DIVORCE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 23 May 1922, Page 5

DIVORCE COURT.

COLLEDGE V. COUE9GE. THE CASE COLLAPSES. The defended divorce action Colledge v. Colledge came to an abrupt conclusion when the Court resumed this morning. When the ease was called Mr. Singer, who represented petitioner, Sophia Ada Colledge, asked leave to withdraw the petition. Mr. Luxford, for respondent, Harry Leydon Colledge, concurring, his Honor, Mr. Justice Stringer, gave the necessary leave. The petit-ion was therefore withdrawn and the jury discharged. After the " Star" went to press yesterday evidence for the petitioner was given by Joyce Xoonan, a young , nouiaii who was staying at The liats, and who witnessed the incident on the nighi of January 28 in company with Mrs. Colledge, also by J. L. Potter, a private inquiry agent, who watched the incident from his elevated perch, the ladder. CASK FOR THE DEFENCE. In opening the case for the defence, Mr. Lux ford said that lie would show that the case was one of barefaced conspiracy. Mrs. Colledge had been determined to get rid of her husband, and hud approached both Miss Coyle and Miss Hadle.v, stating that slip wanted to give her husband a fright so that he would come back to her. She suggested on January 28 that Miss Hadley should get him into her room after the picture.-. At Miss Hartley's request Colledgp took her to the cinema, and suggested they should have some supper on their return. Miss Hadley asked him to come to her room tv have it, and when they arrived hark at the Hats Colledge went with her to the room, which was really his office. ■to get some money that he had there. j When he was counting the money he heard some one coming upstairs, and he ordered Miss Hadle.v to shut the door, as he did not want any one to see the money. She complied, but in doing so saw a man outside the window, and when she drew Colledge'a attention to this fact he went down the ladder after the intruder. Miss Hadley, continued counsel, did not know that she was being made a tool of. The subsequent events would show that she and Mrs. Colledge continued friendly until February 2:i, when a serious quarrel took place owing to the fad that MUs Hadley refused to allow the incident of the night of January 2S to be made a plea of divorce proceedings. After this quarrel Miss Hadley went to petitioner's lawyer and told him the true facts of the affair.