BREAKING THE BONDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 362, 24 May 1928, Page 1

BREAKING THE BONDS

Divorce Day at Court HEAVY LIST DEALT WITH ALTOGETHER 67 petitions for the dissolution of marriages were set down for hearing by Mr. Justice MacGregor and Mr. Justice Blair at the Supreme Court this morning.

In the majority of cases mutual separation and desertion provided grounds for action. Non-compliance with orders for restitution of conjugal rights affected 11 cases and alleged adultery 10. • • • On the grounds of mutual separation Georgina Alberta Stuck (Mr. Vialoux) applied for a dissolution of her marriage with Theophilus William Steven Stuck. The parties were married in 1904, stated petitioner, and lived happily until 1918, when as the result of differences they separated. A decree nisi to be made absolute after three months was granted. * * * Stating that his wife was fond of town life, Arthur Grimshaw, of Taumarunui (Mr. Hall-Skelton) also applied for dissolution of his marriage with Clemintina Louisa Grimshaw. A decree nisi to be made absolute in three months was granted. • • * A CRUEL HUSBAND Married in Manganui in 1910 Alice Low (Mr. Matthews) told the Court that her husband, Henry Low, had acted with cruelty toward her. They lived together last at Ho«i Hora, where they worked as a married couple. In December, 1924, he was dismissed and left the farm, stating that he would not have anything to do with petitioner or her children. Sine® then she had kept herself and her children, and had received no support from her husband. A decree was granted. • * • NATIONALITIES CLASH Warfare between England and Germany induced a similar state of affairs in the home of Percy James Pettit (Mr. Haigh) who applied for a divorce from his wife, a German woman, Arma Ottelia Paulina Carolina Franziska Pettit, On the grounds of mutual separation. Petitioner, an engineer, said he was married to his wife in 1914 in London. In 19.15 he came home on furlough from the war and found his wife’s attitude was “very difficult.” About the middle of 1916 he had more leave and found her attitude ‘'quite impossible.” “Two of her brothers fighting for Germany had been killed in the war,” said witneaa, “and her sentiments were against the British.” Pettit said the last he saw of his wife Was in 1919. He came to New Zealand in 1922 and had lived here since then. Mr. Justice said he would look into the question of domicile and reserve judgment in the meantime. *•••■■■• • On the grounds of non-compliance with a restitution order, decree nisi was granted on the petition of Henry Richards McGarry (Mr. Wood) against

Emily Shirley McGarry. McGarry said he was married in 1909 in Ireland, and had lived in Philadelphia. He*had been in New Zealand for 14 years. An order for the restition of conjugal rights had not been complied with. • * • Laura May Clemei-ts (Mr. Goldstein) was granted a divorce from Ernest Clements on the ground of non-com-pliance with an order for restitution. Petitioner was granted custody oi the child. * » 9 Deserted by her husband, Herbert Montague Leslie Hudson, in 1923, Mary Inez Muriel Hudson (Mr. Nutsford), was granted decree nisi to be made absolute in three months, on that ground. * * * “In February, 1925, at Morrinsville, my wife left me and kept away,” said Jens Elias Bjorvik (Mr. Holmden). Since then he had applied for restitution of conjural rights to Anne Arnolda Bjorvik, but without result. Decree nisi was granted. A decre nisi was granted in the case in which Lilliap Colson (Mr. L. P. Leary) petitioned for a divorce from Ernest Colson on the grounds of roncompliance with a restitution order. The parties were married in May. 1905. * * • Three years together was sufficiently long for Emily Sophia Budden (Mr. Stilwell) and Lewis Gothard Budden The wife, an elderly woman, petitioned for divorce on the ground of mutual separation. She said she was married in 1921, and in 1924 the parties agreed to separate. A grown-up son of a former marriage gave evidence that his stepfather had not returned to the home since 1924. A decree nisi was granted. * • • Marriage to a travelling showman was not a success, according to the petition of Frances Maysie Baskiville (Mr. Strang), for a divorce from George Patrick Baskiville. Mrs. Baskiville said that she was married in 1915, and had lived In various places in New Zealand with the respondent until 1923. In that year she was granted a separation order from him on the grounds of failure to maintain and habitual inebriacy. A decree nisi was granted, and petitioner was given custody of the two children. • • • ANOTHER WOMAN For 24 years Sarah Julia Poole (Mr. Watson) and Arthur Edwin Poole lived together, and then the wife accused the husband of "having relations with another woman.” Poole left in September, 1923, and paid only £2 in maintenance since then, according to his wife, who petitioned for a divorce today on the ground of desertion. She said she had been compelled to go to work. A decree nisi was granted.