Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-01
DENIES DIVORCE,
FLAYS HUSBAND
COURT RULES AGAINST MRS.
EDITH HADD0CK
EXPRESSES BELIEF SHE WAS
coERcED
Judge BordweIl Bitterly Arralgns Man
Who Neglected Wife and De-
voted Himself to Sister,
in-Law

Never perhaps has a more severe
criticism of a party to divorce action
been uttered than that which yester-
day accompanied a decision OF Judge
Walter Bordwell in the superior court
denying a decree of divorce to Mrs
Edith Haddock, the trial Of whose case
was concluded ten days ago.
Mrs Haddock sued her husband,
James r. Haddock, for divorce on the
ground of desertion, Haddock not ap-
pearing in court to defend himself.
The evidence showed that Haddock
three years ago abandoned his wife
and family, consisting of three minor
children. She had given no cause of
offense whatever, and her abandon
ment appeared to be without justifica-
tion or excuse. The real cause, says
the court in reviewing the case, seems
to have been the yielding by Haddock
to an infatuation for another woman
the wife of his brother, to whom
there had been recently granted a
divorce by the courts of another state.
coerced by Husband
'The evidence" says Judge Bord-
well, "also develops the fact that this
action is not voluntary on the part of
the plaintiff, but is the result of coer-
cion of her husband and in furtherance
of his own nefarious schemes, that he
may obtain his freedom from the ties
which bind him, the bases of his action
being his own misdeeds
He has given his wife and relatives
to understand that unless she OBJ
tanned a divorce he would no longer
furnish support to her and her chill
dren. For some time he has sought
to persuade his wife to apply for a
divorce. She has, until now, refused,
either because she was opposed to
- Al.4 frx- ao1 NC
or in hopes that he would return to his
family. He has furnished her with a
comfortable home and provided her
with reasonable support since the sepa-
ration. From what I could gather
from her somewhat reluctant answers
to my questions 1t is plain that he has,
in effect, threatened to deprive her of
this home and withdraw this support
unless she yielded to his opportunities
to procure a divorce from him. After
begging for time to consider the ques-
tion and because she feared he would
carry out his threats she yielded and
commenced this action. Furthermore
he has placed property in the hands
of third party for the plaintiff to be
delivered to her upon condition that
the divorce is granted, otherwise to be
returned to him.
"A divorce ought not to be granted
in this case, where the object is to ac-
commodate the defendant, who is the
wrongdoer."
Scores Haddock
Judge Bordwell then scores Haddock
to the point of fiagellation, and con-
tinuing and speaking of the public
interest which is at stake in divorce
actions, says:
Public policy is against the grant
ing of divorces and in all cases of
doubt applications therefore should be
denied. Society, in it's organized state,
has an interest in this case"
A divorce was granted yesterday to
John Murray from Olga Murray on the
ground of desertion. Anna E. Her
rington was also given a decree of
divorce from Hicks Harrington and L.
c. Weathers from Mary Weathers.
The following divorce suits were
filed: Sadie Shields against George w.
Shields, Mamie A Goodrich against
Harry Goodrich, Ida M. Durrell
against Walter F. Durrell, Susie Wolf
against Joseph Wolf and George e.
Cummings against Jemima E. Cum
mings.