DIVORCE SUIT IMPLICATING. A CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 222, 20 September 1888, Page 8

DIVORCE SUIT IMPLICATING. A CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST.

Qht the- Bfch of September, a commercial traveller residing in JS or bh- If ltzroy, named' James William Leighton, petitioned for a divorce from his wife, Philena Leighton, formerly Scott, before Mr Justice^ierierd and a jtfry- 6f 12,i;ab Mielbourueron1 the ground of her adultery with. John x^oble Yates. Mr Topp appeared for the petitioner', the suit being undefended. Petitioner and respondent were married at ColHug wood on the Bth September, 1870, the former, aLoijdoner,beingbhen2Byearsof age, arid the respbndenty born iriKew Brunswick, British North America, 19. Lelghti»n waa before -marriage a portmanteau-maker, and his wife a tailorees. Subsequently the petitioner for a time carried on business a^i a; storekeeper, and afterwai'ds became a traveller. The liviue issue of their union was seven children. In November last a disagreement arose between;1 thorn, and the respondent deserted her, home, leaving a letter for her husband to spate that shel intended taking a situation '»s a companion to a lady on a ship outward found. Leighton mMc every inquiry, but could learn nobbing of her haying left the colony. One of her brothers tiieit told him that he-had apma Hkontha b».J; ;H ; aeena letter in the co-respondent ehand gaddresseul to Mrs:; Leighton in enuv. >j terms, in which he called her Cyrene. dome yeara previously, while -Yateß wa« officiating as minister of, the Christian Chapel, Xygon»treet>, Carltoo, Mr and Mrs Jjiightbn were members pi his congregation. Subsequently Yatua conducted religious cervices in; connection with the Church of Christ, in bue Temperance Hall, Rae-sbreeb, North Fitzroy, and latterly he acted as lecturer ior a, teiii|jeranc6 society. Ho was compelled to resLn his connection with the church fpr aome reason not connected with these proceediDga, but his engagement as a temperance lecturer was terminated when it beeanie known bhai- he had been served with a notice t - defend this 'iuiiv lie was a married man, and his wife died on the 22hd September last. Two months after ward*, as the petitioner subsequently discovered* Yates engaged, rooms fpu Mrs Leightonat a lodging-house in >ibfningb6h, and there they lived under the name of Mr and Mrs Amar for five months with two of Leighton's children. On the 12th April they took their departure, informing the lodging-house keeper that they weie going to America. Yates in the meantime had i taken Apartments iin another lodging-; house in l'rankstou, and they resided there; for' a month. One day; they; left' in j a hurry, and;.an hour .afterwards the; petitioner, who had continued to ; track i them, arrived upon the eceno. Respondent and' j co-respondent •' bave now both disappeared. Yutes appears to have attended to : his bastoral dutieswhilst Mfa Leighton vj'aa secluded in her seaside retreat, for with one exception he wasalwaysaw_ay in Melbourne on Sundays. A drapery bill was.! found, in* the wardrobe of the room they had been occupying at-Morningfcon, addressed to Mrs Aurar, at Murphy-street, South Yarra, where Yates had' been residing iv the early, part of November. , Mr'-Topp asked the jury to give sabstantial damages against the '• corespondoht, There was little probability of the petitioner recovermg anyLhing'from him, but the jury ought to;mark their reprehension of thei bondttct of a man who, gpingabout in the guise, of religion, gob into" p«ome'B nouses and: seducod the female members of his flock while partaking of the husband's Hospitality.' .' :■' -: ' -■ " V- ; ;..; , The jury fonnd, in reply to quesbions,: that adultery had been, committed , between. respondent and 00-reapondent, and acquitted the petitioner of any cruelty^ desertiiSn, wilful neglect or misconduct conducing to the adultery, awarding £2,000 damages against the co-respondent, A (fooree nfe» ; was: grahtedvior the dissolution of tho n>aWiage»~-" Melbourne Age.'