THIRD EDITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 112, 13 May 1926, Page 6

THIRD EDITION.

STRANGE DIVORCE CASE. — ■ — ALLEGATIONS BY A MAID. DISCKEIHTED IN COTTRT. i 1 PETITIONER WITHDRAWS CASE. : . ii (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) j ' WELLINGTON, this day. j i An extraordinary- position arose in j divorce uroeeedings to-day in which Ida | : Alexandra Eton sought a decree on the!; grounds of alleged adultery by Major «. harles Argle Eton, farmer, of Greytown, with Kate Marley. a seventeen-1 , year-old maid, in the house. At the ■■, commencement of the case there was a ; ; slight confusion of dates of alleged misconduct, but Mr. Treadwell I.for petitioner, said the dates in the petition , were according to" his instructions. The! allegations, based on the witness Marlev's statements were that Eton, during ■ ' his wife's absence for a few days from Wellington, entered Marley's room and , forcibly assaulted her. She told Mrs. Eton a circumstantial story, which the i jl-tttcr believed. In the witness-box i Marley admitted that she had been dis- < charged from seven situations in twelve I months for lying, and she so frequently j contradicted her statements and admitI ted so many misstatements that Mr. ', Treadwell. after frequent conferences with his client, said he had an applica-1 , tinn to make, as the witness on whom ! petitioner chiefly relied had. both in : examination and cross-examination, i proved so unreliable that both he and | his client felt he could go no further. ', it would be injusCce to respondent if a j decree were secured on such evidence. He j asked leave to withdraw the petition. I Mr. O. G. Watson (for respondent). said he could have amply oroved the , <rirl'« evidence to be a fabrication in- ] snircd by the spite of witness at being I discharged by respondent.