WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 30 January 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). STRANGE STORY OF A RUNAWAY WIFE. VOYAGE TO NEW ZKALAND. MARRIED FATHER'S GROOM.

London, December 10. I A strange and pathetic story of a run-: away wife's voyage to New Zealand in the Rimutaka was told in tiie Divorce Court this week. "Only a chapter in one of the most, tragic records in the life of a young woman which can possibly be imagined," said her counsel, Mr. Duke, K.C., in outlining his defence on behalf of Mrs. Gwendoline Pretty. The King's Proctor had intervened in a divorce suit in which a decree nisi was I granted to Mrs. Pretty, a girl of twenty, who married her father's groom. The King's Proctor alleged that material

facts had been kept from the Court, and that Mrs. Alfred Pretty had herself hew guilty of misconduct with a Mr. Alfred Halfpenny, junr. Mr. and Mrs. Pretty had lived in Sun-1 ningdale, where Pretty became a flydriver. About May, 1908, Mrs. Pretty made the acquaintance of Alfred Halfpenny, junr., who drove a fly for Mr. Pretty. Subsequently Halfpenny mentioned that he was going to New Zealand, and Mrs. Pretty asked if he would take her. Accordingly Halfpenny went to London on June 9* 1908, and booked two passages to New Zealand. The couple met at Waterloo, and stayed for several nights at a neighboring hotel. .They went on board the Rimutaka, where ,'a cabin had been taken in the name 3 of Mr. and Mrs. Halfpenny. On the voyage they quarrelled ovsr an engineer on] board, and when they reached New Zealand Mrs. Pretty went to some rich relatives, and Halfpenny started work as a plasterer. When she returned to London Mrs. Pretty started divorce proceedings against her husband, and nothing was said in court about the woman having left her husband with Halfpenny. Mrs. Pretty denied that any misconduct took place. Alfred Halfpenny, junr., who had been summoned from New Zealand to give] evidence, supported the King's Proctor's case, Mr. Duke, K.C., intimated that j not a worn of Halfpenny's evidence was admitted by Mrs. Pretty. Halfpenny said Mrs. Pretty raised £llO, which she gave him.to buy two passages to New Zealand. They stayed at an hotel near Waterloo station before going on board the Rimutaka. . After leaving Capetown he taxed Mrs. Pretty with paying too much attention to one of the engineers, and she slapped his face. When she did it again he hit her back, and she went off to sleep in the stewards' quarters. The captain ordered the witness not to speak to Mrs. Pretty again. CAPTAIN INTERVENES. "Did he accuse you of attempting to commit an assault upon her?" Halfpenny was asked. He denied this and told counsel that

he.talked to Mrs. Pretty after the row on board ship, and when they got to New Zealand she wished him good luck in a new country and gave him a book, in which was written, "Alf., from Gwendoline." Mr. Duke's cross-examination was directed to elicit that there had been no improper relations between the witness and Mrs. Pretty.

"The night after you left Capetown did you go down to the lady's cabin?" asked counsel. —No.

Did you have a struggle with her, and was it then that she bit you?—Xo; that was a night or two afterwards. She called for help, and went down to the cabin of the third-class steward?— Yes.

The next morning did the captain say the,lady had made a complaint that you had attempted to assault her? —No. Did the captain say that he had put the lady in another cabin, and that if you interfered with her for the rest of the voyage he would lock you up?—He didn't say that exactly. He said he would look me up. ,

In re-examination, Halfpenny stated that on the passage contract note he gave his age as 24 and Mrs, Pretty's age as 20.

