MAJOR AND HIS WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAJOR AND HIS WIFE.

PETITION FOE DIVORCE. '•/,

IN HARMONIOUS RELATIONS.

A. ravoRCE suit, in which the hearing of evidence lasted over some days, was commenced in London recently. Mrs. Mary Agnes Yereker, a daughter of Sir, Charles Cayzer, baronet, sought a divorce from her husband, Major John Medlicott Vereker, retired j on the ground of his alleged cruelty and misconduct. Respondent denied his wife's allegations, and said she had condoned the acts of misconduct, if any. , • Opening petitioner's case, Mr. Barnard said the parties were married in November, 1892, in Paisley. Five sons and throe daughters had been born of the marriage. At- a very early stage Major Vereker proved to be a man of very violent temper. When he lost bis temper he seemed to lose all control of himself, and on such occasions he treated his wife very badly, called her abusive names, and told the servants not to take orders from her. When in tempers he refused for days to speak to her, locked himself in a room, and took his meals alone. That course o€ conduct injured Mrs. Vereker's health. In 1895 Major Vereker, counsel said, refused to accept an invitation to dine with his father-in-law, and losing his temper he swore at his wife. In December, 1898, when husband and wife were residing at Mayfield, Earlswood, Surrey, they had a servant named Elizabeth Jane Stickley. It had been arranged that Mrs. Vereker should spend Christmas with her parents. In the February or March following Major Vereker brought to his wife a letter from Stickley which read :— "Will you kindly give a second to the following? The truth is, I shall not be able to keep my temper under control much longer, and if I give way .to it it I may possibly be the bitterest pill your wife has ever taken at your hands. I have got more 1 than I bargained-for. *It is as much my own fault as yours, but if you keep thing* quiet it is all I ask you. I for I know 1 it is only yon that guesses of the upset, and as I have already stood as I much as I intend, please.'yourself what yon dp, It entirely rests with you whether I walk out of the house, or, on the other hand if you continue as-' you "have i begun look: for tie worst at my- hands. ! But I .think you, with me, will see the wisdom of it. . ... Only- 'let;'' me "walk quietly ' out of your ■ house is all I • ask, both for me and your wife's and children's ■sake. Write 'please, when you have a minute alone." J ' s There was, Mr. Barnard added, no signature to the document,' but it came from Stickley, ; Major Vereker \ said that the .contents of the ; letter were a tissue of, falsehoods, and swore that there was no truth in the accusations. . It upset the •wife, who told the girl, that she did not believe a single word in the letter. She accepted Major ; Vereker's , word and gave Stickley a quarter of an hour to clear -out of [\ the house. Tie incident was never afterwards referred to between ■■; Major Vereker and his wife. In reply to a letter from her, asking him to return to her, August, 1910, he; wrote:—' /; ■ <

i . "My life at Cove, has been one, contiriI uons ■wrangle,-,« and I am not: te return j there. If you want me to return, on trial (to London, say so.—Yours affectionately, ! ■• "John-' VZREKEH.'' ~. ; Dealing with the alleged misconduct, Mr. Barnard said that in December, IR9B, i Mrs. Vereker, went before ■ Christmas to ; spend a short-holiday with her parents in ! Scotland. On December 31, when Stickley was clearing .away the dinner things, Major Vereker gave her a glas of liqueur, which she drank. Shortly afterwards she went into the library tor make up*the fire. ~ Major .,( Vereker followed;her>- and misconduct, it was alleged, took place there. ....,,, ...J.. ' ■_■.- ;. .' .. .......'.'......:. " Mrs. Vereker, giving evidence la "sup* port* of Mr. Barnard's' statements,; said that in her letter in -which" she proposed that' her husband i should take a; sea--.'trip-; she wrote :— "As you. are watching all day long for imaginary slights and insults, would' it not be ( better for us to live apart? ' You should consider this, for am sure that on your return we could settle down on: a better footing. ' -''

•■: - Petitioner Cross-Examined. Gross-examined by Mr. Willis, petitioner said-; her husband- had only £500 ; a", year from the £15,000 settlement. • ■• Mr. Willis,read extracts from Mrs.'. ¥ erekftjr'ts 1910 .diary, among, the entries being a nuniber of references to bridge playing. For January 30 the entry'was : " Church,: park, home to tea,' 0. Club, supper D.D." Mrs'; Vereker admitted that ; that was a pretty full day. Later in the year, 'she said, die went xo : Monte Carlo/where she had a. pretty good time, but her.health did not suffer through it. After Major Vereker had told Mr. -Rose-Inuee that he would never return to '■ petitioner; ho, on August 6, > 1912, "wrote * her the: .following letter: — "My deaf wit?.—l hear from the faithful Dbds that another ceiling is dowi-. in your palace. - What mercy there was no one in": the room >; or so I gather, -son have not written to me for some time, so I gather that you ire busy, or. th.nk 1 am hot worth 'it' Well, yen are wrong, only you will not know it. I do not know where I am alter all the r remarks I have been told, but I will :tell yon this —•that love you, and will love you, although I have got very little in return, jmd now get less.. If you want me in your. London Bouse, write ''Return? back,' ; and it will l be instantly obeyed. There let it lie." ' ' '.■> '.. ~ '■:. r...., Respondent, answering questions by' Mr., Willis, said he was fond of carpentry, and in his workshop he repaired chairs', tables, etc. ■■; ' ;"',XXr a^: 'X z'\ Is it a fact that in your rage yon broke j photograph frames and then took; them up "j there, to have them mended ?—Absolutely, j untrue. ,'XX : \>,XXXTX:\X'XX\"XX\

Proceeding, -respondent said that', his wife worked herself up and degraded him before his children and the servants, and she used expressions that she .should not use. . '..-.' '••; " XX', ■' XX :

What do you mean ?—She ,would say: " You never were brought up !at all. ' You were dug tip." She would say V "I have got certain people < coming.'-to the house whom you don't like, and it is much better that you should leave the house and come 1 back when they have gone." ' In reply to his lordship, Major Verekcr said that his wife had a temper, andi seemed to look for imaginary evils of slights. - :.,,.„: ;.j. ; Married lor Love. Did you'always have great respect for your wife?—l wastry fond of her' and i always have been. I maried her for love, i and have been very fond of her from that day to this. Respondent added that he showed Stickley's letter to his wife at the ; : breakfast table, and she, burst into tears. The statement in .the letter was true. Respondentsaid to his wife, "This ir, a terrible calamity in my life. For the sake of the children cannot we keep this a secret never to be breathed?" Petitioner forgave him in the end. Did you discuss the suit with your ; son Jack?—My sons Jack and Herbert came to me and asked me if it was not possible that this suit should -not proceed. I said : " The only -way is for you to write to your mother, and say that I would give her a" separation and not tako any more part in the proceedings." ' * 4 Mr. Barnard read a letter of April 39 addressed to Mrs. Vereker from the son Jack, which contained the following •—' ; "Dad lias written to Lewis and Lewis, saying that he is not going to defend the case, alsro to let your solicitors know I guarantee Dad has done this without, any advice from Lewis and Lewis, and I know he has had no letter from them 'Of course this is strictly private, and'must be .destroyed, the same as I have destroyed l° m '~» •L 6 s? u will come to terms and be all right. Don't be too severe with him now." ~ ■ - •-,:"-

~lt was quite untrue, respondent said* that. he shut himself, up for dav S fa, the tower room and that he refused to hive his meals with his wife and hft ffi