The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-06 00:00:00

A SINGULAR DIVORCE SUIT.

In the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division
of the High Court of Justice, the cause of "Medley
v. Medley" has been heard, and was a very 'singular
divorce suit. The petitioner wag Mrs. Rose Mary
Medley, and she sought a dissolution of her marriage
with the respondent, Thomas Pierce Medley, on the
ground of his desertion, adultery, and bigamy. The
respondent pleaded that he had obtained a divorce
and had contracted a lawful marriage with Maria
Louisa Browne.

Mr. Inderwiek, Q.C., and Mr. Bayford appeared
for the petitioner ; Mr. Searle for the respondent.—
We take the following report of the case from The
Times :

"Mr. Inderwick stated that the parties in this case
were married on the 20th of December, 1877, at St.
George's, Hanover-square. The respondent, who was
born in 1853, was the son of Mr. Thomas Sanders
Medley. The latter gentleman was born in England,
but many years ago went to the United States,
got naturalised there, and married the mother of
the respondent, who was an American lady. He
is dead, and his widow is married again. He car-
ried on trade both in this country and the United
States, and was living in this country at the
time of the respondent's birth. The respondent
was born in England; but at the time of his mar-
riage with the petitioner had property in various
parts of the world, and he and Mrs. Medley travelled
together to various places after the marriage. In the
early part of 1878, he went by himself to the United
States. He told his wife that he was obliged to go
there on business; but it would appear that while
there on the occasion of that visit he met a married
lady, named Mrs. Maria Louisa Browne, and fell in
love with her. On his return, his wife thought she per-
ceived a change in his manner, but she had no idea of the
cause of that change. He continued to show her much
affection, and on the evening of the 11th of November,
1878, she saw him off to Paris, to which city he said
he was going on business. They were then residing
at Kensington-park-road. On the 15th of the same
month she received a letter from him dated Grand
Hotel, Paris, November 13, in which, to her profound
astonishment, he stated that he was going to India in
consequence of finding that their 'natures were op-
posed ; told her not to follow him, though his life would
be a dreary one; assured her that she should always
have his greatest affection, and directed her to
keep his carriages, cellar of wines, and other
effects. It was not till January, 1880, she
discovered that instead of having gone to India he
had proceeded to the United States, obtained a divorce
in Colorado, and married Mrs. Browne, who had been
divorced from her husband, at Chicago. In a day or
two alter this intelligence was communicated to her
she had an interview with her husband at Paris, in ,
which he confirmed it. He paid her much attention
at the interview, and sent fruit and flowers *to her
lodgings. It would appear that on the 4th of Decem-
ber, 1878, he presented 4 petition for a divorce to the
County Court of Colorado, and obtained one off the
ground of his wife's cruelty. Mrs. Medley had had no
notice of these divorce proceedings. In his petition
to the County Court her husband charged her with
cruelty and desertion. The date of his marriage with
the petitioner was not stated in his petition, but all the
acts of cruelty he alleged against her were put at dates
anterior to their marriage.
Mr. Searle wished to at once state that his position
was this—the respondent obtained in Colerado
divorce which he believed to be a good divorce all the
world over ; but it appeared that Mrs. Medley, the
petitioner, had had no notice of the divorce proceed-
ings, and therefore the respondent had now no wish
to stand in the way of a better and more valid divorce.
The President : Very well. If the petitioner is
now in a position to establish the bigamy and adultery
it will be for the respondent to meet that case if he
can. The proper course, therefore, for you, Mr.
Inderwick, will be simply to establish such a case.
Mrs. Rose Mary Medley was examined by Mr.
Bayford, and said she was married on the 20th of
December, 1877, at St. George's, Hanover-square, to
the respondent. He was 25, she was 26, at the time
of the marriage. She was an Englishwoman, and he
represented himself as an Englishman. In Novem-
ber, 1878, she saw him off to Paris. he received the
letter from' him stating that he was going to India.
He had never returned to cohabitation with her since.
She was living. in Kensington Park-road at the time.
In January, 1880, she first received information of his
having obtained a divorce and having married in
America. That was from a friend of her husband.
She saw her husband in a day or two after. He told
her of his divorce and remarriage, and tliat he was
, living with his second wife, but brought no charge
I whatever against the witness.

Mr. Duncan, a member of the Bar of the Supreme
Court of the United States, said that the certificate of
the marriage of the respondent with Mrs. Maria
Louisa Brown at Chicago on the 22nd of January,
1879, was a good one according to the law of the United
States."
The President said that counsel on both sides had
dealt with candour towards the Court. The evidence
given, and which there had been no attempt to explain,
establiAed that the respondent during he lifetime of
his wite had contracted a marriage with another
woman, and had since lived with that woman as his
wife.—After further reference to the evidence his
lordship pronounced a decree nisi on the ground of
bigamous marriage and adultery by the respondent.

HARD BEADING.—Sermons in stones.—Funny Folks.

A CHAPTER ON BALD HEADEL—A bald-headed man
is refined, and always shows his skull, sure.—What
does a bald-headed man say to his comb?—We meet
to part no more.—lotto for a bald-head—Bare and
forbare.--However high a position a bald-headed man
holds, he will never comb' down in the world.—The
bald-headed man never dyes.—Advice to bald-headers
—Join the Indians, who are the only successful hair-
raisers.—You never saw a bald-headed man with a low
forehead.—Shakespeare says: "There is a divinity
that shapes our ends."—Bald men are the coolest-
headed meu in the werld,—Drei4 Jiro Prot,

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.

The Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery have
submitted their annual report to the Lords Com-
missioners. Since the publication of the last report a
vacancy on the board, created by the death of Lord
Beaconsfield, had been filled up by the appointment
of Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice, M.P. The donations
number five, and include a pen-and-ink sketch of
Colin Campbell, Field Marshal Lord Clyde, by Sir F.
Grant; busts of Thackeray and Lord Bexley;
and half-length figures of Dr. Samuel Johnson and
Sarah Sidclons. • The purchases are eight in number
and include portraits of the Duke of Cumberland, the
Consort of Charles II.; Queen Anne presiding at a
Court ceremonial; Admiral Hood; John Gay; the
Rev. Conyers Middleton, D.D. ; Samuel Lover; and
Sir Richard Rainsford. Fourteen engraved portraits
of historical interest have also been purchased, the
lowest price, 155., having been paid for one of Dr.
Isaac Watts. Donations of twenty letters in autograph
had been received during the year. The gallery had
been visited by 76,109 people in the twelve months,
and by 786,622 persons during the last eleven years.