BREAKING THE BONDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 181, 5 December 1908, Page 5

BREAKING THE BONDS.

A MEDICO AND HIS MISSUS.

The Suit of Stone v. Stone.

Tales Told to a Tasmanian Tribunal.

(Prom "Truth's" Own Correspondent.)

( Hobart, November 25

Six months ago V anderaonian society circles were agape m anticipation of a spicy divorce case, m which Dr. fcStone, who, some time previously, practised his profession as a leading medico m Christchurch, .N.Z., was made the respondent on the petition of his wife. Chief Justice Dodds then took up the most unprecedented course of ordering that the details m the case should not be published, but it is doubtful whether the order had the desired effect, for there were sufficient of the great unsoaped m the Macquarie-street Halls of Justice to carry a fairly bigj jugfull of the evidence outside. Just why the C.J. should have made the order prohibiting the publication of the unsavory matter m reference is one of those questions for which- the leading Vundemonian horsehair brigade ailone is responsible, but the fact remains that, both at the time and since the occurrence has given rise to a very fair amount of unpleasantness, the more so because just then one of the most smcllful cases of domestic infelicity ever heard m a Tasmanian Court of Law was being argued out m all , i\ ITS HIDEOUS DETAILS. A married woman named "Mansfield," residing "m Southern Tasmania, where th» rosy red apples are grown, became enamored of a young blacksmith and subsequently lived openly with him as man and wife. Mrs Mansfield was bordering on sixty years of age, and had sons and daughters nearly twice the age of her paramour. Further than this, the husband was comfortably situated, ( and she wanted nothing m the way of filial affection until ...the young blacksmith serpent entered ttie Eden garden. After a hearing lasting upwards of a fortnight, during which; some frightful disclosures were made, public and duly chron cled by fthe catch-penny press, Judge Mclnlyre granted the injured hubby, a decree abso-. lute without waiting tor the usual six monfflfs to elapse between the decree nisi* and the actual, breaking of the bonds. This much is mentioned mainly to show that evidently there is a law for the in-, fluential and one for the weak m the island State. Bad as the details were m the Stone v.. Stone case, they 'were not a patch on those .elicited/ m the Mansfield trial. Mrs Stone hail instructed her solicitor (Mr N. X, Ewing) to request that her evidence should be suppressed, as she did not wish to do her husband any , injury m his profession— a magnanimous wish evidently of a woman who had suffered much. In the witnessbox she gave ■ ; SOME HARROWING DETAILS of her married life, which had only lasted a very few years, but ' into which a whole volcano of cruelty and subsequent abandonment . had been introduced. She was a hospital nurse m London wh-,n Dr Stone became enamored of her, and they were subsequently married and decided to make Adelaide their future home. Eveiy thing went wel.l ' m the marriage garden, for somet ime, and the doctor succeeded m building up a. most lucrative practise m the Holy City. He continued to treat* his wife well for some time, but rapidly became a victim to. the cocaine habit, "when recovering from the/ influence of the drug." said MrsrStonV;, m her evidence, "the doctor was an infuriated madman. He beat me . at times ' into insensibility, and \I was frequently compelled to seek protection from his (Violence.". This kind ot treatra< I nt lasted for months, and then Stone sold out his Adelaide practise and went to N"ew Zealand. He set up m Christchurch, and for a time reformed and\ acted the' part of the repentant husband. Again he was successful m getting a good, payable tflientele together until he became enamored of the daughter of an influential . Christchurch resident, with whom he departed for Tasmania, leaving his lawful wife to get along as best she could. Mrs Stone then discovered that he was practising -his profession m . the sawmilling district of Port Esperance, 1 AND WAS LIVING IN ADULTERY with the paramour.; She came to Hobait and • instituted proceedings for divorce. For some months she resided at the Orient Hotel, where she made many friends, who sympathised with her m her martial misfortunes. Subsequently she removed to the tany boarding establishment qf Pressland House. After the divorce trial, at which Mrs Stone was [ granted a decree nisi on the grounds of j gross cruel-ty and desertion, she was compelled to look round for a livelihood. She adopted the dressmaking business for a' start and entered the establishment of Brownell Bros, at the munificent salary of, ten shillings per week. Her health gave way under the strain of the previous legal proceedings, and two months lor thereabouts ago. she left Vandemonia for Victoria. Dr. Stone and his paramour having taken their departure for | one ol the other States six months before. :. ALIMONY GRANTED. Solicitor N, K. Ewing, acting on behalf of Mrs Stone, made application to the Pull .Court to-day to finally settle the breaking asunder of the marriage tie between Dr. Stone and Mts Stone. He stated that when- the decree nisi was granted six months ago, the Court had allowed alimony at the rate 'of £1 per week. That amount had been faithfully paid by l>r. Stone's representatives, and he how moved that the ambunt should lie dePn ; tely fixed by the Bench at £4 6s 8d per month. This was agreed to ! with costs against' Dr. Stone.; " -■