RICHARDSON DIVORCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1933, Page 7

RICHARDSON DIVORCE

EX-MANAGER’S LETTER

PETITIONER’S CASE CLOSED

[SPECIAL TO “STAR.”]

AUCKLAND, August 11.

In the Richardson divorce case Beamish Home Morrison, who succeeded Richardson as manager of the Parenga Tung Oil Company, and who was later dismissed for driving 300 or 400 ' cattle, three horses and a plough off the property, with the object (not carried out) of selling them, because of hardship to the employees, who had not been paid wages, fur-’ ther testified.

He admitted that he had written to Jenkins on July 20 last year, as follows: —-‘Dear Mr Jenkins, I would like i£ I can to justify my passing on to your brother certain statements made by Richardson to me, about the ielation's of a discreditable nature between Mrs Richardson ;.nh yourself. It was, of course, no business of mine, but I felt much concerned that such charges should be made against you, and I thought that by telling Vour brother what had been said to me, he would pass it on in confidence to yon, so that the scandal could be stopped by such steps as you might think necessary, or desirable, especially as Richardson expressed no desire that his remarks to me on the subject would be regarded as confidential. I regret that you should be called upon to lefute such unpleasant charges which appear to me to be the outcome of spite on the part of Richardson.”

William Land, licensee of Waihou Hotel, Rangiahua, said that on March If) last, Mrs Richardson occupied Room No. 10, Jenkins No. 11, and Morrison No. 7. Nos. 10 and 11 were next to each other, and in Mrs Richardson’s room w r as a double bed. On March 26, Jenkins and another man arrived with two ladies. Witness did not see them.

Albert Edward Watson, night cleaner and watchman in charge of Devonport wharf, said he knew the yacht Shenandoah, and knew that it belonged to Jenkins. Last summer witness had several times seen the Shenandoah tie up at Devonport wharf.. Witness did not know Mrs Richardson, but after she had been pointed out to him in Court, ho said he had seen a woman like- her go on the boat with Otway. He had seen hundreds of people on the boat at different times. Otway was one of the boat's crew.

This closed the ease for petitioner,

CASE FOR DEFENCE.

AUCKLAND, August 12. Outlining to the jury, the case for the respondent, Mr R. A. Singer said the charge which petitioner had brought against his wife was the greatest charge that a husband, even in these days, could make against a wife. There was only one allegation, and that was that misconduct occurred between respondent and co-respondent on March IS at Waipapakauri Hotel. “I suggest to you this petition is, to use a vulgarism, a put up job, launched by a bitter and disappointed man, who has been seeking freedom for many years, and who is desperately anxious to secure freedom.”

After respondent’s evidence was partly heard, the hearing was adjourned until Monday.

AUCKLANDER. DIVORCED.

(Received August 12, 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 12.

Justice Wasley granted a decree nisi for a divorce to Ida, McKell, actress, of Middlesex, who "petitioned for a divorce from Arthur McKell, of Auckland, on the grounds of misconduct. The netition was first heard in 1929, but dismissed by the Chief Justice, on the grounds that he had no jurisdiction. The State Full Court granted a new

trial, and a commission was obtained to have the evidence heard in New Zealand. It was upon that evidence, with an additional affidavit by Mrs. McKell, that Judge Wasley granted the decree nisi.