The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-09
A STRANGE DIVORCE STORY.
What an English Society Woman Can In.
duce an Officer to Do.


duce an Otficer to Do.
Concerning the divorce for which pc
titon has just been made and granted
in an English court by Captain William
Augustus Adams of the Fifth Lancers
the London News tells this curious
story as to the causes which led up to
the applications:
In 1890 or 1891 the petitioner made the
acquaintance of Mrs. Howard Kings
cote, whose husband was then the com
mander Of the Oxfordshire light infant
ry. In 1894 Mrs. kingscote commune
Gated to the petitioner that lady, who
was connection of hers, had got into
very great trouble. and was liable to
bankruptcy and criminal proceedings,
and that the only way in which this
relative could be relieved from her des-
perate position was to become a mar
rled woman. Mrs Kingscote desired
Captain Adams in the goodness of his
heart to marry this lady who was a
widow, for the purpose Of relieving her
from this terrible position.
Captain Adams agreed to do so, al
though he had never seen the lady
whom he subsequently married. He
was introduced to her by Mrs. Kings
cote, and they We're married on Nov. Z,
1894 but it was arranged that the mar
riage should be simply for the purpose
of relieving the lady from her desperate
position, that tAey We're not to live to-
gether. and that the lady was not to
take the husbands name, nor was she
to ask him for support. They nsver
lived together, and two days after the
marriage Captain Adams left for India
with his regiment.
While there he received a letter from
his wife, asking if she might join him.
He wrote back saying certainly not, as
such thing was never contemplated
oil bn1, re hn,, rla ty,tr hot
happened was that the colonel spoke to
him and told him he had received let
ter from the lady's brother. who was
also an army officer, to the effect that
Captain Adams had deserted his wife,
and asked the colonel to Look into the
matter. Captain Adams told the col
onel all the circumstances. whereupon
the colonel saw there was nothing
against his conduct as an officer and Il
gentleman. Captain Adams wrote to
this effect to the lady's brother, who
was satisfied. and there the matter
ended.
Captain Adams came back to this
country in 1897 and met his wife. She
told him she had become a trained
nurse and was living with lady of
means. She said she was perfectly
comfortable and did not desire to I'VE
with him. At later period the captain
learned that his wife had not been liv
ing properly, and he saw her at So
licitor's office, where she made state
ment in which she admitted her guilt.
Captain Adams filed petition for di-
vorce, but it was dismissed for want Of
evidence. He went back to India, and
when he returned to this country again
he heard that his wife had been seen
with the correspondent, Bell, about
whom nothing was known. He had her
watched, and in the result it was as
= NlnvN
respondent had been living together at
the Midland hotel. Subsequently she
wrote letter to the petitioner, in
which she said:
1.-The marriage which took place be-
tween us was arranged by Mrs. Howard
kingscote, before you had seen me or
you. 1t was undertaken to save me
from the effects of crime which l had
committed. At that time | was heavily
in debt and ] was threatened with
bankruptcy and also worse trouble, be-
cause for the sake Of Mrs Howard
Kingscote I had committed perjury"
The learned counsel explained that Mrs.
Howard kingscote. wishing to raise
money, took this unfortunate lady be-
fore a commissioner of oaths, and she
made an affidavit which was absolutely
untrue. The letter went on: AT the
request of Mrs. Howard Kingscote you
went through a ceremony of marriage -.
with me. You did it to save me. l have |
never been your wife, except in name. |
You have sacrificed yourself for me, !
and you have behaved in a perfectly |
honorable way toward me, and l can |
never thank you enough for what you |
have done. I hope no one will ever mis-
the facts of the case. Yours,
The petitioner, in his evidence, said
that the lady whom he had married
was Mrs. Drummond Wolff. He had
never before seen the lady. He knew
she was on the verge of bankruptcy,
and he married her. She afterward |
him for saving her from bank
ruptcy. She told him she had $500
year.
His only objett in marrying her was
to save her. Two days afterward he
left for India.