THE SABRIGHT DIVORCE CASE

Temuka Leader, Issue 1528, 21 December 1886, Page 4

THE SABRIGHT DIVORCE CASE

This case was brought up;! for preliminary: hearing in London, on November 12th. The action,was brought by Mrs Arthur Sebright, who asked to hare {he marriage declared void on the ground* that.she was, induced to consent to have the ceremony performed by fear, and that t.hs marriage has ■ never • beoa, consummated. The plaintiff is noted for her beauty. The defendant ii a well known London Club man: The plaintiff's friends assert that the defendant, coveting her private fortune of 200,000d015, managed to inveigle her into finanoial transctions, which finally fell upon her for settlement at a time when she Ihad to choose between refusing' to pay 'and become compromised or escaping,,by, marriage with defocdant and permitting him'toliqudate. At the hearing to-day Mrs Sabright's oouneel admitted the marriage, which he said was performed at a Begi»trar's office 1 in last January, He oontended, however, that no marital relations had ever taken place,, and that the partiei had never .lived together, and that there had been no impropriety in any financial transaction whioh had caused their marriage. Sebright ; had induced .the pctitioner to acoept certain bills, and she had been led to believe that. .the marriage ceremony between her and respondent' .would relieve her of all financial liability, incurred. The. Judge said he thought that under the oiroum. stanoeß it would be impossible 1 to nullify the marriage, and announced that he would hear' testimony with the view to deciding if there was sufficient reason to grant a divorce. Mrs Babright was oalled to the. witness .stand and testified that through her father oho had inherited in her own name 130,000dol„ in addition to a reversion of 150,000d0l on this death of her mother. .She had met Mr Babright when she Was only 1 fifteen j ears; of age, and the acquaintance had been continuous. Be proposed marriage to her after they had been acquainted, a shopt, time only but her mother declined to engagement. Babright continued his visits to the house, however, and was received on terms of friendship. Finally Babright induced witness to engage herself to him in marriage unknown to her mother. r After this he persuaded her, from time to time, to sign bits of paper whioh he supplied. Eventually she ascertained she had appended her name, to notes and bills and made herself liable fqr sums amounting to 16,625d01. When they were served upon' her she appealed to Babright. He said the only-way.-in w.hioh tayj| r herself from ruin was by marrying him.f/ r iWitpess said she refused. Babright next requested the witness to meet him alone. She did so, and he took .her to a place unknown to her, but whioh she learned was a registry office, She wished to leave tbe room a moment, and thus found where she was. Count Botharny, * friend of Babright, who was present, blocked the door, ' atid Babright said to her it hat. he would .shoot; ber if she dared to show that she was not acting with free will in tbe mirriage which he was about to have performed between them, He then forced a ring on her finger, which she threw off, iagain and tried to leave the room. Babright seized her by the arm, foiced her back, and made her sign the register. Witness said she did not hear the Registrar read the form of marriage, nor hear him say anything.; 'f I ; was too upset and too dreadfully frightened." She declined to hear anything at the time. The Registrar deposed that when Mrs Sebright was before him she was agitated, but that she repeated the marriage declaration without any hesitation, and also the marriage form, when Babright took 'her hand. I'S.e added; that subtequently she threw tho marriage ring oh the floor, but signed-the register without any hesitation or domurrjijg.'-'.Lady, flolptt, Mrs Sabright's mother, and two daughters testified that petitioner was completely broken, down mentally and physically after the'cere, mony; and was tremulous and crying, and in eoLstanfc' terror. > Judgment was- given on the 16th, when the marriage was declared annulled, on the. ground that plaintiff, was forced into it by . fear. On the same day Babright wes adjudged a bankrupt. :