A FARMER'S DIVORCE

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 293, 11 December 1899, Page 4

A FARMER'S DIVORCE

WIDOWER AND WIDOW,

A BRIEF HONEYMOON.

SUPEEME COURT SUIT.

A divorce case which had some rather peculiar features was hearti at the Supreme Court civil sessions today, before His Honor Mr Justice Conolly and a jury of four. This was a suit' Thomas Fletcher (petitro'ner)

v. Mary May Fletcher (respondent) and Thomas Godkln arid Fred. Duck' ering (co-respondents). Petition for decree nisi for dissolution of marriage. 'Mr C. J. Parr appeared for tha petitioner, and Mr F. E. Baume for the co-respondent Thomas Godkin. Th e respondent was present, but was not represented by counsel. Xo answer to the citation was filed by Duckering, but Godkin had filed a denial of the allegations.

Mr Parr said the petitioner-alleged tftat his wife had committed adultery in 1896.with Fred Duckering, theiri fanner at Drury, and now in the e'inploy of tiie Direct Supply Co.. and subsequently w.i>h Thomas Godkin. hotelkeeper, of Drury. Both the petitioner and co-respondent had been previously married, the former twice.

Thomas Fletcher, the petitioner, a middle-aged man, deposed that he was a farmer residing at Hoteo North,.in the Port Albert district. He had been a farmer there for-nearly thirty years. He had had two wives beforej:he present one. His first wife died about 1801. The second wife was also dead, land the respondent was his third wife.' He married the present respondent in iMay, 1593. at Spring-street, Ponsonbjy' lin the respondent's house. The Rev, W. S Potter performed the ceremony,. He lived with his wife there for a* fe*\* I days (from Thursday to the following"----j Wednesday), and then returned to Jin home at Hoteo. leaving his wife is Auckland. The arrangement was thaihis wife was to come up and joit him in a month or six weeks, selling.! her furnifnic in town. His wife was;, widow (Mrs Thompson) when he mar ried her. She had one child—a girlby her first ir.arria.ge. His wife dv : not go up to ;,oin him as arranged He wrote to her, and in Novembe (about six month? after the marriage} he came to Auckland. He had heai4 nothing of her during those vsis months. Ho went to the house where his wife lived, and- found she.was. not- there. There was a woman in. charge (Mrs Evans), but she woula not tell petitioner where his. wife was, He returned t& his farm,- and earl)1; in December received a letter. (produced) from his wife, iff .which slip wrote: — . . . . .»" '■:■[ "Spring-street, Ponsonby. Mr'Flet* cher: Sir. —I heard from my' house» keeper that you was in town inquir-; inf for me. Well, you have a cheek,? as yo\i know, or ought to know,.!:,; don't- want to see you again. I am. going to run away with the one 1 love. T won't mention names. 1 have committed adultery. already, and-an? going to have an increase, so don't': trouble yourself about me more~r Mary. May Thompson, -or rathe?' Fletcher."' .'■ : X The petitioner weiit on to say tha?: in the following year (IS9T) he-founcv that his wife had" had a child, and hf'j ! ascertained that it was registered, by its mother:'a's illegitimate in tKenanif, of . Fred. Duckering- Fletcher. . Tisf date of birth was ■March 1, IS9". It?: death was also registered- the samp, time, with the Registrar of Birtisi and /Deaths in the jDrtiry distil Sometime after this he received a lefcg ter from his wife, dated Hargrea^e| street, October 20, 1397, in which sfe° said she was again enciente, but said if Fletcher -would take her back again' no'one would know but what th| child was his. She asked petiioner to forgive her, and take her back, hiit at the same time accused him of being the cause of the trouble. She tfirra ened to . come and turn his housekeeper out. Petitioner never hitd";r| woman in the house except his sis'teft Subsequently Mrs Fletcher wrote ana said her remarks about being eneienfe in 'the previous letter were not tritS| they were only made to vex the pet| tioner. She expressed contrition,^ asked her husband to take her back. She concluded by asking him to dreai of her. for after all there was' "no.,<M like a wife," and saying: "Hiig .the pillow and think you are hugging me." : Petitioner went on to say that .since: 1593 he had not lived with his'wiffv and from the time he left her on the week after the marriage he had not seen her until this morning. > i F. H. Williamson,. solicitor, deppjs| to serving.the citations on Godkin fijj Mrs Fletcher' at Bamarama.. TKfj were living in the same house.>.sfj|, Fletcher admitted having comnritilg adultry with Duckering. Godkin 0* Mrs Fletcher was only- his housekeeper. . ::•;• Samuel Walker. Eegistrar of Birth* and Deaths for the Drury district, gave evidence as to the registratio: of the birth of an illegitimate cluja by Mrs Fletcher. '■ 'Bridget Paul, of Mt. Eoskill,^ that when Mrs Fletcher came to stay with her some-your years ■ shetWS about to have a child, and said Dn<* ering was the father. She said s^e had never cared for her husband Duckering came to witness's tyW to visit Mrs Fletcher. •Constable Foreman, of Papakjtf?!. gave evidence: as to Mrs Fletcher Iff' ing in the hotel at Drury; which kept by'Godkin.. Witness last Decer ber laid a complaint before the ;Id<*»' sing Bench concerning the, womaft The license of the hotel was subsequently transferred. ' Godkin .-y]M bought a farm near Eamarama, '?R he "and Mrs Fletcher went .tp' »» "til 61*6 ■ ■"' ■ * Cross-examined by Mr Baume: 'W Fletcher while at Drury Hotel. ; .W: often very abusive, especially.':«W under the influence of liquor. _?»« once accused witness of trying .to M liberties' with her. . but aftenva.^ apologised for the. statement,. w»e! was untrue. She was on one °Vca^ convicted of using insulting langu??,| On. more than one occasion she c, the hotel to take employment.;^ where, and other housekeepers w1 employed while she wa9 away. , Thomas Beaney gave evidence.as . the relations between Gcdkin and Fletcher at Drury. He spoke of pm iarity between the two. Cross-evU ined"by Mr Baume, witness said W; kin and the respondent occupied.^ ferent bedrooms in the hotel. -.^ Fletcher was the only woman wprKWs in the hotel. ri* William McGee, farm labourer, u$ posed that he had been working J; cently on Godkin's farm at-Bamnram* Mrs Pletcher and her daughter, were living there, were sifp'pps^ .\ use one of the bedrooms (of w" r there were two), and Godkin the o^, , (Left sitting.) - ;--^.j :