A BANKER'S BRIDES

Two Half-sisters from Germany BECOME THE WIVES OF A BRITISH BANKER. Guinness Let Free for a Fresh Start. A settlement was reached m the Divorce Court, London, of the suit brought by Mr. Richard Sidney Guinness for the nullity of his marriage on the ground that his wife Helene, was his first wife's half sister. -There waa a second suit m which the wife claimed a divorce on the ground of his alleged cruelty and misconduct. He denied the charged. Mr. Guinness's case was first heard. Mr. McCall, K.C., his counsel, stated that Mr. Guinness's first wife, Emille, was the daughter of Carl Wiener, a factory worker, living m Germany. After the death of Emilie'a mother, Wiener married again, and had another daughter, Helene, the present respondent. While m Berlin m 1894, Mr. Guinness met Emilia, and m January, 1805, they were married m London. Mrs. Guinness brought the present respondent to England, and represented her as a cousin. In 1900, Mi* Guinness went out to Westphalia and learned THE TR.UE RELATIONSHIP of the two girls. .'.' ,; In October, 1910, the then Mrs. Guinness . filed a divorce petition, alleging misconduct with her half-sister, but medical evidence showed that Helene was innocent, and the petition was dropped. The next year the wife brought another suit, citing another co-respondent, and obtained a decree. In 1912 Mr. Guinness married Helene. Mr. Guinness, a man of 46, was cross-examined by Sir Edward Carson: You are a partner m Higginson and Co., bankers, of Lombard-street? — I was. The partnership, was dissolved last month. Was it because no respectable man after your, conduct m this matter, would be a partner with you? — Certainly not. . I Mr. Guinness said he was a director j of the Anglo-American Debenture Corporation, and was connected with sev- J era! .insurance and other companies. ! You lived with your first wife before you married her? — Yes. HE FOUND HER STARVING, he said. Was it philanthropy? — No, humanity. Mr. Justice Horridge: Humanity with compensation? — No. Helene, he said, was 14 years of age when he first met her. He treated her -as a daughter, had her educated, and sent to music professors. Sir E. Carson: Supplied her with whatever money she required? — Yes. Did you fall m love with .her? — No, never. I was very fond of her. \ In 1911 did you form the idea that you would like to get possession of her?— No. I. formed the idea to give her' 'a 'home. When you married her. did you persuade her you had evidence that she

was not the half-sister of your first •wife? — Certainly not. Sir Edward Carson read letters from Mr. Guinness to Helene m which he called her "My dear, my dear, my dear," and alluded to the "FRIENDLY DIVORCE SUIT" •his wife was bringing. Sir Edward eaid the misconduct was 5 with a woman unknown. Did you marry the defendant believing there was the relationship suggested? — I married her believing It probabie that there was the relationship and hoping there was not. And leaving it open to you to chuclc her off the moment you grot tired of her? — There was no such intention. What are you doing now? — I am doing, this to defend myself against her petition. Otherwise I should never have done it. v Is your first wife here to-day? — No; but I have subpoenaed her. Answering other questions, he said he hinted the idea of Helene having the same blood m her veins as his first wife. On the day he married her, Helene handed him a paper from the woman who it was alleged v/aa lier mother, saying HeJene was not the daughter of Oarl Wiejier. Sir Edward Carson": I suggest you got that document yourself? — I did not. When the case was again called after four days' adjournment, a private consultation took place m the Judge's room, and on the return to court, Mr. McCall, K.C., for the petitioner, called "Mrs. Emllie" , to give evidence, and' said that a settlement had been arrived at. Referring to the lady as ; "MRS. EMILIE," counsel said he was extremely sorry to put any questions to her at all, but he would put as few as he could help. . Mr. Justice Horridge, interposing, said that the lady should write down on paper her husband's name. After answering formal questions put by counsel, the witness said she Avished to contradict a statement that she lived with the petitioner before her marriage./ That was a false statement, she declared. Sir EcTwara Carson, K.C., M.P.. for the respondent, said Mr. Guinness had BEHAVED GENEROUSLY m making provision for the lady, and had agreed to pay her £2000 a year, m accordance v/ith the position which she had held as his wife. He desired also to say, to remove any misapprehension m the case of a defenceless lady, that there had never been any aspersion of any kind against her. Mr. Guinness would pay the costs of the petition. Mr. Justice Horridge made a decree of nullity m the first petition, and dismissed the second, and he ordered that the terms of the settlement m the first suit should be made a Rule of Court.