of Scotton v. Sootton, which was a suit for a dissolution of the petitioner's marriage with her husband, William Henry Scotton, a professional cricketer, and proprietor of of the Boat Inn at Beesten, near Nottingham There was no defence. Mr R. A. Gillespie In opening the case, said the parties were married in 1877. About three monts after his marnage respondent appeared to have beaten his wife, and in June, 1878, when she was near her confinement, he assaulted her in such a way that he caused her great pain and made her extremely ill. In September following she seperated from him, and went to live in Lamcotes-street, Nottingham. The respondent joined her afterwards, and some improvement in his conduct took place. He afterwards commenced his ill-treatment, and both blackened and bunged up her eye*. On a Saturday in August, 1880, the respondent | again violently assaulted the petitioner, and • left to fulfil, a professionci engagement at Cheltenham. Before leaving, lie said if he | found her in the house on his return he would j kick her out. There was only one act of ad- ; ultery charged, and that was alleged to have taken place on the 13th of December, 1880 the petitioner only recently becoming aw are of the fact, and respondent having since been on Australian tours. Mrs Ann Scotton, the petitioner was then examined, and corrobrated the opening statement. Robert William Hamming, of Nottingham, said he was employed by the plaintin s solicitor to serve the citation on the respondent. He served it on the 10th of October last at Beeston. He said it was quite true about his going with Polly Bennett to Derby. He and his wife could not agree, so they parted. Mrs Mary Ann Jane Kerr, a milliner, said she ! knew the respondent. On the 13th December 1 1880, she was staying with her husband at a ! refreshment house in Derby. The respondent also stayed there the same evening with a 1 young woman named Mary Bennett. Witness's husband told Mrs Scotton about this ■ fact. They passed the night together as man I and wife.—Sir Jamea Hannen : That is suffi- j cient. I pronounce a decree n<sa writh|costs, ; and order the petitioner to have custody of . the child.