DOROTHY'S DIVERSIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 74, 27 March 1919, Page 5

DOROTHY'S DIVERSIONS.

AUCKLAND CLERIC'S DIVORCE. DRUNK OR DRUGGED. (From Our Special Corespondent.)' LONDON, February 10.

Among the plethora of divorce cases heard at Royal Courts of Justice last week was the undefended suit of the Rev. Mr. Henry Edgell, an ex-missionary, who hae held curacies in Sot Zealand, including one at Auckland, and is now a temporary chaplain in the Royal Navy. Ke made the usual allegations against hie wife Dorothy, whom he married in New Zealand in 1010. Three years later, according to Mr. Le Bas. his counsel, Mr. Edgell heard disquieting rumours about his wife's free and easy conduct with men, but declined to give credence to them. However, in 1913, Dorothy- admitted that she was in love with a certain man- To break the attachment Mr. Edgell got transferred from his curacy to another church at [Auckland, hut later discovered that his wife had been carrying on a correspondence with a man, who afterwards went to the war and was killed in Gallipoli. Owing to hie wife's conduct he decided to take her away from local temptation, and in 1916 carho with her to England, and presently joined H.M.S. Hecla as chaplain, proceeding to sea in October, 1917. Whilst away he received from her a communication in which she confessed that she made a fourth at dinner at the Trocadero with a lady friend and two gentlemen, friends. The letter continued:—

"For some time previously I had entirely given up having wine for dinner, but that night I took some—just an ordinary moselle or light champaigne — about a glass and a half. I remember nothing from the time we left the 'Troc' till I found myself in my flat very much upset, and with a man. It appears the wine either went to my head or that this man drugged mc, which is a common thing in London. I think 1 lost my reason. I made him go, and I have never seen him since. His name was mentioned as killed in the casualty list last month. I saw the other girl last Monday, and asked if the wine upset her. She roared at mc. She said she thought the wine had upset mc. 1 could not understand it, as I had had bo little, which made mc positive the man had put something in mine, I beg you not to judge mc too harshly for what has happenedTry if you can to realise my feelings all this time, and to put yourself in mj position."

Mr. Edgell telegraphed to his wife: "I understand. God blese you. Peace and love." But later letters to his wife, signed "Teddy" and "Gordon" came into his possession, and apparently convinced aim that his wife's lovers had not all died for. their country, so he wrote to the lady intimating that all was over between them, and entered proceedings for divorce. He was granted the usual .decree niei, the lady evidently thinkin" it not worth while to even make an a£ tempt at defence.