£1,500 Divorce Damages.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 143, 16 June 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

£1,500 Divorce Damages.

Wife's Pitiful Letters After the Family Friend Had Acted the Betrayer.

In the Divorce Court, London, Mr Fredcrickerick Romer, solicitor, of Bedford Row, obtained a decree nisi with costs, and £1,500 damages. Mr Nicholas Devereux, stated to be in the Army, was cited as the corespondent. 'My wife told me,' said Mr liomer, • bhat she was very annoyed witb Mrs Devereux, who was stupidly jealous of her. I agreed with her, it was very absurd thab Mrs Devereux should be jealous, and I had no suspicions whatever.' Twelve days later the unsuspecting husband wont to Brussels, and the day after ho arrived there he received a telegram informing him that his wife had eloped with the jealous Mrs Devoreux's husband. The whole story iB a sad one. Mr Romer, when only 24, married a girl of 18 whom he had known from childhood. For a time they livod very happily together, said Mr Lockwood in his opening statement, and they became great triends in 1891 with Mr and Mrs Devereux. This name hid the identity of a Young and Popular Actress— Miss Annie Hughes, although counsel didn't say so. The two families last year shared a cottage at Henley. Devereux was a man of ieieure, but Mr Romer had to come up to town five days oub of the week, and did not get back till 7 o'clock. It was in August that Mr Romer went to Brussels, where he received the crushing intelligence that his wile had eloped with his friend. From that time tie had never eean her, bub be had from time to time received pitiful letters, appealing for hia forgiveness. The first of these came from Paris as early as 16th of August.:—'l am here in Paris, dying in misery,' Mrs Romer wrote. ' I was taken away by a trick, and drugged, and only came to myself on the boat, when I was told I was being taken to you in Brussels. For God's sake come and take me away, or I shall kill myself. He says he is taking me from Paris to-nighfc, I do not know where. I am in some back street, and have Nox Been Allowed to Go Out . or see anyone since I came here. Ido no fc know where I am going, but put an advertisement in the ' Daily Telegraph' on the chance of my seeing it. He watches me day or night. If I never see you again, do nob think me the vile creature you must, but only pity me.' In another letter she said: ' I have tried hard nob to write to you, but my hearb is breaking. I cannob bear you to think me so very bad as they have tried to make me out to bo. You would feel sorry for me if you knew all. I know to my bitter cost thab I care for you more than for anyone in the world. Come to me if you have a grain of pity in your nature. For my darling little girl's cake, come. I have sab on the platform of Gower-sbreot Station every evening to try to catch a glimpse of you as You Pass in the Train. Do nob refuse to Bee me. I want you to hear my story from my own lips, i dream every nighb lam with you all again—and I pray I may never wake. lam nob altogether bad—there is some good in mo, and there is nothing I would nob do to redeem the past. I would lay down my life to have one kind word from you again.' How far the wife's allegations were true, said Mr Lookwood, he would not stop to consider. But Devereux had behaved abominably, cruelly, wickedly to his friend, and it was quite possible that he might also have behaved treacherously to this poor woman. Mr Romer, in claiming damages, sought no personal advantage, but was only trying to compel Devereux to make provision for his victim. Evidence was taken very shortly to prove that Devereux and Mrs Romer stayed together at Newhavejj, Dieppe, and in Paris. There was no defence. Mr Justice Jeune observed to the jury thab the letters in the case gave him the impression bhab Mrs Romer was a woman who, bub for Devereux, might have led a chaate and happy life. The jury found for bhe petitioner, with £1,500 damages.