An Engaging Person.

Southland Times, Issue 19004, 25 March 1903, Page 3

An Engaging Person.

An extraordinary caso came before Mr Justice Simpson in tho Divorce Court (Sydney) last week. Ida Paulina Foster, formerly Tarbottom, sought for divorce from Thomas Foster, on the ground of his desertion and misconduct. The case hacr beer, adjourned for three months to enable certain inquiries to be made in England by tho respondent. Respondent's answer was that at the time he went through the ceremony of marriage with petitioner she was a married woman. Respondent is now in gaol on a charge of bigamy, His defence at the trial w»3 that he discovered that the petitioner, was already married to a man named Patterson. Mi- Whittel, who represented the respondent, had made inquiries in England, about Patterson, and now said he was satisfied that the petitioner" had, under the name of Berth; and the description of a widow, married Patterson at Durham. Justice Simpson : If this man Patterson was alive when respondent was married, he did not commit bigamy. TTow long has he been in gaol ? Mr Whittel : Six months. A petition for the re-opening of the case has been lodged with the Government. •

Justice Simpson : The petitioner said that she was a widow when she marr-jed Tarbottom. According to the evidence, JParbottom died in 1886. She said she believed "that she had said at the Quarter Sessions that she was not married to Patterson, but came out to Australia with him as his wife. To me in this court she said : " T was His wife '"when. I came out." She told the respondent she was married to Tm-'bottom, who died, and later she was married to a man named Vicars, with whom she had lived. * The case was further adjourned.