DOINGS IN DIVORCE.

NZ Truth, Issue 130, 14 December 1907, Page 5

DOINGS IN DIVORCE.

■— » • SLIPPING THE MATRIMONIAL MOORINGS. Mr. Justice Chapman and Ready-made Divorces. SOME CHRISTCHURCH CASES.

-Some.- strong-minded, hot-headed prelate once observed m a tone of fine frenzy that divorce was the offspring of the worst and lowest instincts of mankind, and opened wide the door of every form of licentiousness. Well, that was a bit too strong altogether, for such is not the case ; but white-ehokered sin shifters are allowed to wield the oratical sledge-hammer now and again m order to relieve their feelings. People who. have struck a bad course m the race for the matrimonial purse are quite , entitled to what reMef the law allows ; but it must be confessed that the divorce record m the Dominion during the last few weeks has been something of a startler. In Christchurch alone there were a dozen petitions tried, and, strange to relate, only one case was defended, and that m a most perfunctory manner, for the respondent had been convicted m the Magistrate's Court of keeping a house of ill-fame. In the case of the remaining eleven there may or . may not have been collusion m some of~ them ; but at all events the cases went through the Court With machine like ■ precision m, a very, short time. Decrees were granted for, desertion, and applications were made, for orders for the ; re-stitutibnVof conjugal riirhts. In the latter/cases, well, as Judge Chapman' observed "t'other' day when rattling through _the list at Christohurch, they .were MERELY READY-MADE" <DIVORCES, • as if conjugal rights weren't granted by the delinquent party within a specified number of days^— and* they never are granted for obvious reasons—a petition for divorce may follow right away. Parliament has deigned to take notice of this hankypanky business, but the Bill ..hasn't yet received the King's assent. When Ned says "All right" the game will be stopped. A queer case of desertion was that of De La Mere v, De-La Mere. The evidence disclosed how strong' an antipathy a. woman may conceive for a man after she has . been wedded to him, and borne children to him for a number of years,. Glanyille De La, Mere is m the soft good's line, and he married m 1888. There are two grown-up boys., aged 19 and 17 respectively. Between- five 'and six years ago Mrs De La Mere began to make chilling remarks to her husband, showing her repugnance to him on, every possible occasion.. The ladystarted off by saying that she wasn't as fond of him as she "used to be, and later on told.; him plump and plain that she didn't care a dam for him. This cut De La Mere up something considerable. Then things got worse, the lady couldn't bear to sit by the fireside with him, or to sleep m the same bed '; she was sick of the sight of him m the house. Then she mentioned something about clearing out and leaving him altogether. Now,- De La Mere had a good billet, and thought that if he got a travelling job it would be a good thing for the peace and welfare of his family. On the principle that "absence makes, the heart grow fonder, ' ' or [ sibme such ' r'otrgut, he believed that were he' to absent himself from his spouse for. a length of time her., feelings would become more tender towards him, and that he would enjoy the chaste delights of a second honeymoon later on. He secured an appointment as a travelling inspector for the 7 New Zealand Clothing Factory, visiting all. parts of the colony. This caper went on for a year or so, and during that time he visited Christchuroh twice a year, staying seven or eight days at a time. Well, about July of the present year De- La Mere returned to Christchurch to settle down, having got tired of travelling about. But the heart of the*, missus, instead of being as tender as a herb, was as hard as iron, and m answer to all husbandly entreaties she absolutely. refused to have anything to do with him ; she wouldn't have the man she once loved at any price; yet he is an estimable and nonobjtctionable person. Averring that sh3 could never tolerate him THE STONEY-HEARTED WOMAN p ■•Jeer! her trunks, stated that she would have taken the step long before, but waited until the boys grew up; and then she swung herself out of the front door. So De La Mere engaged Mr Frazer to see the matter out, and an order for the restitution of conjugal rights was made last week, 14 days being fixed as the limit. Why the woman should develop such a pronounced antipathy to the hard-working bread (and dress) winner cannot, be surmised. It was not! suggested during the hearing that there was a fancy lover m the case,, but at all events the position is as stated. i "Fools rush into marriage . who cannot even earn their bread"— new motto. And that was what happened .to Harold Henry Brinkman, engineer, employed at Booth, Macdonald and Co.'s, Christchurch. He is related to the well-known trotting handicapper. Harold Henry was only 18 and the girl 19 when they, whirled into the matrimonial state. It was a darned sudden affair. The youth was ■ still m his apprenticeship, and wasn't earning anything worth mentioning. He went to. live with his father at Sydenham, and the young wife with her father, also at Sydenham. The census of latter's house soon showed the addition of a very small unit which still survives. Young Brinkman was supposed, to be saving up to set up m a mansion of his own as a family man. The pair appear to have been kept apart although living m the same suburb, but they wrote letters. And Brinkman's missives were capital for a young husband— for about six months; then the pen got stiff, and the ink ran cold, and there was a famine m the paner market, for the lone; four pajre letters dwindled down to brief, curt notes. Finn Mr. none nrrirpd at all, pnd it war sm-nvsod that the wind hud blown them out of the j

post-bag. The young gentleman, now a full-fledged engineer, vras written, to and asked to make some arrangement, or tip put things on a betteu footing, but he absolutely refused, and never gave the slightest reason.; He had evidently arrived at the con-i elusion that the girl who bore his child wasn't his affinity, and that another dip m the lucky bag oi fate wouldn't be so dusty if the incubus would only relieve him. Well, she has done so. An order was made foe restitution of bed and board rights,, on the application of Barrister Frazer ; the period specified being a fortnight. Charles Henry Pearce had failed- to come up to time and kiss and love his wee wife toy order of the Court,, so Mr T. G. Russell asked for a nisi certificate and it was granted by Judge Chapman. Good isn't a good name FOR A BAD WIFR but that's neither here nor there. Elizabeth of that ilk got so sick and tired of living with hubby Petec Gk)od that she -told him to boil his own kettle m future. That was five years ago. Perhaps Peter didn't appreciate her efforts m the culinary line ; if J|pt f sh#is ; giving others a chance to do so^ for she is running a hash-foundry somewhere. Lawyer Wilding put Peter's little business through and he obtained a decree. Grass widows seem to take on the boarding-house business quite lyMargaret Burt, ex-wife of George H. Burt, is another who has been divorced undei similar eircum stances. Missus left George five years ago, and they have been living m tho city ever since. When they chanced to meet Margaret said she wasn't taking any more hubby although he might be a useful thing to have m her hash-house. Lawyer Douajall settled .her hash for her m one act. The case of Ada Elizabeth Irvine was a sad one. She had led a dog's life with her very poor apology for a husband, William 1. He dra'nic like the devil (if the devil ever does drink, that is), and knocked her about m a most shameful manner. In May of 1901 he did a guy to Wellington, leaving her In the lurch. Perhaps, she wasn't sorry! At all events she had heard th?.t he led a boozer's life there. Mr Wrictlit secured a decree for Petitioner, returnable m three months.