The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-11-06
JAMES N. BARRIE
GRANTED DIVORCE
NOVELIST'S SUIT AGAINST ACT
RESS WIFE FOR MISCONDUCT
WITH CANAAN UNDEFENDED.

LONDON, October 13.-James Mat
thew Barrie obtained from Sir John
Bingham, president of the Divorce
Court, this afternoon a decree nisi
his marriage 10 Mary Bar
rie, on account of her misconduct. with
,bert Canaan. The suit las un-
defended and the decree will be made
absolute in 81 xmonths providing there
is no intervention, which is unlikely. |
me whole proceeding lasted Ia minu-
tes
MI Barrie himself was the prlnci-
pal witness, and was mucn affected
while he was testifying The date |
of the trial had been SO well guarded
that there were only nine persons in
the public gallery during the hear
ing Mr.. Barrie's chief counsel was
". T. Barnard, X c., instructed by Sir
George Lewis, the famous solicitor.
The playwright, who entered the
courtroom five minutes before the case
was called, was accompanied by Lewis,
and sat at the counsel table with bow
ed head, remaining in that position
until he was called to the stand.
CoUNSEL'S STORY.
Mr.. Barnard in his opening said that
the parties to the suit were married in
Scotland July 8, 1894; that they had no
children, and lived happily until about
Is months ago, when Mr.. Barrie became
acquainted with the correspondent In
November, 1908, Mr.. Barrie lent Mr..
Canaan Blacklake Cottage, Surrey, for
short time, and part of the time Mrs.
Barrie stayed there also, Mr.. Barrie
being away from home
Suspicion was not aroused, however,
until July of this year, when Mrs. Kate
Hunt, wife of the gardener at the cot
tage, told Mr.. Barrie certain incidents
occurring at the cottage in the pre-
ceding November AS a consequence
he wired Mrs. Barrie to meet him in
London, and told her what Mrs. Hunt
had related. Mrs. Barrie admitted
the truth of the incidents narrated.
Mr. Barrie then offered to forgive
her on condition that she had nothing
further to do with Canaan or to agree
to a separation. Mrs. Barrie refused
and asked for her freedom.
BARRIE GREATLY AGITATED.
When he was called to the tsand Mr..
Barrie answered counsers questions in
a voice broken with emotion. With
blanched face and eyebrows working
with agitation he leaned forward on
the witness stand, nervously toying
with a ring on his wedding finger and
scarcely ever looking up.
Asked as to the date of the mar
riage, he replied:
81 thought it was 1895. That was
my idea"
When shown the marriage certifi-
cate he agreed that it was a year
earlier adding that the ceremony was
performed at the preachers house, he,
Barrie, being i'll at the time. He said
he first became acquainted with Can
nan about Is months ago, when Can
nan came to his house as secretary of
a little committee connected with the
censorship of the drama He called
frequently after that.
Barrie said that in November, 1908,
he had given Canaan the use of his
cottage for two or three weeks while
his own was being redecorated. On
July 2S last Mrs. Hunt told Barrie how
one morning in November, she took
tea to Cannan's room and found il
empty. Going to Mrs. Barries room
she heard her exclaim, Gilbert! Gil
bert!"
Did you tell your wife about this?
Barrie was asked.
Yes She said, It's all quite true
Barrie quite broke down when Civ
ing this answer, but pulled himself to-
gether to explain how after telling her
he must CONSULT Sir George Lewis, she
replied that it was the only time such
a thing had happened
RENDERED FORGIVENESS.
Il told her if she would return con-
trite | would forgive her and she could
come back and no one would know
anything about it, but she said how
much more ignoble it would be to come
back knowing that Canaan was the
only person in the world for her."
Barrie resumed his seat beside Lewis
and ruinnd hic n..na .u-ith liz H.. A..