DIVORCE COURT.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10270, 28 April 1899, Page 4

DIVORCE COURT.

Dawson v Dawson

The Petition Dismissed

[per press association.] Wellington, April 27. Judge Edwards to-day gave judgment in the divorce case Dawson v. Dawson, which His Honor recently heard when on circuit on the West Cooat, South Island. The case presented peculiar circumstances. The petitioner claimed that his wife passed a week in the hut of co-respond-ent and .he committed adultery. His Honor said that ordinarily the fact that a married woman had passed a week in a hut containing one room only with a man not her husband must lead to the conclusion that she was guilty of adultery, but the circumstances in the case were extraordinary. The evidence showed that for some time prior to September 18, 1897, respondent had given way to intemperance and that petitioner took no means to secure her safety. His Honor was satisfied that if anything improper took place in the hut the woman was not in a fit state to be conscious of it, and that her husband left her there with the hope and intention that she would commit adultery and furnish him with the means of procuring a divorce. If adultery had been proved petitioner must have been held to have connived at it. -■ The petition was dismissed with costs. The costs of petitioner -and respondent, as between solicitor and client, were taxed by the Registrar at Hokirika arid L 25 was allowed to co-respondent with costs and all court fees and witnesses's expenses. ;