HUNTED LOVERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8790, 18 April 1907, Page 4

HUNTED LOVERS.

The sequel to a meeting on board ship and an ecxiting chase over the Hartz Mountains came before Mr Justice Bargravo Deane, in Londou not long- ago, when Mr William Thomas Strutchbury, a Welsh surveyor, living at Bettws-y-Coed, obtained a divorce from his wife, Sophie Mary, on the grounds of her misconduct with Mr E. Fleetwood Chidell,. of independent means. The parties were married in 1881 at Christ Church, Highbury. They afterwards lived at various residences in Sydney (New South Wales), and in Surrey, and there were five children. Respondent, wlrilo returning home from Sydney in 1905, made the acquaintance of ooresnondent, and he afterwards lived next door to Mr and Mrs Strutchbury at Wimbledon. Petitioner noI ticed an intimacy between his wife S and co-respondent and he made up ! his mind to remove somewhere else. Mr Strutchbury took his wife away to Park Grove. Soon afterwards she disappeared, leaving the following note: —

"July 8, 1903. It is no good clear, I cannot do what you want. Tilings have gone too deeply, and I hare ■been too wounded by you all for .it to be possible for mo ever again to bo head of your house, or even to venture to correct the girls. You have made what was a perfectly innocent and harmless friendship into a vile thing, and I feel as though cTery rag of honour and self-respect had been torn from me. I cannot live like that, so, dear I am going away to earn my own' living; away from all the ill-natured tongues, and from your reproaches.'' Afterwards petitioner put in the newspapers the following advertisement :

"To M. S.— All your dear ones suffering terribly. No home now. I am stricken down. Entreat you by all that is good and holy to return at once. Will be forgiven and lovingly taken back. Do send your address to me at once.—W.T.S."

Petitioner got no answer to this advertisement, and did not know where his wife wag. Ultimately lie learned that she aud co-respondent had eloped together, and he, with respondent's brother, went in search of them. He nearly caught them at the Hartz Mountains, wheie in a village they had been passing as Professor aud Mrs Noma. He heard that they had gone to Berlin, and * followed them there. She returned to her husband at Dawlish, where he was ill, on August 3rd, 1905, and she must have hoard of his illness. Petitioner received her and forga'vo her; but she did not seem happy or at all penitent. She finally left him aud wrote him a long letter, dated August 21st, which contained the following passage:— "I cannot yet promise to utterly cast off the poor soul, co-respondeiit, who lias only me in the world, who has given up every one for me. . . Meantime, I cannot aud will not cast advift this poor soul that has clung to me.'' Then a petition was filed alleging adultery ou the Continent, and subsequently a supplemental petition ; was filed alleging actoltery in Engand in October, 1906, at Kegent's Square, London. Petitioner was ■ called. He said that there were five children of the marriage, three of ' whom were grown up. His wife returned fiom Sydney alone, and met co-respoudout on board ship, and she afterwaids told witness of her making his acqaintanco ou the journey home. After she left him he learned that she ard co-respondeut wore ou the Continent, aud he £went atfer them. At a tiny village in the Hartz Mouuntaius, ho nearly caught them, and subsequently traced them to Berlin. His wife then returned home, but seemed perfectly indifferent. A decree nisi, with costs, was granted.