DOCTOR SEEKS DIVORCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 3, 3 January 1920, Page 15

DOCTOR SEEKS DIVORCE.

WIFE DISCOVERED UNDEB TABDE. HEE HAIRPIN STORT. I Dr.'E. L. Sortatn, of Brighton, petitioned or a divorce from his wife, the daughter •f another Brighton doctor, on the ground f her misconduct with Mr. Harry German, nanager of the Blenheim Hotel, Brighton. Mr. German is a married man, and the w 0 families had -been on friendly terms. i*or the petitioner it was alleged that mis •onduct had taken place between the re:pondent and the co-respondent in a garden video, the doctor bought, a little distance 'rom his house. The doctor's suspicions were first aroused j vhen he found that German had taken the : •espondent for a drive iv his motor, and hat they "had lunched alone together in a ittle cottage which German owned at Partridge Green, about 15 miles from Brighton. I Returning home from his rounds unixpectedly one day, said counsel, the doc:or found his wife was out, and, suspecting :hat she was at the garden, he went there, rhe door was fastened from the Inside, but in gaining admission he found his wife and German in a summer-house with the blinds Irawn. German was standing, but Sirs. Sortaln was under the table. Petitioned stated that when, he arterivards weut to sec 'Mrs. German she went j >n her knees, and, taking bis hands, said: ' 'Doctor, for the sake of the children, j 'orgive her. marry has told mc all. He j says he is a blackguard, and the best bhing he can do is to shoot himself." "She aiso offered, if he would "look over' :he matter, to sqll her business and take her husband out of Brighton. •Mrs. Sortaln, a stylishly dressed woman, j stated In the witness-box that she was now i living with her mother at Waterloo Place. I Up to recent months she had been on happy terms with her husband. Describing the garden incident, said that Germau came to the house and told her that he was going to the garden, I and she said she would be there shortly to do a little cleaning up. Her son was present when this was said. When she got to the garden arerman "was in the summer-house, trying to light the g&s fire. She commenced to dust the place, and while she was so doing a tortoises-hell hairpin fell from' her hair and slipped down her back. She was wearing a knitted jumper blouse, without opening in front oo behind, and, though she tried to get the pin, she failed. His lordship said he should have thought it easy for her to put her hand down her blouse and get It out. Witness said she could not do It, so she asked German to turn his back to her while, she took off her blouse and got the pin. This he did, and It was while she was getting the pin that her husband entered. It was untrue that the blinds were drawn, and that she was under the table, as she was standing at the other end of the room. She did not hear the approach ot her husband. Both she and German tried to explain the incident to her husband, but he would not listen, and all he would say was "I am going to get a divorce." Is It true that German said to the doctor: "For God's sake cannot this be hushed up. as It wUI kill my wife"?—l did not hear him say it, and I must have heard it. Did he appeal more than once to the doctor to hush It up?— No. How many times a week did this man meet you at the garden?—(Sometimes once and sometimes twice. His Lordship: Why did yon not ask German to go out of the room whUe you took on* the jumper?— Well, we were such good friends, aud I looked upon him as an elder brother, and never thought about such a thing. Mr. Justice Horrldge granted a degree nisi to Dr. Sortaln, who was given the custody of the yonngest child and costs against the co-respondent. Before the decision German went into the witness-box and gave his version of the summer-house incident, when he and &frs. Sortaln, the latter with her blouse off, were discovered by Dr. Sortatn. -He denleo. ever having- misconducted himself with the lady. In cross-examination he said he continned his vi6its to the garden after he knew of the husband's objection to a motor trip with Mrs. Sortaln. ■His Lords"hip: Why were you so Interested ln the garden?— Well, I'm a bit of a Carpenter, and have done lots of things in mending up the place. Counsel: How many times were you meeting this lady alone in this garden house during the period?—l cannot tell. Is It true that yon used to look up at her bedroom window, and then shortly afterwards she used to join you?—lt Is true that I looked up at her window and she joined mc. but not to go to. the garden. Is It not true that you asked that this matter might be hushed up?—No, It Is not, but I did tell the doctor that It would injure my wife's health.