SUPREME COURT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 133, 7 May 1932, Page 12

SUPREME COURT

UNDEFENDED DIVORCES. HEARING OF PETITIONS. Decrees nisi were granted by His Honour, Mr Justice Reed in a number of undefended divorce cases heard m the Supreme Court at Palmerston North to-day. •’.* On the grounds of desertion, George Todd, of Dannevirke, (Mr Dorfington) sought the dissolution of his marriage with Nelina Asa Smith Todd, of Dannevirke. Petitioner said ho was married on September 24, 1925 and there were two children. Petitioner had always lived at Dannevirke. On August 2, 1927, lie returned from work and his wife said she did not want him any more and his tilings were in the shed. She refused to let him into the house and in reply to his written requests to her to return she sued him for maintenance, but the Magistrate dismissed the complaint on the ground that she had no reason to live' apart from him. James Todd, a brother of petitioner, gave corroborative evidence. —His Honour granted a decree nisi, to bo moved absolute at tho expiration of three calendar months.

On the grounds of separation for the statutory period, Una Agnes Rogers, of Palmerston North (Mr Innes), sought tho dissolution of her marriage with William Thomas Rogers. Petitioner said she was married in 1926 at Palmerston North. There were no children. She and her husband were unable to agree and entered into a deed of separation. John James Blundell Craven said petitioner was his adopted daughter. Ho gave corroborative evidence. Petitioner was granted a decree nisi, to be moved absolute at the expiration of three months. Costs were allowed against respondent on the lowest scale. Separation for tho statutory period was the ground on which Glady s Gwendoline Pearson (Mr Oram) petitioned for a divorce from Charles Eric Pearson.. Petitioner said she . was married in Wellington in September, 1917. There were five children of the marriage, but only one now survived. In. November, 1928, her husband left her and was subsequently arrested for failure to pay maintenance. She had since lived apart from him, and had not known where he was until < X!) l “ e recently. Charlotte Thompson, of 1 almerston North, gave evidence in support of tho petition.—His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be moved absolute at the expiration of_ thiee months petitioner to have interim custody of the child. Costs on t o lowest scale were allowed against 1G With am' Me Aul iffe, of Palmerston North (Mr Ongley) sought tlio dissolution of his marriage with Giace Dale McAuliffe, of Ashburton. 1 etitioner stated that ho was a farm labourer formerly living at Palmerston North and Pahiatua. He was lav fully married to Grace Dale Shadbolt in 1927 at Ashburton and lived with her at Chertsey until January, 1929, when lie was dismissed by his employer. His wife refused to come with him. tioner did not see his wife again until she appeared in the Court as a witness in March last. She had never made any complaint for maintenance. Replying to Hus Honour, petitioner, who was under sentence for bigamy, said he intended to marry the girl with whom he had gone through a form of marriage. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to bo moved absolute at the expiration of three months, and requested counsel to notify him when the second legal marriage took place, in order that it could bo brought under the notice of the Prisons Board. Adultery was alleged in a petition brought by Frances Evelyn Taylor, of Rongotea (Mr Cooper) against Alexander Downs Taylor, of Rongotea. After hearing tho evidence His Honour stood down tlio eti-so following un observation by him that he was not satisfied that the evidence necessarily inferred adultery. OTHER PETITIONS.

Victor Ernest Tucker, of Auckland (Mr Cooper) sought the dissolution of his marriage with Ethel Doris Tucker, of Palmerston North, on the grounds of separation. Petitioner said he was a salesman at Auckland and was married at Palmerston North in 1920. They subsequently lived together at Nelson and Palmerston North until early in 1928, when they parted. In November of that year they entered into a deed of separation and had since lived apart. Corroborative evidenco was given by Edward Tucker, a brother of petitioner. His Honour granted a decree nisi to be moved absolute at the expiration of three months. HUSBAND’S ALLEGATION. An alleged admission of adultery bv his wife was the- ground on which William Simpson, of Palmerston North (Mr Cooper) sought a divorce from Vera Aillie Simpson, of Mpnakau. Moses Diamond. was cited as the co-respondent. Petitioner said he was a dairy-farmer, and was married in 1925. There -were no children. In February of last year his wife went away, ostensibly for a holiday at Wairoa, but did not return. Later she wrote a letter stating that she was not going to return. Subsequently on two occasions petitioner missed money from his house and eventually .found co-respondent under the bed. The latter was later charged with theft and made a certain admission. Evidence was given by Constable William Grainger that on October 25 when making inquiries into the charge of theft against Diamond, ho saw Mrs Simpson at Manakau. She said she had left her husband and intended to live with Diamond. His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be moved absolute at the expiration of three months. Costs on the lowest scale were allowed against co-respondent. M.P’s. PETITION. • Separation was cited as the ground for a divorce petition brought by Waretina To Tomo, of Ivakariki (Mr Seddon) against Hara Te Tomo. Petitioner said he was sometimes known as Taite To Tomo and represented the Western Maori electorate in Parliament. He resided at Kakariki and was married in 1923. He had lived with his wife for two years and then they had agreed to separate. He had not seen her since they parted. Frank Thompson, a farm labourer, of Kakariki, gave corroborative evidence.—His Honour granted a decree nisi, to be moved absolute at the expiration of three months.