Stage Favourite Vindicated

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 986, 31 May 1930, Page 20

Stage Favourite Vindicated

Millie Legarde, Own Counsel, Dismissed from Divorce Suit

ISS MILLIE LEGARDE the former musical come dy actress, coaducted her own case iu wJr-ilnr—iMJ a divorce suit which has ended after a four-days’ hearing. The petitioner was Mrs. Isabel Ethel Dominy, of Mycene Road, Blackheath. She sought a divorce from hex husband, Charles Cecil Dominy, formerly in practice as a solicitor at Southampton and now iiving in Salisbury Road, Farnborough, Hampshire. Miss Legarde, now Mrs, Mildred Hutton, of Salisbury Road, Farnborouglx, Hampshire, intervened to deny allegations made against her by Mrs. Dominy. Mr. Justice Bateson, saying the wife’s case had not been made out, dismissed Mrs. Hutton fi-oni the suit and dismissed Mi's. Dominy’s petition. He made no order as to costs. Mrs. Hutton said she appeared in person, as she was informed that tne costs might be £BOO if she were represented. “Mess Of His Life” "In my view,” said the judge, "all that really was between the husband and Mrs. Hutton was great friendship, and friendship which led the parties into very indiscreet and, per haps, very foolish and stupid things.” The judge observed that in 1925 the husband’s income was £2,000 a year, but he "made a mess of his life” and was subsequently imprisoned. Mrs. Hutton was obliged to divorce her first husband. “I do not think,” continued the judge, “that she is by any means a clever or astute person; hut I think she was particularly plausible. She had been on the stage in days gone

by, and had still some histrionic abil ity. She gave her evidence exceedingly well.

“She married again—apparently a marriage of affection—a husband to whom she was devoted. But her happiness in her second, marriage was wrecked by another woman. “In the beginning of 1922 she was in great distress over her husband’s conduct, and her doctor thought a solicitor ought to be called in. Mr. Dominy rendered her services. “Mrs. Hutton’s second husband at that time,” the judge went on, “seems to have been a gentleman of many loves and eventually he formed such an attachment for another woman that his wife could not stand it, although she could have forgiven him what some people like to call peccadilloes Settlement of £I,OOO “Having formed this other attachment, the husband made a proposal which Mrs. Hutton could not possibly accept. “Mr. Dominy,” added the judge, “obtained for her a settlement from her second husband of £I,OOO a year.” Speaking of a friendship which existed between Mr. and Mrs. Dominy and Mrs. Hutton, lie added: "I have not the least doubt that in November, 1923. these three people were on che very best of terms, and that the wife was genuinely grateful to Mrs. Hutton for all she had done for her in the past. “In February, 1924, Mrs. Hutton took a house at Brockenhurst, quite close to the Dominys, and the friendship went on. Mrs. Dominy no doubt bad to put up with a certain amount of neglect, but it might have been much worse for her if it had not been for the steadying influence of Mrs. Hutton on the husband.”