DIVORCE PETITIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1935, Page 9

DIVORCE PETITIONS.

SUPREME COURT APPLICATIONS. TWO BANKRUPTCY DISCHARGES. Divorce and bankruptcy petitions were disposed of by Mr. Justice Reed in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. A decree nisi on the grounds of separation was granted Francis Eva Mattock (Mr. G. J. Bayley), who was married at Hawera on September 6, 1928, to Robert Mattock. There was one child but she did not claim custody. They lived at Normanby and Douglas. A deed of separation was made on March 15, 1930. Robert Selby Mattock, son of the petitioner by a former marriage, gave corroborative evidence.

A decree nisi, to be made absolute after three months was granted, with costs against the respondent on the lowcst scale* Rose Smith, New Plymouth (Mr. St. Leger Reeves) sought a divorce from William Percy Smith, to whom she was married on March 18, 1912, at Opotiki. There were eight children, of whom she was providing for two. On June 27, 1930, she entered a deed of separation. Leonard Michael Lepper, brother of the petitioner, corroborated the evidence of separation.

His Honour granted a decree nisi to be moved absolute after three months. Interim custody of two children was given Mrs. Smith, and costs, £5, and disbursements, were allowed. Roy Frederick Clark (Mr. C. H. Croker) said he married Ivy Clark on February 1, 1922, at Wellington. They lived at New Plymouth. He was a pensioner afid was unable to work at present owing to spinal injuries received in the war. In 1927 his wife went to Wangaehu as a companion-help for three months. She did not return and took a similar position up the Wanganui River until 1929. She visited him during this period on holiday several times and it was on one of these occasions that she told him she was not coming back. The last time she visited him was in July, 1929. She wrote him saying she did not propose to come back and would earn her own living. Her love for him was dead, she said, and he knew she had not been true to him, though he had never openly accused her of it. Edward Gordon confirmed the evidence of desertion. Petitioner was granted a decree nisi to be made absolute after three months. Adultery was the ground of a petition by Donald Leonard Betteridge, Okato, farmer (Mr. A. A. Bennett) against Mildred Betteridge and Henry Percival Johns, co-respondent. They were married at the residence of Charles Cameron, Otakeho, on July 7, 1926, said Betteridge. They lived at Manaia and elsewhere in Taranaki and finally at Warea. One child, a girl, was in bom on January 25, 1927. His wife became friendly with Johns last March. The following month she went to live with Johns, who was a farmer. On June 10 and July 9 petitioner and a friend went to Johns’ house and obtained evidence of the relations between his wife and Johns. Corroborative evidence was given by Gordon Francis Shute, farmer, Okato. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute after three months. Counsel said he was not asking for costs. 1 A decree nisi was made absolute between Sophia E. Webb, New Plymouth (Mr. H. R. Billing) against Frederick S. Webb. Petitioner, was given permanent custody of the three children of the marriage.

Discharges from bankruptcy were granted Toit> Hetaraka (Okaiawa) and John McFetridge (Tataraimaka).