Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-01-06
[London Times, Dec. 20.]

[London Times, Dec, 20.]
In the Divorce Court yesterday came up
the case of Hunter VS.. Edney, otherwise
Hunter, suit instituted by the petitioner
for a declaration of the nullitY of his mar
rage with the. respondent on the ground
of her insanity at the time when the mar
rage was supposed to be contacted
When the proceedings were instituted a
defense was entered by direction of the re-
spondent's relatives. 1t appeared, how
ever. that the respondent now declared for
herself that she did not oppose the petit
ton. Robert Hunter, the petitioner, sta
ted that he made the acquaintance of Miss
Emma E. Edney, at Horndean, where her
mother kept the Red Lion Inn, in June
1880. In that letter she addressed him as
Dear Robert" and said, 81 was never so
much surprised as when you proposed to
me. 1 had not the slightest idea you had
any regard for me in that respect Moth
er has not any objection whatever to my
being your wife, and hope, please God,
that | shall prove to you good, industri-
Gus wife, and that we shall live happy and
comfortable together all our life. hope
your parents wont have any objection to
your selecting ne for your wife," She
came soon after and remained on visit
with his family for some days. She paid
second visit to them in 1880, and went
about with his mother making arrange
ments for his future household. From
the time Of their engagement CORES
pondence of an affectionate character had
gone on between them. On one occasion
he found her in tears, and on others no.
.ticed something in her manner which he
put down to excitement occasioned by the
coming marriage. On the 10th of March
she wrote the letter i'll which she said, II
am very sorry to inform you that [ ana
very i'll and the marriage must be postpon-
3D. I cannot be married on Thursday
week | am very sorry, but what arrange
ments you have made you must disarrange.
| am so worried and aggravated that L
don't get any rest at ALL" In this letter
she addressed him as INV dearest Rob-"
and signed herself, ''Yours most Affection
ately. E. E. Edney." He went down on
the 18th and found her Ill In bed, but she
subsequently got up and said she was Wor-
ried, but that she would be all right when
the excitement of the marriage was over.
Next day, Sunday, they we're taking a
walk to the place where the carriages for
the wedding were to be ordered, and her
manner was so quiet and she was so silent
that he said if she was not prepared to
carry out her promises he would return to
London. She then said she was quite pre-
pared to carry them out, and she convers
ed with him and went with him to order
| the carriages. Her mother told him she
had not been sleeping well.
| She wrote affectionately on the 18th of
March about the preparations for the mar
rage, and on the 18th he went down for
| the marriage ceremony. When he and his
| friends arrived she was standing at the
Inn door. Her manner was strange; she
rubbed her hands occasionally until they
| were red. At an early breakfast, which
| occupied only few minutes, she poured
out the tea, and at the church she behaved
! in proper manner. He observed nothing
i peculiar about her in the church, but her
| finger was 80 swollen that the ring would
not pass beyond the knuckle5jAint. She
was silent gu the way from chGcR and at
| the wedding breakfast. After Eh1e break
! fast she acted in a very strange manner,
| sitting up stairs and remaining silent, even
| when asked by him what was the matter
| with her. Sac did not join IN conversation
| and at intervals she rubbed her hands rap
idly. Ultimately she drove with him to
the railway station, and they came by
| train to London, she maintaining an al
most complete silence. On the way to his
fathers house in London they passed the
one prepared for him. which was pointed
out to her, but she took no notice Of it..
| After about ten minutes at his father 8
house they drove to his apartments. She
told him that she had never wanted to be
married and that she had been forced to
it. He asked her in what way and she did
not reply. She was tearing the fringe from
her cuffs when he cut them off for her.
She threw them on the fender. She lay
on bed in her clothes; subsequently she
| undressed and slept at intervals. He made
| breakfast for her in the morning and she
asked him to cut her throat. She was &C.
ia q b ..t r-,A in d~oza
| ing herself, and during nearly the whole of
that time was looking at herself i'll glass.
His sister, father and aunt came that day.
| DR.. Miskin was called in: her mother was
communicated with, and came up the same
day and took his wife home on the next
day. She went down to Horndean on the
Monday following. She was in the same
depressed condition. He subsequently re-
| ceived letter from her, in which she
| wrote:
MY DEAR HUsBAND:-It gives me pleas
| ure to write to tell you that am getting
| better. Harry told me you are coming to
| Portsmouth before long. [ hope you will
call and see me, so that we may come to
some arrang ement. [ beg forgiveness for
I all have said and done, as it was all my
| imagination. l hope you are getting bet
| ter, for am sure you must have been very
much worried and I hope all your friends
are well. From your most affectionate
| wife,
To that letter his solicitor replied by
| letter to Mrs. Hunter mother, in which
she was informed that proceedings would
| be Instituted to have the marriage declared
| null.
Alfred Hunter, father of the petitioner,
! stated Oh the occasion of the respondents
| visits to his house, before marriage, she
| appeared to be very fond of his son. When
| he arrived at the Red Lion with his son on
| the day of the marriage he observed her st
| the door wringing her hands. She gave the
| answers quite correctly, but appeared to
I take no interest in the ceremony. On the
| way back from church she was pulling the
| ring off her finger. The only words he
| heard her speak that day were. Il cannot
go!" Next day he went to his sons and
found her sitting by the fire swaying her
body up and down.
Anne Hunter, sister of the petitioner,
corroborated the testimony of her father
and brother, so far as the respondent came
under her observation. Miss Hunter was
at Horndean on the day of the marriage
When she asked the respondent why she
did not love her brother, she only replied,
''Too wicked! too wicked"
DR.. Miskin stated that IN her presence
he was told that she had attempted to com
NIT suicide, and she had said that she had
done so because she was very naughty and
knew she would not 90 to heaven. He did
not believe she would ever be free from
the liability to attacks of insanity.
Mrs. Hunter, the respondent, who is
delicate looking young woman, was then
examined by Mr.. Searle. She said that
most of the evidence given for the petit
toner was true. There were some partic-
ulars not true, but they we're not worth
mentioning. She was aware that she had
been married, and she was aware of the
nature of the present proceedings. She
v ished Mr.. Hunter to have his own way
in them.
The President having observed that
there were some questions which he