DEFORCES GRANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17652, 13 December 1920, Page 6

DEFORCES GRANTED.

CASES AT HAMILTON. HUSBAND OBTAINS DECREE. WIFE WHO PREFERS ANOTHER. [BT TELEGRAPH. OWN CORBESPOVDENT. \ HAMILTON. Saturday. Several divorce cases were heard by the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, in the Hamilton Supreme Court to-day. William King (Mr. McMullen) sought a divorce from Catherine King on the ground of her adultery with Ernest Southern. Petitioner, farmer, of Ongarue, said he was married in 1917, and lived at Manga pcehi and Ongarue. There were two children. Witness was farming in partnership with co-respondent for a time, after which the farm was divided between them. Southern lived in Taumarunui, but went to his farm every week, staying with witness. One day fast year witness went to work, but returned a little later, and found co-respondent in his wife's bedroom. Witness said: " You have ruined my home now," and co-respondent said: "It is time you found it out." After this his wife went to live with her parent at Manunui, and JTad stayed there ever since. He had asked her to return, but she refused, saying site had lost her affection for him, and preferred Southern. Constable Mahoney, of Ongarue, deposed to eerving the citation papers upon respondent and co-respondent, and said that Mr. and Mrs. King had not lived together for 18 months. A decree nisi was granted, with cost 3 on the lowest scale against correspondent. " Gave the Baby Whisky." Drunkenness and desertion were th» grounds upon which Mary Ann Rodger (Mr. Rogers) based her claim for a divorce from James Rodger. Petitioner said she was married in 1899, and there were six children. After living in various places they went to Ongarue". Her husband drank heavily, and witness had to leave him six years ago, in order to supnort her children". Each time he came to visit the children he was so drunk that witness had to lock the children up at night. When in his drunken m state he used to give the baby whisky, ano as he was teaching the children to drink, she had to leave him. Petitioner's mother and sister gave corroborative evidence. A decree nisi was granted. An Unsatisfactory Eusbaiid. Kathleen Mabel Grace Fahey (Mr. MrLiver) asked for a divorce from Patrick Stephen Fahey, on the ground of drunkenness and desertion. She said she was married in ISO2. Ever since they were married her husband drank heavily, and had not supported her. Since living in Morrinsville she had kept a boardinghouse, and maintained her husband. He left, her some time ago. " Constable O'Brien said he had known the respondent a long time, and described him as •"' a drunken waster." He had also been a bookmaker. A decree nisi was granted. An Unfaithful Wife. William D. Tilsley (Mr. Northcroftf petitioned for a divorce from Letitia Tilsley, on the eround of her misconduct with Rangi Gage. Petitioner said he was married in 1905. On two occasions Ins wife left him. On the second occasion he found her drinking with natives, and. when he tried to take the liquor away she hit him on the head with a bottle, and he had to go into a hospital. He did not live with her again. He went to the front in 1915, and while away was informed that as she had been drinking and living with natives her allotment had been stopped. Constable Riley, of Cambridge, gave evidence, after which a decree nisi wns granted. Incident at an Hotel. Leonard Mawhinney (Mr. MacDiannkl) claimed a divorce from Eva F. M. Mawhinney, on the ground of her misconduct with Leslie Tapp. Petitioner, a buttermaker. living at Clevedon, said he was married in 1915. There were two children. In Julv, 1919, witness went to Matamata, his vrrfe 'remaining at Frankton. In November. 1919, his wife joined him for a few weeks, but she seemed unsettled. Witness taxed her with haying been unfaithful, and she admitted it, but not with the present corespondent. She went to Raglan and took a situation, on the understanding she would return to witness in March, but she did not do so, and he believed she went to Hokianga. He had not seen her B "12f; .^ ut ahe had answered his letters is'fnda Tucker, housemaid at a Kawakawa hotel, gave evidence that respondent went under the name of Miss Mawhinnev Witness was at a Raglan hotel, and respondent occupied the next room One night she heard co-respondent, who occupied the opposite room, enter respondent's room, and next morning respondent said had remained there all A decree nisi was granted, no order aa to cotts being made, as there was no evi«,™l!. co-respondent knew that respondent was a married woman. UNDEFENDED AUCKLAND OASES. - DECREES NISI GRANTED. Undefended divorce suite were heard at Mr. assToSr on ■*** &™ j Misconduct with an unknown woman was the ground on which Winifred Speedy (Mr. Singer) sought a dissolution ofX TT£& tK . H f bert Speedy, i™ U ™ d ' lan <* agent. The pet tioner gave evidence that the marriage took place at Auckland in August, 1909 ■ parties -lived at Warkworth Papakura Auckland, and Northcote. There were two children Owing to differences be tween them* a deed of separation was tll W1 V P i and . last Jannarv, and they had not since lived together In July the petitioner had iJr husband watched by a private inquiry agent | Evidence was given by W infuirv agents that on the night of September 14 they found the respondent in a room in an hotel with a young woman. Mr R, P. Hunt, who appeared to protect the respondent's rights in regard to the ch4dren. said the allegation of adulterv was not disputed. A decree nisi was granted. Interim custody of the children was given to the petitioner, • the respondent meanwhile to have access to them. A motion for alimony was also set down for hearing but on the application of Mr. Singer wv* i adjourned, in view of the likelihood of a settlement being reached. • " Reginald Talbot Everard (Mr. Gould) petitioned for a dissolution of his marj rase with. Edith Featherston Evernrd on j the ground <5f 'desertion. The petitioner ; gave evidence that the marriage took place i at Auckland m October. 1913, and the I parties had since here The | counle lived happily together till" April 1917, when the respondent took a posi- I tion in a jeweller's shop owing to the petitioner having to go into camp at Trentham. The petitioner found an un- I finished letter in his wife's writing addressed to " Dear Victor."' He de manded that his wife leave her position, but she refused, and the relations between them became strained. A letter was written by the petitioner's solicitor to respondent's employer, and the respondent left her home. She had never returned to the petitioner, and was now conducting an apartment house She had ' stated that she desired to go to South i Africa. Supporting evident of desertion jhv the respondent was also given ' A I i decree nisi was granted, to be moved I | absolute ;jt tho expiration of three i : months. j