CO-RE. UNKNOWN.

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 6

CO-RE. UNKNOWN.

Was it the Lodger ?

The Christchurch divorce . suit, Ackerley v. Ackerley, presented the unusual feature that the father of the . accidental youngster wasn't disclosed m the proceedings. He is probably m Fogland, where the lady was - summering when she j sinned with some person, or persons unknown. Charles William Ackerley is- a dark person, of youthful appearance, who clerks for the Christchurch Meat Company, and <he married, his missus, Annfe Mary. Gladys, on sth September, 18'JG, m Hingland. The pair came to Mew Zealand m 1900, and lived m the Cathedral City, three children' blessing the union. In January, 1907, the missus 'tripped it to King JNe'd's country, and remained away eight months. During her absence Ackerley's sister kept house for the clerk, who stayed, m Uhristchurch, and couldn't have .been responsible for anything that occurred North of the equator, and which was the cause of the ■ population being later enriched by one. During wifey's absence, Charles William called at the post office for letters, as usual, and was handed certain correspondence from a young. man to his wife. It had been sent to Annie Mary Gladys m England, and was re-directed back to Ackerley m New Zealand. The letters were handed up to his Honor,, but nothing, not even the name of the writer, was MADE KNOWN TO THE PRESS. Perusal of them seemed tc afiord his Honor, some entertainment, and this paper guesses, "from information received," - that they were from the eternal lodgec. There was a lodger m the Ackerley eslabl.wh^neati jfriot to the lady'js aepar-

ture for England, and he was m the habit of writing to her from a place m the North Island, to which he -had been transferred. There must have been something detrimental to the" giddy tripper m the missives otherwise they would not have been put m, but obviously the lodger couldn't have fathered the child, which was (born m Dunedin on February 29 of the present year. Annie Mary Gladys went Britain-ward m: January, 1907, and didn't return till September 22 of the same year, so that the cor re. Was alluded to m the:, petition as a person unknown. . Prom July till the return of his erring spouse, Ackerley went into lodgings .with his . children, and there m.ust have been something disturbing In i the' letters already mentioned when he refused to cohabit with her upon her return. Ackerley also received a letter from his wife, signed m her maiden name, Which was solemnly handed m by George Harper, for Ackerley, and its con-, tents remained a. dead secret to all save the Judge and the principals. The fact that it was . ,• . i SIGNED. IN THE LADY'S' MAIDEN .' . NAME seems significant. Although, he couldn't live with her Ackerley made his wife an allowance when she asked for it, although he wasn't then aware of her condition, which forced her, later, to enter a nursing home m Dunedin. Mrs Annie Mathieson, nurse "m Dr. Batchelor's private hospital, Duheain, picked Mrs Ackerley out m, a group photograph as the lady who entered the institution m February.. Mrs Ackerley is rather" .attractive In ' appearance, and was photographed with, -her 'tares childfen and her sister-in-law." '■ She was entered m the. hospital register as Mrs Ackerley, who mentioned that her husband lived m Uhristcijturch, and .gave birth to a male child 'on February 29. Fortunately, perhaps, for its future welfare, the awkward memento of past giddiness didn't live to Curse its mother. I Evidence was also given by Bessie AcSerley and' Edgar Kemp, tngniver, at whose premises the deceived husband had been staying, "to prove that Aciser ley was ia New Zealand when the child was conceived. ■ ' >' : . Decree nisi to be made absolute '■ m three, months. ,