TRAGEDIAN IN THE DIVORCE COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6763, 21 July 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

TRAGEDIAN IN THE DIVORCE COURT.

New York papers report that the suit for divorce recently began by Mary Alice Tearle againat her husband, George Osmond Tearle, an actor who is well-known in the Noi th of England, and who recently loft South Shields to take a leading position in Mr. Wallack's. company. in New York, was before Judge Barrett'on the 18th uU., on a motion on behalf of the wife for an order to compel her husband to pay her weekly alimony while | the suit is pending, and also a fee to her counsel. In the plaintiff's affidavit on which her application was founded, she alleges her marriage to the defendant, and that sheresided with him in Liverpool untilDeceraber, ISB2. When he came to this country he promised to send her £300 a year, but from the Ist January to the 29 th of March this year has sent her only 200 dollars. She borrowed 200dols. to bring ber to this country, and will have to undergo expense in bringing her two minor children here. The expenses of the litigation will be large, and she will be compelled to pay counsel. The defendant's salary, she says, is 2Hodo'S. a week, and between his re/jular season and supplemental season and a benefit each year, his gross annual earnings amount, as she believes, to 11,400J015. She concludes by asking the court to order payment to her of alimony at the rate of 75d015. a week, a counsel fee of 1,000d015., and the 200.1015. which she borrowed to come to this country for the purpose of asserting her marital rights. Embodied in her affidavit is a letter written to her by her husband from America, in which he admits his unfaithfulness to her, and announces his determination never more to live with her. It is in full as follows :—New York, January 3, ISS3. My dear wife, —My cable would apprise yon of my arrival. No uss piatponing ; let me at once say what must be eaid. You must have seen during the past few years the breach that was gradually widening between us. You know perfectly well my feelings towards you were anything but vvhat they shoild be. I cannot help it; my life to you has been one deceit. I have been unfaithful to you from shortly after marriage, which was a fearful mistake. I watched in astonishment the manner in which you have known things, and yet calmly >ore them. Astonishment, because in other matters you have shown spirit. My life has been perfectly wretched for some Ion? time. Ma fe doubly so since my first viait to this country. What I told you in Barrow was false, utterly false. But as the time approached for my arrival in Liverpool, a feeling of fearful repugnance came to me, and I had to lie to avoid doing what I could not—my whole nature abhorred at the mere thought. Knowing this, it is much better we should part, I cannot, no matter what the consequences, live with you 1 again. Is it not wiser, thin, to end it ? In ' fact, it cannot be otherwise. Add to all this the knowledge that I love another deeply, as 1 I never believed I could love. Have loved for nearly two years. My love is sure that I ' am prepared for anything, so what worth am ' I to you with another woman's love in my *■ heart ? Our lives would bs simply abject wretchedness, with an end—God only knows s what. I shall send yon £300 a year, in £25 ! every month. And should what is written ■ induce you to sue for a divorce, I shall send i the same income for our children.

God help and pity you. But yon will be far better without me. lam not, nor ever have been, worthy of you, and many a time have I said I would give, were I the possessor of it, untold gold could I only even like you. Don't teach our children quite to hate me, although you ought. I shall come over to see them if I may. But for your3elf you must— you cannot help it—hate, loathe, and despise me, curse me. It will at least be only my desert. And try to forget 3uch a wre'ch ever lived. God bless and shield you from harm, and, should our marriage ties bo severed, send some true one who will make you a3 happy in the future as I have made you miserable in the past. Kiss the children for me. They are, thank God, in good hands. May they grow up to love and bless you, and make soma return for their father's baseness. Again and again, God bless you. —Your husband, George. An answering affidavit was submitted on the part of defendant, in which he alleges that he has not lived with his wife since December, 1882, but has furnished her with means of support at the rate of l.SOOdols. a year, payable every two weeks. After hearing some discussion by counsel Judge Barrett said the defendant did not attempt to meet the charges of the plaintiff that his salary exceeds B,ooodols. a'year. It was his duty to meet her charges in detail, arid he should have given in detail his professional expenses. He could not assume this indefinite position, especially as the facts were fully within his knowledge, if not within his wife's. Under these circumstances, the court would have to accept the plaintiff's allegations as true. The judge concluded by announcing his decision that an allowance of 2,000d015. a year to the plaintiff would be fair and just, a fee of 250d015. to her counsel, and that defendant pay the SOOdols. which plaintiff borrowed to come to this country to prosecute her suit. This amount, he said, was fixed without prejudice to a future notion to increase it if circumstances should seem to warrant such action.