The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-05-15 00:00:00

°ERNS ABBAB.
A SCAMP.

In the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of
the High Court of Justice, on Tuesday last, before the
Right Hon. the President, Sir James ffannen, the suit
of Turner v. Turner was heard, on the wife's petition for
a dissolution of the marriage, on the ground of her
husbands adultery awl desertion. Mr. Middleton, in-
etructed by Mr. Trevor Davis, of Sherborne, appeared
for the petitioner. On the part of the respondent there
was no defence or appearance. Mr. Middleton stated
that the respondent, Robert Turner, late of Temple-
combo. Somerset, was a stock dealer. The petitioner,
Mn,. Mary Charlotte Turner, was the daughter of a
hotel keeper at Templecombe. The parties were married
in February, 1970, and lived together at Teir plecombe,
and two children were born of the marriage. In March,
1872, the respondent got Into difficulties, the result of
which was that an execution was put into the ,
house, and his wife, with his assent, went back to
live with her father. The respondent accompanied
, her, and stayed about a month at the house of
his wife's father, and then went to stay with one of his
own relations. In November 1872 be dfnappeared
altogether, and at the same time a dairymaid in the
neighbourhood, Annie Candy, the daughter of a respect-
able farmer, also disappeared. It was afterwards
discovered that they had gone t.sgether to America, and
that they hail since li, las man and wife at Watson v fine
800 miles from San Francis:,, in the State of California,
and that the woman Candy had children by the respon-
dent. He :tent home very affectionate letters to the
wife whom he had deserted, but they were a sham,
became whilst he was pretending affection for her he
was actually living with this other women. The learned
counsel proceeded to call Mrs. Turner, the petitioner,
who depmed : lam the petitioner in this cane. I now
live with my father, Mr. Beer, and my mother, at the
Royal Hotel, Templecombe, I was married to the
respondent on the 24th of February, 1870, at the
church of St. Mary's, Weymouth, and I afterwards
lived with my husband at Templewmbe, and we
had two children. In March, 1872, an execution was
put into our house, and I then went to my father's to
live. I went with my husbands consent; he wished
me to go, and he went with me. He stayed about a
month—as long an he chose. 'then he went vi stay
with his grandmother some little time, and then with
his sister. I last saw him on the 10th ~1' November,
urn. He mentioned that he was going away, but he not
my where or when. Sir James Hannen : Did he say
anything which led you to suppose that he was going
out of the country? Witnens : N.., my lord.
Examination continued: I never Saw him after that
time. I have had several letters from him since then.
Mr. Middleton : I think I ought to read those letters
to your lordship. The first was listed from New York,
Christmas Day, 1872 —"My: dear Polly,—you must
overlook my unkindness in not writing to you before
this, but I hope this letter will meet you and the two
dear little ones all right, as I am pleased to say lam at
present. Dear Polly, I thought of you to-day when I
was at dinner. I wish you were out here with me. This
is a very nice place; I am going to stop until Monday,
then I am going on to California, and when I get there
I will fiend you the address. It will be at Santa Cruz
where lam going to live. I have hired with a gentle-
man for two years at 1:100 a year and my board and
lodging. It Is a coachman's place, to drive a pair or
tandem ;soit is not a very hard place. I should not
havecome out of old England if it had not been forth.
old folks always looking so cold at me. My love for you
is the same, and I shall come home to you some day,
and be some of them's masters who think themselves
so large. This is the country to get money in, and I
only wish I had come ten years ago. We had a very
rough voyage. I should very much like to see you and
the dear children; I only wish you were out here.
Would you like to come out? Give the children plenty
of kisses for me. People blame me for going away
with Annie Candy, the while that they make a min-
take. You know what a place Templecombe is for
telling lies. I wish people would mind their own
business a litt'e more, and not trouble themselves
about me. I will own that I talked to her at Teen-
stone, and that! should never have done if your people
had not turned their backs on me. lam going to send
this to mother, and she will send it on to you. You
must not nay where I am to any one, but if any one
salts tell them tam quite well. I ought to have
written to you at Shepton. but! heard so many tales,
and that warn the reason I did not. You must keep
your spirit up, and you will see me again. You must
not think any differently of me • you must think it is
all for the beet. It was no use my stopping in England.
I have got to go 6,000 miles further than I am now.
Si, good-bye, Folly, with dearest love and kisses." The
next letter was dated Watsonville, January, 1974 :
" I have received your letter safe, and was pleased to
hear that you were all so well. If I come home
within the next four years the people I owe money to
will be down on me like a hundred of bricks." " You
must have patience. We shall meet again, please
G.xl, if we are spared in this world. I am quite
happy, I am as jolly as a sand boy, as John Foot
used to say. I send you part of a newspaper about
the shooting of my old master." The next letter wee
dated 12th of July, 1974 :—" Dearest Polly,—You
must not think I have forgotten you and the two dear
children, because I have not wrote for so long a time.
The reason I did not do so was bemuse I have been
down to—, where I stand to kill 15,000 goats. lam
getting quite an old sailor. I shall be back again
some day, please God to spare me. lam sating all
my money., and when I come home you won't be
penniless.' Sir James Mennen (to witness) : Has he
sent you any money? Witness : No, my lord. Mr.
Middleton said the letter went on to say Take
care of the children; I hope they are all right. If
you want any money, write, and I will send you some
but I hope grandmother does not forget them. I
thought of corning home this summer, but I shall not
until I get more money. You must not think you will
I never see me again. I shall come in one day, and
' call for a glass of beer, but you will not know me, for ,
this country has altered me very much. This is a very
nice country. There is no king or queen here." The
writer proceeded in praise of a Republican Govern-
ment (A laugh.) There was another letter, dated
28th of November 1875 :—" I was quite surprised when
I received this paper for a divorce case. It is the
hat thing I ever thought you would has, done. Don't
you be persuaded by other people, but if it is your own
, doings, all right. If you want to get married again,
` I shall not be in your way, and you will get the
, divorce, because I shall not be there to appear against
It. But don't get married again until you see me."
(A laugh) I shall come back again some day, a
I single ma, and then we will have a nice time
onoe more. I may come home this summer,
but I a• not know yet." The learned counsel
famin read the evidence which had been taken
pisa=comon in the case before the British
at Mints Cruz :—The disposition of
Walloon was to the following effect:
am besiseller and stationer at Wntsonville. I
=rthe photograph produced as the likeness of a
aw as Robert Turner, journeyman . butcher,
Watiewaville. Ido not know the handwriting of tbe
latter produced I do not remember having seen
Turner write. I have known Turner about four years,
daring which period he had resided at Watsonville or
in Me vicinity. He haa never been in my house. A
W ema lives with him who passes as his wife, and has
lived with him ever since he has been at Watsonville.
She passes by the name of Turner • I have never known
her by any other name, nor have I heard her name by
Turner. 'I sold her • baby-waggon, and I called on
Turner for the balance due on it, and he replied' All
right ; I will pay for it." I have seen two children
with the woman--one of them aged about three years and
the other about two years. I have seen them in the baby-
waggon which I [fold to the woman who is known --
Mrs. Turner, W. Bale, of San Franciaco, deposed : I
live at 15, Jackatmet. end my place of baldness is at
the publication office 01 the sssssUeiia. I wee an
eteigration-egent, and in , 1872, I was in

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