THE BOLD BAD BARONET.

NZ Truth, Issue 98, 4 May 1907, Page 8

THE BOLD BAD BARONET.

ELOPES TO AUSTRALIA.

Tunis Up m Sydney with a Friend's Wife.

Deserts His Own Wife and Daughter.

Banting for Sunken Treasure m the South Seas.

Since the sensational affair of the fugitive Russian lovers who arrived m 'Australia a few months ago, there has been a lull m society elopments. But during the past week the cables have briefly informed us of another matrimonial fotust-up which is likely, to create as great . interest m this country as it already has m England., It is scarcely- likely, however, that these fugitive lovers will, like Captain Essipoff and Ms inamorata, rushon* to the newspapers with information as to .their doings and their whereabouts. They are more likely to follow the example of Brer Rabbit and "lay low and say nufim'." But they are carrying on, nevertheless, m a miosfi brazen iashdon, for the baron^ et's lady friend is travelling- under the name of "Lady Hartwell," and the pair are now living as man and' wife m Sydney. The story is an interesting one, and, as the juvenile reporter puts it, ' interesting developments are expected shortly."- AH tha* parties move m VERY HIGH SOCIETY. Engineer-Lieutenant . Edgar Warner Chamberlain, Of the torpedo-destroyer Foyle> is suing m the English Divorce Court for a dissolution of bis marriage on 'the ground of his wife's adultery with Sir Brodrick Hartwell, as "bold .and as bad, a baronet as is to he found m England or upon the melodramatic stage. It was stated m court that the guilty couple had' eloped to Australia. The divorce judge declared that he was 'quite satisfied as to the adultery having taken place but he adjourned the pronouncing of the decree nisi pending further proof of the wronged husband's, marriage to his faithless spouse. v Tlie petitioner, Lieutenant Chamberlain, is not unknown m Australia. He was formerly/ on H.M-S. Gold*finch, a screw surveying vessel which at one time was on the Australian station. We became a n&u'J'Jiiaut m January, 1899, and is now attached :to the Foyle, a torpedo destroyer belonging to tlie second cruiser squadron of the Atlantic Fleet/ -It is stated that his wife is ■AN AUSTRALIAN LADY, .to wftom he was married three or four years ago, the issue 'being one child, a boy, ' Chamberlain is said to be a nephew of General Sir Neville Chamibjerlain, KC.B., who was private secretary to Lord Roberts during the S' African War, and is a very "'big bug" m military circles.; The general resides at "Oatlands," Castleknock, county Dublin. Lieutenant Cthamher r lain's depot was Plymouth, and presunm'bly his wife . resided m that neigMbiortvood 'while her officer husband was cruising about the Atlantic. Sir Brodrick Hartwell appears to and a particular chum of the hu&bandajsd. a particular chain of $ie husband. Sir Brodriok Cecil Den&ain Ar-kwrignt Hartwell, Baronet— is one of the "■landed gentry" of His family is a very old one, but he is only the fourth baronet of the existing creation. It is interesting to jsote that the first of these baronets was so created (m 1805) because he acted as proxy for the Earl of Keitih\ when the latter was so have been installed a: Knight of the Bath, N lt was. for such trivialities that titles .were formerly besifcowed -!i BRODRICK THE BART was the only son ofl .Edward Hughes HartwelJ, a retired captain of the' Royal Navy, who was British Consul m South Italy, and who died m 189:5. ' The present co-respondent wag born m July, I^7Q, and is 'consequently not yet 31 years of age. His uncle, the tbixd baronet, Sir Francis Houlton Hartwell, died m 1900, leaving a widow, Lady Emma Jane, who resides at Oourtfield Gardens, London, and is a grand dame m West End society circles. He also left three daughters. Failing male issue, the title descended to his nephew, the present ' fugitive. For , two years Sir Brodrick (who is a relation of theSt John Brodrick, who was Secretary for War m the last British Ministry) enjoyed his title and estates, the latter being very extensive, m simple blessedmess. But m July, 1902," he took TO HIMSELF A WIFE, m the charming person of Mdlle. Geor gette Madeleine, 'the daughter of Mons Georges Pilon-Fleury, a French gentleman residing at -Djenan. es Saka, El Biar, Algiers, and as a result there was born to them m June, 1903, a daughter who was named Leila Ruth Madeleine. The heir presumptive to the title is Lieutenant ■Barry Hartwell,- of the 7th Gurkha Rifles of the Indian Army. Sir Brodrick has also seen military service, for he was a lieutenant m the Leicestershiirs Regiment during the South African' campaign . But he appears to have preferred the charms of Venus to the attractons of Mars, for soon after his marriage he retired from the Army and "settled down" to country life oh his estates m Essex. Dale Hall, Colchester, is the name of his seat, and old country people mav> remember th& residence as one of the most picturesque Elizabethan buildings, extant. Sir; Brodrick also 'has a place m Germany, and possrblv it was m that Anglo-French island that he met his (former) Georgette. It is interesting to note that the • fugitive baronet's family motto is "Sorte sua Contentus," which being translated, means, ' "CONTENT WITH HIS LOT." Sir Brodrick has evidently reason to be content with his lot so far as having the good things of the earth without the necessity of working for them, but whether he is, and how long he will continue ■ o be, content with his lot m an; amorous sense remains to be seen. His deserted wife is already following the example set by her Lieutenant Chamberlain, and is seeking a divorce. But m order to give her erring and errant husband a run for his money she has agents on his track. Private enquiry agents already have the ' case m- h^mh and S.iE BrodriGk

