SENSATIONAL DIVORCE SUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 167, 27 July 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

SENSATIONAL DIVORCE SUIT.

CURATE'S .DOUBLE LIFE

A very painful story wns told to Sir Francis Jeune in the Divorce Court last

month

The Ilev. James Henry Thompson was the villain of the piece. At one time he was a lieutenant In the British Army. He was of intemperate habits, and one day he shnffled on to the parade ground drunk. Then he was dismissed the service.

Later he managed—how was not told—to g«'t ordained, and he became curate first at West Bromwlch. then at Gulval, near Penzance, then at Beaulieu, near Southampton, and finally at Fawley, an adjoining parish.

While at Gulval he became acquainted with a girl, who was referred to as Jane, His wife—he was married in 187!)— spoke to him about the girl, and he met her objections with assurances of honesty. Afterwards Mr and Mrs Thompson and a child whom they had adopted moved to Bpbulieu. The man persisted in taking Jane with him, his excuse being that he wished to get her an appointment as pupil teachtr,

He took his meals with Jnno, and his wife rind her sister tr«k their meals alone. Mrs Thompson threatened to leave the house, but wavered. Later she found a letter, dated May 8, 1893, wVittcn by her husband. It began: "My own ever darling little wife," and continued:—

"It is love and love, the deepest, the fondest love that ever man was capable of. which is the secret of my complaint. My darling Janey, I do not think you w|ll ever really know how strong, how deep, how overwhelming is my love for you, my precious little wife."

Reference was made to someone surprising them kissing In a railway carriage, and the letter concluded:—

"And now good-bye, darling, with fond est and deepest love and heaps of kisses.— Your ever-loving and devoted hubby."

When that letter was found Jane had left the house. But another heart-break-ing episode was discovered. In 1898 there was a girl at Beaulieu School named Maud Young. She was 11 years of age. The curate schemed to corrupt her, and succeeded. When he went to Fawley In WOO he taught this girl to write love-let-ters to him, and to wrLte partly in cipher. Later she and her sister went into Mrs Thompson's employment as domestic servants. Then it was that Mrs Thompson became suspicious, and she left her husband. But she was forgiving, and promised to return If her husband would reform, SENT TO GAOL. The reconciliation was not effected, as Thompson was arrested on a charge laid by toe girl's father, and last November he was sent to gaol for 12 months with hard labour. Mrs Thompson applied for a release from her matrimonial bond. She was eas ily able to prove cruelty. She was so infirm and broken-down as the result of her husband's treatment that she could not walk to the witness-box, and had to give her evidence while sitting at the solicitorstable. She was so changed that even her sister had failed to recognise her. Pending the trial, she told the judge, her Husband had professed penitence, yet all the while he was corresponding with Maud Young. One letter to her read:— "My own ever darling sweet little Maudie,—l don't know into whose hands this lettor may fall, so you Will understand why I do not use our usual terms. I am having the bicycle done up for your father. I am giving it to him for your sake, darling. "I wonder if yon received the letter 1 wrote the other day. I have only written one besides this since I saw you. You w-JH stick to me, darling, won't yoti? Be true to me In every Way, and keep all your pro* mls"es faithfully. You can trust me. I WIH do all I said t would and. keep all my promises faithfully.

"Don't believe anything they say against me. Don't listen to it. I thought I would just like to write these few words before the trial comes off. No matter what hap pens, I will never give you up. So trust me Implicitly. Stick to me through thick and thin, through cloud and sunshine.

"I have been perfectly true to yon In every way, and will always be so. Wait patiently, darling. I am your very, very own, and you are mine. I shall look out for you at W—*• I have lotely things for yoii, but I suppose I must not give them to you until all Is settled. "I don't know yet what L. [the petitioner* Is going to do, but have perfect faith In me dafllAg. No matter how long we may be separated, all will come right before long. I dare not write as I should like to You will understand, darling, but W these few lines to tell you that noJh'ihg will make the slightest difference to me I will never give you up. You are mine for life, and beyond that, and I am yours. Be true aS steel In ever? way. Keen all your promises and never despair. Sour owl ever loving and devoted HSb^mlnable conduct of the respondent" waf the judge's comment in granting a decree nisi.