“WIFE AS SISTER”

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 11

“WIFE AS SISTER”

AMAZING DIVORCE STORY. An amazing tale was told in the Court of Session, says the Glasgow Herald of February 26, when Lord Blackburn, heard evidence in an action of divorce at the instance of Barbara Grieve or McCall Smith, residing in Edinburgh, against her husband. Dr. George Marshall McCall Smith, Rawene, North Island, New Zealand, and Lucy M. Scott, codefender. Pursuer said the marriage took place at Tranent in September, 1907, when her ■husband was in practice at Strathmiglo. Witness in 1913 knew that her husband had become acquainted with the co-defender, but she was unaware of any impropriety. In June, 1914, her husband told her he was going off to New Zealand with the co-defender. That was a terrible shock to her. He proposed that witness should go to New Zealand also. She was to play a part, sister or something of the kind, but was not to be hia wife.

Her brother, who was present at the interview, said this wa« madness. There was something said about co-defender’s state of health, and defender said he always hoped that the co-defender would not live long and that things would come all right. Dr. Robert. Stirling, Perth, said defender was his partner from 1908 till 1914. He was not aware of anything being wrong until June, 1914, when defender left Perth for London.

Witness went to London, and found defender and co-defender in a house in Euston Road. He did his best to persuade them to give up their project and cancel the passages to New Zealand. Major Grieve, a brother of pursuer, spoke of interviews he had in Scotland and in London with defender, who said he had been a blackguard, and was going off with co-defender. Defender’s attitude was that what he was going to do was perfectly right. He proposed that two of his four children should go with him. and that the pursuer should follow with the other two and live in New Zealand, but not near him.

His sister had acquiesced in that arrangement, defender being a strongwilled man, and it being put to her that it would be best for the children. Defender signed a trust deed which provided for payment of aiiment at the rate of £lOO a year for the pursuer, and £5O a year in respect of each child. i His Lordship, in granting dewee, said he would fix aliment as m the deed of agreement at £5O a year for each child.