A WIFE’S AFFECTIONS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10514, 8 April 1927, Page 5

A WIFE’S AFFECTIONS

FRIENDSHIP FOR ANOTHER MAN AN ENTICING CARRIER. Electric Telegraph—Press Association W ELLINGTON, Last Night. What amount should compensate a husband for alienation of a wife’s affections brought about by friendship for another man ? There are only two such cases on record in the English Law Reports, the first in 1745, the second in 1904, although there have been several recently in Canada. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day before His Worship, Mr Hewitt, such an action was brought by HerBert Denham, carrier of Johnsonville, for £IOO against Louis O. Sebire, another carrier resident about five miles away. The statement of claim set forth that defendant without just cause had so persuaded or enticed Denham's wife, Olive Louisa Denham, to live apart from him, and had alienated her affections so that he was deprived of the benefit of her society.

“There is no suggestion of misconduct,” said Mr Boys for plaintiff. The principle of law wa s that if a man enticed another man’s wife to leave him he was entitled to damages. In this case the wife did not leave home; but Canadian cases showed this did not enter into the legal question. Plaintiff was entitled to damages. The only question was tlie amount. Defendant was a frequent visitor to the house and the wife had become estranged from her husband. Defendant perhaps caused this unwittingly. After the case had proceeded some time Mi- Hewitt remarked that nothing would be gained by going on with it. He suggested a settlement out of court, which eventually was done, defendant giving an undertaking not to visit the house again.