DIVORCE CASE MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10407, 3 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

DIVORCE CASE MYSTERY.

A LOST PETITIONER.

Some statements of an extraordinary nature were made in a divorce application lately. It was tho petition of a Mr. Hess, the corespondent being one Tankard. Mr. liulor< wick made the application on bohnlf of petitioner's solicitor, Mr. Kebbel. the petition; he said, was filed in June, and the Wife put in an answer. In the course of the nec'e'ssAry 'inquiries it was found that the respondent had become acquainted with certain people living near Piccadilly, who were carrying on a house which would certiiiiiy have broueht them under notice of tho police. Subsequently the petitioner was subjected to threats by these people, and the respondent herself once went to Mr. Kebbel's office and behaved in an exceedingly violent- manner. It was not suggested that respondent had been guilty of criminal practice*, but in consequence of the petitioner being followed i about Mr. Kebbol had tn protect his client. On July 8 Mr. Hess, who was in a large way of business in London, had to go to Paris. Mr. Kebbel arranged that someone should accompany him to the station, and that another gehtlemaii should remain with him during the whole time he was in Paris. He intended to return to London on July 10, and he was seen leaving hi* hotel for the station on that date. He had his luggage with him, but was then unaccompanied. Nothing wa» seen or heard of him again, and up to the present time no trace of his after movements could bn found. The London and Paris police could find no trace whatever of Mr. Hess, or hie luggage. All , . Kebbel did not believe that his client had been killed, but was certain ho was not keeping away voluntarily. Hia opinion rather was that Mr. Hess was being kept under restraint somewhere in Franco till tho divorce proceedings had been got rid of. Mr. Inderwick therefore applied that the case should static! ovor until the next sitting, Mr. Adam Walker, for the respondent, told Mr. Justice Barnes he had seen a number of letters which purported to be from petitioner, and if they were not clever forgeries it was impossible that his learned friend's statement could be true. The letters showed that the petitioner was a free agent, and was now in Madagascar. He did not object to the case standing over, though ho declined to accept in any way the statements that petitioner's counsel had made His lordship directed that the case should stand over until it was really known what had happened.