THEY TOOK IN A BOARDER

NZ Truth, Issue 994, 13 December 1924, Page 7

THEY TOOK IN A BOARDER

And There Was Trouble

(From "Truth's" Taumarunui Rep.) Judge Herdman considered that Leslie Gordon Moidgway, a surfaceman, of Ongarue, had some grounds for a "divorce when his wife spent her evenings with the male boardex-, and when she made no attempt to hide her affection for the. other man when travelling backwards;, and forwards m railway trains, where ; she was said to "be frequently seen with her head m his lap and he with his arm about her. It seems that Mudgway was married to his wife, Hilda Renetta, m May, 1914. There were four children of the marriage. When they went to live at Ongarue they took m a young man boarder named Richard Hugh Sherson. V .

According to the husband, Sherson and his (petitioner's) wife became on very friendly terms and they used to spend' many of their 'evenings together at Taumarunui and Te Kuiti. Petitioner remonstrated on occasions with his wife, but she simply defied him. One night last February respondent and co-respondent got back from Taumarunui rather later, after he (petitioner) had gone to bed, and, fronvwhat ire heard of their whispered conversation m the kitchen, he ordered Sherson to leave the house, which he did. A few days later, however, on returning home one day, , petitioner tound that. his wife had also departed. She took the baby with her, but left behind the three children who Were going to school. Petitioner ascertained her whereabouts and obtained the baby from her and tried to induce her to return. As she refused to do so, he started proceedings for restitution of conjugal rights. When he heard from his children, however, that their : mummy "had been m bed with pick," as Sherson was familiarly known m the home, he withdrew the restitution proceedings and instituted the present ones, as he did not now want her back. About last Christmas time, he said, Sherson was out of work^ and petitioner used to go out to work, leaving respondent m bed. He learned, later, that after he had gone his wife used to go to bed alongside Sherson. Peti-, tioner~>- added that he had once before, m Hawkes Bay m 1921, found his wife m suspicious circumstances with a railway guard. On that occasion he took her to task, and she left him and Tretit to Palmerston North, to -Which place he followed and brought her back. A local butcher named Basil McGrath, who used to deliver meat at Jrludgway's house, said that prior to last Christmas Mrs. Mudgway always came to the door for the meat, but about Christmas time the children opened the door for him when he called. One morning he asked one of the boys where his mother was,' and he replied: "In bed with Dick.'.' Witness said he had frequently seen respondent and co-respondent .m Taumarunui together, almost every Saturday night m fact. In the railway train it was not an uncommon thing to 1 see them "smoodging," co-respondent with his arm around her and, she with her head on his lap. . One of the little boys gave evidence that his mother used to be "m bed With Dick." His Honor thought a case had .been made out, and granted a decree 'nisi, with costs on the lower scale against co-respondent. ' v