DIVORCE COURT.
TARANAKI PETITIONS.
LIVED WITH ANOTHER.
In the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, Mr. Justice Reed dealt with some of the divorce cases set down on ,the list. On the grounds of alleged adultery, James McNeil, of Eltham, sought a dissolution of his marriage with Catherine McNeil, Francis J. Wall, “of parts unknown”, being cited as co-respondent. Mr. A. A. Bennett appeared for petitioner.
The husband’s statement was to the effect that he was married at Hawera in October of 1914, and for a time worked in that district. Wall was unknown to Mrs. McNeil until introduced by witness, and from then on he visited the family on a number of occa-
sions. On one occasion respondent went into Hawera at night- with Wall, and did not come back until morning. She explained that she stayed with a married sister, but it appeared later that ehe only left the children there and told her sister eshe was going back home. In 1917 McNeil secured a house in Hawera,
and; at his wife’s request took Wall in as a boarder. He was persuaded by Wall to go sharemilking for Mr. Neil Brown at Pukengahu, and Wall lived with petitioner. Mrs. McNeil occuiied one front room, McNeil slept in a jack room with the children, and Wall occupied the other front room. A girl of fifteen was also staying with Mrs. McNeil.
Petitioner went into camp in July 1918, and while he. was away Mrs. McNeil and Wall continued to live on Brown’s property. McNeil said he did not like the idea of his wife staying, and obtained special to go back
and fix up his affairs. He returned about the first week in October, and, on reaching the house about eight o’clock at night, he found supper waiting for the co-respondent, and Mrs. McNeil was sitting by the fire in her nightdress, covered only by a dressing gown. He told her he wanted her to shift, but she
said she was going to stay and keep house for Wall. Later McNeil shifted his furniture from the cottage. As far as he knew his wife.and Wall continued to live together. The wife’s present address was unknown, and service in connection with the case had to be ef-
fected by me/ns of, newspaper advertisement. There were three children bj tfie marriage, and two of these had been adopted. The third, and youngest, was in the custody of petitioner’s parent-. A birth, certificate was handed in
showing that Mrs. McNeil had become the mother of an illegitimate child at Wanganui. Evidence was given by Eric A. Hilton, registrar of births at Wa-
nganui. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months, with cos,s against the co-respondent. The p-ni-ticner was given the interim custody oi the youngest child.
DISLIKE OF DOMESTIC LIFE.
A wife’s quarrelsome nature, dislike of domestic life, and subsequent desertion, were the grounds on which Robert J. Pyne, of New Plymouth, petitioned for a dissolution of his marriage with Mary Lavinia Pyne. Mr. C. H. Weston appeared for petitioner, and there was no defence put up. According to the evidence, the parties were married in 1903, and lived at Stratford and also at Inglewood. There were three children, boys, whose present ages were 17, 15 and 12 years respectively. The marriage was a very unhappy one (the husband stated), the cause of the trouble being the wife’s very uncertain temperament. She was of a quarrelsome nature, and had differences with her own people and her neighbors. She did not like domestic work, and endeavored on two occasions to desert petitioner, finally leaving him for good in December of 1917. Some time ago she eommui|ieat n d with her husband, asking if he intended getting a divorce, and stating that if he did not, she would take steps to have the marriage dissolved. Mrs. Pyne was at present working in Wellington, and when her husband off.-red to withdraw the petition she said he need not. do so, as she had no intention of returning. His Honor granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months.
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Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1921, Page 8
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689DIVORCE COURT. Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1921, Page 8
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