MARRIAGE TIES SEVERED

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1926, Page 11

MARRIAGE TIES SEVERED

SEQUENCE OF DIVORCES SIXTEEN DECREES IN A MORNINGTRAGEDY OF LIVES AT VARIANCE. Tlie tragic result of the mating of lives that just simply did not fit in, the disillusionment that followed when two people of incompatible temperaments were married in haste and repent at leisure —it was not an elevating phase of life that formed the basis of the work of the Supreme Court in New Plymouth yesterday morning, as witli methodical regularity the Chief Justice (Hon. C. P. Skerrett) repeated at intervals >f about ten minutes the formula that a decree nisi would be granted, to be made absolute in three months. The petitions for divorce, all of them undefended, were brought before the Court, and ten decrees were granted, all in the space of less than ninety mimites. while in addition six decrees nisi were made absolute. On the grounds of separation, Maud M. Boyle petitioned for the dissolution of her marriage with Frederick K. Boyle. The parties were married in England on March 12, 1904. and after coming out to New Zealand, were ultimately separated by an order of the Court at New Plymouth on August 2, 1923. There were four children of the marriage, all of whom have been under the care of the mother. A decree nisi was granted, to be' made absolute in three months, the interim custody of the children being given to the petitioner until the decree is made absolute. Respondent I was ordered to pay £l5 costs and disi bnrsements. GROUNDS OF SEPARATION. Separation was the reason for an application by Philip Priske for dissolution of his marriage with Florence Priske. The case presented some rather unusual features. Both parties were of an advanced age, having been married or March 10, 1896. There were no children of the marriage, but the parties lived happily together until May I, 1922, when, as a result of a land deal by petitioner, a serious quarrel occurred, and as the wife threatened to kill him if he continued to live with her, he stayed with a friend for about six months, and after that lived continuously at the Okato Hotel. The wife continued to live on 55 acres of freehold property, petitioner paying the rates, and from this property respondent was still obtaining a living. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute after the expiration of six months. Joseph H. Pickering applied for dissolution of his marriage with Norah D. Pickering on the grounds of separation. The parties were married in New Plymouth on January 8, 1919, and in May, 1923, they separated, a deed of separation being executed on May 9. There were no children of the marriage. Since separation the respondent has supported herself. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months. HUSBAND’S CONDUCT THE CAUSE Separation was the ground on which Alice Ross applied for dissolution of her marriage with Reginald Ross. The parties were married at New Plymouth on November 24, 1909, and on February 9, 1923, a separation order was made on the grounds of failure to maintain and I habitual drunkenness on the part of the husband. There were five children of the marriage. Petitioner applied for the custody of three of them. The youngest, she said, was in a home in Wellington. Maintenance was being paid by the husband. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months. Custody of the three children ■asked for by petitioner was granted her, and costs amounting to £l5 and disbursements were allowed against respondent. On the grounds of separation, Charity Pearl Parkinson was granted a decree nisi against W. T. Parkinson. The parties were married on July 15, 1899, and after the marriage lived in Hawera. A separation agreement was entered into on September 10, 1923, since when the parfies had lived apart. The petitioner, was given interim custody of the youngest child, and a decree nisi was granted to be made absolute after three months.

DRUNKENNESS AND CRUELTY. Habitual drunkenness and cruelty were the grounds on which Nellie M. Blacklock petitioned for the dissolution of her marriage with William G. Blacklock. Petitioner stated that they were married on February 8, 1916. There had been one child of the marriage, but it died soon after birth, and the only child living was one legally adopted into the family. Respondent 'began drinking to excess about a year after the marriage, and became addicted to drug-taking also. In private life respondent’s treatment of her was grossly cruel. As a result petitioner left him last February, and since then she had supported herself and her child. Medical evidence was given by two doctors to the effect that conduct on the part of the husband, such as was alleged by the wife in the witness-box, was grossly cruel. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months. Interim custody of the adopted child was given to the petitioner, and costs amounting to £l5 and disbursements were allowed against respondent.

ALLEGATIONS BY WIFE. I A story of faithlessness, cruelty and threatening behaviour was told during the hearing of the petition of Jane Rosewarne for the dissolution of her marriage with Samuel Rosewarne. It was stated that the parties were married at Okaiawa on August 3, 1896, and had lived consecutively in New South Wa’es | and at Horopito, Whangamomona and i Hawera. Ten children had been born of | the marriage. Tn February, 1922, the I wife was forced to leave the husband i while they were living at Ohangai. The ! reason was that the husband not only I co-habited with a Maori girl, but knock - ■ ed his wife down on several occasions, I dragged her about the floor, and threatj ened to shoot her. On October 5, 1922, the Court granted an order of separation on the grounds of cruelty. During the last fiv: years, however, only £lB has been paid by the - husband as maintenance. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months. Costs amounting to £l5 and disbursements were allowed against the respondent. GROUNDS OF MISCONDUCT. On the grounds of misconduct, Beta M. Johansen was granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months, as a result of her petition for the dis-

solution of her marriage with William L. Johansen. It was 'stated that the parties were married at Dannevirke on May 19, 1920, and there were two children. The petitioner became suspicious in January, 1925, that her husband had not been faithful, and subsequently he made a written statement admitting misconduct. Petitioner forgave him, but he continued to misconduct himself with another woman, with whom he was now living, and who had given birth to an illegitimate child. Interim custody of the children was given to petitioner, and costs amounting to £l5 and disbursements were allowed against respondent. On the grounds of misconduct, Dennis S. J. Couchman petitioned for the dissolution of his marriage with Mabel Couchman. Albert Richards, now of Sydney, New South Wales, was named as the co-respondent. Petitioner stated that the marriage took place at Paten on July 31, 1916. Since then he and his wife lived in turn at Hurleyville, Alton, Tongaporutu, Urenui and Waitara. There were three children of the marriage. In January, 1924, the wife allegedly committed misconduct with the co-respond-ent, who was a bridge contractor she had met at Urenui in 1923. Letters were produced, said to be written by the respondent in Australia, in which it was stated that she had been living with the co-respondent. In some of the letters she indicated that the eo-responi-ent would not treat her as his wife, but ir. any ease she said she could never return to the petitioner. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months. Costs amounting to £l5 and disbursements were allowed against the co-respondent. GROUNDS OF DESERTION. On the grounds of desertion, Ethel I. Baker petitioned for a divorce from E. J. A. Baker. On April 20, 1910, the parties were married at Launceston, Tasmania, but later eame to live hi Invercargill. Since March, 1915, petitioner had been living apart from her husband, and had been maintaining herself and her child. A decree nisi was granted, and the interim custody of the one child of the marriage was given to petitioner. Desertion was the reason for a petition by Emma C. Russell for dissolution of her marriage with Albert Russell. The parties were married at Hendon, England, on April 5, 1913, and later came to New Zealand, where they lived in Wellington. On July 17, 1923, respondent left his wife, who had heard nothing of him since. There were no children of the marriage. A decree nisi, to be made absolute at the expiry of three months, was granted. DECREES MADE ABSOLUTE. Tn the following cases motions to make decrees nisi absolute were granted: Alexander Murdoch v. Katherine W. Murdoch; Mary H. Appleyard v. Eric J. MeF. Appleyard; Annie Bellringer v. Eric N. Bellringer; Sophia C. Herbert V. Sydney Herbert: Robert G. Gillington v. Blanche V. Gillington; Marion Friedlander v. Jonas Friedlander.