A TRAGIC RECORD. Mr. Duke, K.C., for Mrs. Pretty, said that when the jury had heard the whole of the story they would see that the remarkable series of occurrences about which evidence had been given only formed a chapter in one of the most tragic records in the life of a young woman which could possibly be imagined. Mrs. Pretty was now only twenty-one years of fige, the daughter of a gentleman and with wealthy connections. At an early age she lost her mother, and when only eighteen or nineteen years one of the men servants assaulted her. In consequence of her condition she married the man, and lived with him for a twelvemonth, practically an outcast. Then she decided to live with her husoand no longer. She communicated with her relatives in New Zealand, and, being an outcast in this country, and in the hands of a man who was taking advantage of the position in which he had placed her to fleece her, insult her, and degrade her, she decided to leave. I The fact 'was Halfpenny, whose aci quaintance she had made at his mother's I a month before, told her he had travelled on hoard ship a good deal, and she | asked him to get her a single secondclass passage to New Zealand, in order to get away from her husband. It was not till they reached the London hotel that, for the first time, Halfpenny made a profession of attachment. She repulsed him, and it was not till they got on board ship that she knew the cabin for two had been taken. "When she repulsed Halfpenny's advance he agreed to desist, but threatened that if she said anything he would tell the captain, who would put her ashore. It was thereupon agreed that they should occupy the two berths in the cabin, but no adultery took place. In consequence, however, of Halfpenny's conduct, Mrs. Pretty wrote to the captain, who put her in another cabin, and warned Halfpenny against molesting the lady.

Itrs. Gwendoline Joyce Pretty, in the \iox, said she was the daughter of Mr. Francis Savary, of Farnllam. Tn 1000 Thomas William Pretty was employed hy hev father as a groom. On New Year's Kve, 1000, Pretty seduced her. They

•\vore married in the following May at a registry office. j His Lordship: Did you tell your j father?— No.

Why?— Because I had been away from him so long that t was afraid. At first, said .witness, she went into domestic service, but only for a little while, as she and her husband went to Sunningdale, where they took the cab business, for which her father found the money. Previously, when she had been unsuccessful in obtaining money from her parent, Pretty abused her. He treated her badly, and taunted her before others of having been obliged to marry him. Subsequently, when she had decided' to accept an invitation of flier relations to go to New Zealand, she consulted Halfpenny on the subject of getting there. Witness denied that there was any suggestion that Halfpenny should go to New Zealand with her. .Mrs. Pretty went on to tell of her coming up to London in June, 1008, and meeting Halfpenny at Waterloo, going afterwards to the hotel. This was the first time she had come to London unaccompanied.

SCENE IN HOTEL. Afterwards,, continued witness, they we. io the hotel, where a room had bem i-huaged. Late in the evening Halfpenny came in and, asked what he wanted, said lie had come to tell her about the ticket for the steamer. He asked her about her finances, etc, and then suggested she should throw in her lot with his. "I was very angry, and told him I would have nothing to do with him; that I had left one man and did not intend to have anything to do with another." To assure him she meant wnat she said witness took up her wed-aing-ring which she had placed in her bag, and threw it out of the window. Halfpenny • threatened her by asking what was to prevent him informing her husband of her whereabouts. They remained in the room together discussing the matter until towards morning. Halfpenny expressed his sorrow, said he had not meant what he said, and that he would go as soon as possible. He went away and witness went to bed. Continuing, Mrs. Pretty said the next evening, when she saw him, Halfpenny expressed his wish that she had forgotten his behaviour of the night before. He did not come to the room that night, but next morning warned her not to go out, as Sunningdale people were looking for her. He said he had secured her a nice cabin, and next day she learned for the first time that he was also going to New Zealand on the vessel. Mrs. Pretty said that when Halfpenny, on the way to the ship, informed her that he was going to New Zealand, she was angry, and said: "You need not worry; you will be going second, and I shall be third. You will be a fine lady again. Seconds don't mix with thirds." ON THE RIMUTAKA. On board Halfpenny showed her to her cabin, and followed her in. He tried to take her m his arms, but she threatened to go to the captain. ,

He said, "I will tell him that you I are a married woman running away from your husband, and that you owe my father money. He will put you ashore at Plymouth, and my father will have j-ou locked up." Mrs. Pretty said that Halfpenny offered her a wedding-ring and promised he would not touch her. She promised to say nothing, and he left her. At * night tliey slept in their day clothes, and she in the top bunlc and he in the lower one. Before the ship reached Teneriffe he tried to kiss her. She threatened to go to the captain, whereupon he offered to let her have the cabin to herself, and after the ship left Teneriffe he slept on deck. The night after leaving Capetown she woke suddenly and found Halfpenny tnere. There was a violent struggle, in which she bit him, and finally escaped and went to the stewards' quarters. She informed the captain of what had taken place, and the captain placed her in a separate cabin. Halfpenny, when he neit saw hev, said he would "be even with her." Mrs. Pretty said the only relations between Halfpenny and herself were "purely business relations." "ARM-IN-ARM ON DECK."

