SPY IN A TREE-TOP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15175, 14 December 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

SPY IN A TREE-TOP.

OBTAINING DIVORCE EVIDENCE. " . ' 'If . DETECTIVES' VIGIL. | * Pebchmd in a tree-top outside a residence it Hampstead, a private detective was able 1 1 to secure important evidence in support,. of a divorce petition. The results of his observations were given in the Divorce * Oourt during the hearing of the petition of - V Mrs. Grace Naish, of Fairfoot House, Fair- ; foot, Gloucestershire, for a dissolution of * t'i her marriage on tho ground of the cruelty ';}j of her husband, Major Theodore Edward . J Naish, and misconduct with Mrs. Marga- -.V: ret Amy Silk. Mr. Barnard, K-C. (for - petitioner) said that after the maiviage, at, | Calthorpe Parish Church, Leicestershire, \y*\ the parties lived at Southsea and wherever tiV the major's regiment was stationed. There * {-)&' was one child. The husband treated his wife very badly, and in July, 1909, Mrs. Naish filed a petition for a judicial separation on tho ground of his cruelty. Ho denied the charges, and made counter alls- . > gations of crueltv against his wife. .Ike 1 . ~ case was heard for three days by the president, Sir S. Evans, and a special jury, and nt the end of the time the husband >; 1: withdrew his defence. The jury found r legal cruelty by .the husband, that the wjfo had not been guilty of cruelty, and V, tho court granted her a decree of judicial , v separation. There were other proceedingsin the Chancery Court with regard to the child (continued counsel), and m March last year Major Harrington §wann, brother . of the present, petitioner, and Dr. Naish, brother of respondent, were appointed 7 guardians of the boy, who was to spend one-half of his holidays with each parent, - Major Naish went- to reside at Branch Hill, Hampstead, with a Mr. and Mrs. Silk.'f--Mr. Silk died some time later, and Major ;, v? Naish continued to live in the house. In , *K. January last Mrs. Naish, in consequence, , t ! |? of information she received, went to this« house, and from what she saw came to /{'if?! the conclusion that her husband and Mrs. Kill: and her children were on very friendly* / ■} terms. She had the house watched by de-/ tectives. . On ono occasion, when 'Mia. Mp Naish was outside the house, 'she heard t one of Mrs. Silk's children call the major ;||t' "father." From observations it appeared; : S;' that Major Naish and Mrs. Silk ( y,y Would Sit Alone Together. in his room as late as one, two, and tfare* o'clock in the morning. On the night of March 27 last two detectives were watfch- |?|p ing. . One of them , climbed a tree and, .j watched. The window of the major's room ;0M was open, and Mrs. Silk, _in her _ night : attire, came in and closed it. While she 'A|j> was doing so, the curtain blowing on one | aide, showed Major Naish also in the room. Respondent had silica gone to ' British ;' Columbia. Mrs. Silk followed, and both l iS *j had written petitioner's son from the same address. Mrs. Naish, giving her evidence, 1 told how while she was watching : outside' j Mrs. Silk's' residence she heard one oil the other's children say to.Major,Naish,. night, ; father." Henry George Elliot, > private inquiry agent, gave evident of his watching at Branch Hill, Hampstead. Oil. .i 'y several occasions he climbed a tree to ftic--A Q litate his efforts. On March 27 last, whtril', he climbed the tree to watch, he saw Mrs. ii'VS Silk at respondent's window. Couyisei:M|| Did you see how she was dressed Wit» : ness Yes, or, rather, I saw how she was undressed. (Laughter. : While you were ; r J up the tree that night did two police- fs sergeants como along? sir, I got;* down, and Keble (the other detective)@g| climbed up. It was then two policesergeants came along ' and t hauled Keblc ; ; >. j3 down. Gordon Naish, a bright lad of 12, f son of the petitioner, identified letters jffiMSg had received from his father and Mrs. y /•? Silk. The jury found misconduct betwien|S|fjJj . respondent and Mrs. Silk, and petitioner/§| was granted a decree nisi, with costs, question of the custody of the child \jra#Jv,sy left to the Chancery Court. . . • :