UNDEFENDED DIVORCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18408, 25 May 1923, Page 5

UNDEFENDED DIVORCE.

26 DECREES GRANTED.

VARIOUS GROUNDS ADVANCED.

SOME UNFAITHFUL SPOUSES.

The hearing of undefended divorce cases occupied Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court yesterday. In all the cases decrees nisi were granted. Harold Shepherd (Mr. Williamson) alleged adultery by his wife, Louisa Maud Grace Shepherd, Frederick Ansel!, of Wellington, being cited as co-respondent. The marriage took place in 1907 at Auckland. Respondent left him in 1914. According to the evidence respondent had gone under •the' name of Ajnsell, and was now living -with co-respondent/ at Wellington. ; Described as a " -tuner," George Moorhouse (Mr. Prendergast), of Auckland, petitioned for divorce against Elizabeth Moorhouse, whom ho married at Holmfirth, Yorkshire, in 1899. They came to Nov.- Zealand 19 years ago. There were 'three children. They separated in 1920. In-January last he had reason to doubt his wife's fidelity, and a private inquiry agent found she was living with another man. On the grounds of adultery, Joseph Dawson (Mr. Singer), a butcher, of Auckland, petitioned for divorce, from Lillian May Lees Dawson. Petitioner slated that respondent was friendly with James Jackson, the co-respondent, and when he heard she had been to the theatre with him he objected. Three months later respondent went to Sydney, and on her return stated that she loved the co-respondent and was going, to live with him. Petitioner saw co-respondent, and the latter offered to marry respondent when she was divorced. •»■ Champagne and Hairpins. f Hilda St. Cassar Brown (Mr. Conlan), in her petition against Alexander Joseph John Samuel Brown, stated after they had been married six years her husband went about with other women. On one occasion she found, on returning home, champagne and hairpins about, and respondent admitted having women in thehouse. At present a certain woman was living in the same premises with him at Newmarket. , . . Adultery was the ground for the petition by Joseph Edward Henry Keat <Mr. YVyatt), a builder, of Wellsford, for divorce from Dorothy May Keat. The marriage took place in 1912. The parties lived at Auckland for 15 months, then at Maungatawhiri Valley, and later at Wellsford. Co-respondent "was a farmer named Leonard Pnctor. of Wellsford, and the adultery upon which the petitioner based his action took place in 1922. Marriage Subsists 15 Da,ys. A strange story was told by Elizabeth Phillips (Mr. Ready), when petitioning for divorce from George William Phillips. She stated that she was married on March 2, 1922, at Auckland, and lived with respondent until March 17. She then went to Australia, with respondent's consent. She returned to New Zealand on April 12, 1922, and iound that respondeat .had been living with a/>other woman. Patrick Henry Washington Fussell, in his petition against Lilian May Fussell, stated that John Williams, who was cited as co-respondent, went to live with them last November. After co-respondent left his wife went away as well. Petitioner found that they had lived together as man and wife. Fred Harrison (Mr. Leary) petitioned for a dissolution of his marriage to Elizabeth Harrison. They were married in England in 1901, and "there were no children. He had been in New Zealand since 1904. The parties had been separated many years. Depositions had been taken in England in regard to alleged adultery by respondent. Hannah Saunders (Mr. E. 0. Blomfield), in her petition against Richard Northey Saunders, stated that they wera married in 1894, and there were four children. Her husband left her in 1907 and she obtained a maintenance order against him. Respondent, she said, was an engineer by profession, but he did not follow that calling, and " took on anything he could get." She had not heard from her husband* for years. Relatives Cause Trouble. William Georg Ivil (Mr. Towle) advanced desertion as the basis of his petition against Marjorie Grace Ivil. The marriage took place in 1919, and there were no children. For thirteen months things went happily. Then her people came to Jive with them and that caused trouble. His wife went away and he had not : livqd with 'her since. Respondent had refused to rejoin, him. On the- grounds of separation for a period of over three years Muriel Douglas Walker (Mr. Singer) petitioned for divorce from Herbert Walker. Petitioner stated that they were separated in February, 1920, and had not lived together since.

Beaney Wright (Mr. Sullivan) alleged heavy drinking and ill-treatment against her husband, Louis William Wright. The marriage took place in 1993, and in 1913 respondent left her. She had not lived with 'him since.

William Wall (Mr. Sullivan), in his petition against Minnie Wall, said they were married in 1905, and there were no children. In 1914 she left him and had not since returned. Mary Campbell (Mr. Jordan), in asking for a dissolution of her marriage with Angus John Campbell, said the marriage took place in 1901. She left him in 1917. Since then she bad spoken to him on one occasion only, ■when she said sho desired to have no communication with him. Dorothy May Lynch (Mr. Sullivan), of Otahuhu, in petitioning against William Albert Lynch, said her husband left her in February, 1920. Since then be had not supported her or lived with her. Woman Works On Gumfields. "' Desertim from July, 1917, was thel ground upon which Elizabeth Lemmon Murphy (Mr. Singer) sued for dissolution of her marriage to Denis Murphy. The marriage took place in 1899, and there were three children. She had to work on the gumfields to maintain herself and the children. At one time phe had to live in a shack made of sacks. Delia M. Poland, in petitioning for divorce from James Poland, of Paputoetoe, said that the marriage took place jn 1903 at Auckland. In June, 1916, petitioner obtained a separation order. Walter Ponsonby Monk (Mr. Singer) petitioned for a divoce, on the ground of desertion, from Louise Bethia Monk. The marriage took place at Auckland in 1910, and they lived in Australia and New Zealand. There was one child. In 1918 ids wife went away and had not returned. Other Cases of Desertion. Desertion since June, 1918, was the ground of the petition by Nellie Wright (Mr. Herman) against William Haeata Wright. The marriage took place in 1903 and there was one child. Respondent had contributed to the support of the child, but not to the support of petitioner. Annie Clifford advanced desertion as the ground of Iter petition against Walter Clifford, an engineer. She stated fiat respondent left Auckland in 1911 for the Solomon Islands, intending to return in a few months' time. The last communication she had from him was from Sydney (New South Wales). Subsequently she heard he was living in Fiji. On the ground that an order for the restitution of conjugal rights bad not been complied with, Royle Richard Victor Challiner (Mr. Terry), clerk, of Auckland, petitioned for divorce from Kathleen Myra Challiner. The marriage took place at Christen in 1919, and there were no children. On similar grounds decrees v. ere granted to the following:— Gore Scott (Mr. Leary), who petitioned for divorce from LdaJine Elmelie Ssott; August Fowler (Mr. E. C. Blornfield), engineer, of Warkworth, against Margaret .Rose Fowler; Edward Stevenson, a builder, against Muriel Stevenson; and William Henry Kearney (Mr. Sullivan), against Sign* Mary Kearney. A decree nisi was also granted to & petitioner whose husband is an inmate of the Auckland Mental Hospital, and wfeo according to the evidence, is not likely to recover.