UNHAPPY HOME

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 340, 28 April 1928, Page 11

UNHAPPY HOME

HUSBAND SEEKS DIVORCE JUDGE RESERVES DECISION The defended divorce petition of William George Bright against Maria Catherine Bright, which commenced on Thursday, was continued yesterday afternoon before Mr. Justice Blair. The ground was mutual separation, and the petitioner, for whom Mr. Richmond appeared, stated that an agreement had been drawn up but had not been signed. The parties were married in 1899, and lived together until 1920, when they separated. Petitioner stated that his married life had been extremely unhappy, because of his wife’s slovenly and careless habits in the house and her preference for the Church to th© home. She had, he said, driven him from his home. For the defence, Mr. Sullivan said that If there had been mutual separation it had been brought about by the wrongful conduct of the petitioner. When Mrs. Bright was 111, her husband had been flirting with a maid, and had also had “affairs” with other women, although respondent did not accuse him of impropriety. She would admit that she went to church on Sundays, but was not in the habit of going every night in the week. She denied that she had neglected the home and the six children. Petitioner had a nasty temper and had often used bad language toward her. The quarrels had been because of his coldness to her. A daughter of the litigants stated that her father had been very unkind to her mother, and the home had been unhappy as long as .she could remember. His Honour agreed to hear legal argument next week before giving his decision.