Mrs. Pretty was cross-examined by Mr. Rawlinson. He referred to the evidence of stewards on board the Rimutaka, who swore that they addressed the lady as "Mrs. Halfpenny," and she never objected. They also said the two seemed on good terms, walked arm-in-arm in the deck, and Halfpenny called her "dear." Mrs. Pretty denied these statements, but said she once played cards I with Halfpenny and others.

Mr. Rawlinson: Here was a man you say had trapped you on board the ship, and had made improper overtures to you. Do you really tell the jury that you were playing cards in a friendly way with him on deck ?—When I was asked to play I did. | Mrs. Pretty added that she told the story of throwing her wedding-ring out of the window to her solicitor before coming into court. When did you first mention that Halfpenny gave you another ring on board ship?—At the same time.

What became of that ring?— Witness produced it from her pocket.

The Judge (examining the weddingring) : It bears traces of having been worn a good deal. I should have thought you would have done anything rather than have worn this ring! Continuing her evidence, Mrs. Pretty said she made the acquaintance of a Mr. Stephens, a barrister, a friend of her father's, who was subsequently consulted as to divorce proceedings.

Mr. Turroll: If you arc successful in this suit are you going to marry Mr. Stephens?—l am. And does your father approve of this marriage ? —He does.

| CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE. The evidence of Captain Greeustreet, who was in command of the Rimutaka in June, 1008, was read, it having been taken on commission. Ho said that when the vessel left London on June 12, IflOS, there were on board two thirdclass passengers passing under the name of Halfpenny. His attention was not directed to them until he received a note after leaving the Cape, asking for an interview, and signed "Gwen Savory." Up to then the lady had passed as ''Mrs. Halfpenny." She made a communication to him in the nature of a complaint. She said that the man Halfpenny had attempted to assault her. She showed hiniv

a bruise on her forehead. She- told him about running away from home, and asking Halfpenny to 'get a ticket for her. She told him that she hud come from Sunningdale, and be thought she said she had left her husband there, and that she did not know until she got on board shio that she was going in -the name- of Halfpenny. He put her in another cabin and spoke to Halfpenny about the matter. He did not remember saying anything in reply. He told Halfpenny that if he interfered with Miss Savory during the rest of the voyage he would lock him up. Halfpenny came to him just before arriving at Wellington, and asked what he was going to do with him, and that he was miserable. Witness advised him to clear out as soon as they got in. He saw petitioner just before she left. ' She told him that she was going out to her uncle, Sir George "X," whom he afterwards saw.

Mr. Arthur Ralph iStephens, who said he was an M.A., Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in June, 1007, stated that he first saw Miss Savory (Mrs. Pretty) about Christmas, 1908, while living at Gerard's Cross. He was now engaged to be married to her. Halfpenny, the witness added, admitted to him that no misconduct had even taken place between him and Mrs. Pretty.

VERDICT AGAINST WIFE. In summing up, Mr. Justice Bargrave Deane said truth was said to be stranger than Action, and it was for the jurors to determine whether Mrs. Pretty had told the truth in this ease. Her whole story was certainly very extraordinary. The jury found that Mrs. Pretty had committed misconduct with Halfpenny. The Judge said he was not prepared to deal with the matter at this moment. He would consider what he would do. He had discretionary power, and he might be able to exercise it. Judgment was therefore postponed. Mrs. Pretty broke down when she heard the verdict and sobbetl bitterly.