and his companion may anticipate a lively time. THE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY of the fugitive lovers possesses severeral uncommon features. Exactly when the baronet's desertion of his j wife and daughter, and his flight with Mrs Chamberlain, took place is not gendra-lly known. It. was, however, probably during the latter part of last year, for m December last he turned up m Sydney, being- accompanied toy the laidy who passes as "Dady Hartwell." Whether it arose -from love of adventure or m drder to arouse enthusiasm and admiration on the part of his companion or to prevent the course of lovo 'becoming stale, flat and uninteresting, Sir Bjrod- j rick became bitten by the microbe of South Sea Island treasure hunting. In partnership with one John Henry Broadwood,- he purchased the schooner, Stanley, 84 tons, a well-known N.S.W. coa-ster, and the vessel was fitt/ed out, : regardless of expense, as a private yacht. It .was given out that the -baronet, his wife and his partner intended to proceed upon a cruise union's the Sonth Sea Islands, and the vessel duly "cleared"' at ( {Sydney two days • before Christmas Day. But- whether "content with his -lot" or not, Sir Brodrick evidently wanted more, because the actual object of the expedition w_as to SEEK FOR SUNKEN TREASURE. Twenty-ttoree years ago the ship Ramsiay.'of the Blackball line, was wrecked on the Middleton Reef,* off the north coast of Queensland, while on a voyage froitr Brisbane to London. The greater part of her cargo, consisted of wool, which was salved. But she also carried a large shipment of copper, and' it was with the idea of recovering some of the now valuable mineral that Hartwell. and his party set out. When the Stanley, which was under the command of Captain Henderson, ,' a well-known Sydney mariner, arrived at the Middleton Reef, the first experience was mot the finding of the treasure, but the discovery of the ■ castaway crew of the barque AnnaS'Ona, which was wrecked there m January last while on a voyage, m iballast, from the west coast of South America to Sydney. The 'baronet and, his associates took the shipwrecked sailors on board the trim little schooner, and conveyed them to Lord Howe Island, whence they were later on carried to Sydney.. Having (performed this act of common sea humanity, the owners of the Stanley once more headed for Middleton Reof , and began the search for the copper. They succeeded m finding the wreck of the Ramsay, which was lying m seven fathoms of water, and partly an the reef.; Bat there was no trace of THE COPPER SHIPMENT^ The schooner encountered^ very severe weather, during March. On the' 26th a S.E. gale arose, which by the 28tb increased to hurricane force. So. heavy, was the weather that Captajjr Henderson states that he never experienced anything like it since the memorable Cawarra gale.. However, the Stanley prqyed stauncii- The hcteuvy, chain and anchor held on to the reef.V and the little 1 ship escaped .with the loss lof^a few fathoms of chain and the lifeboat, which was smashed to atoms. The Stanley returned to Sydney on Friday, April 5, and the papers of that city duly record her arrival m the following words : — ''Stanley, schooner, private yacht, Captain Henderson, fr,om a South, Sea cruisePassengers— Sir Brodrick Cecil Denbam Arkwright Hartwell, Bart., Lady. Hartwell, and Mr John Henry Broadwood, Master, agent." Thus the lady who, until the decree of divorce is pronounced, will be Mrs E. W. Chamj berlain, is travelling as ; "L'ady Hartiwell." What will be the cad of it? i Will the baronet marry, when, he can, the lafiv with whom he Tjecame ; infatuated? Or will he, as often happens m such cases, tire 1 of her : and desert her?