THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. FRIDAY #MARCH
1938.
M. P. COPIED HIS LOVE-LETTERS
TO WIFE AFTER PARTING
My
"Come Back...
Whole Existence
A love-letter written by the Hon. Mrs. Cunningham- Reid to her husband, Captain A. S. Cunningham-Reid, M.P., and others written by him to his wife after they had parted were read in the Captain's action against his wife in the Chancery Division.
In her letter the wife wrote: "I am looking for- ward to long glorious years of perfect happiness and understanding.
In his letters the husband said: "Come back to me," and went on to describe his wife as "my best friend and my whole existence." Another letter read: "Give our family life another chance."
Captain Reid said he kept copies of his letters,
The hearing was adjourned until to-day.
private account and repiled: "Yes, that's quite correct."
The Case In Brief
Captain Cunningham - Reid claims a declaration that cor- tain deeds executed by his wife settling part of her in- come on him are binding on hor and two companies.........
The Hon. Mrs. Cunningham- Rold contends that the deeds
are revocable.
The wife, co-heiress with her sistor, Lady Louis Mount- batten, to £5,000,000 foft by their grandfather, Sir Ernest Cassel, became éntitled on her marriage in May, 1927, to an incomo of between £70,000 and £90,000 a year.
The couple lived together until December 2, 1936. There are two childron, born in 1928 and 1930.
think your wife had the slightest idea of anything to do with this English company, except that in some way it was to save tax?"
"I don't think she had," was the reply.
How did it benefit your wife to save income tax or surtax?-To Increase her income,
Just think. You have sworn that,
Sir Patrick passed to. another letter, which read:
"My poor darling, don't I know how ghastly these two weeks have been-the dally pilgrimage to soll- citors, where everything is so cold and calculating."
"SELFISHNESS" Asked if he was making daily solicitors, Captain
If your wife was able to save any-pligrimages to thing out of her income after paying Cunningham-Reid said he did go to tax and sums required for the other solicitors before going to establishment, her living and yours, Mesars. Kenneth Brown, you were to get the balance?-Of the Baker. Counsel read on: savings.
*HER DESIRE '
How did it benefit your wife to save tax since what was saved on the tax was to be given to you?- That is how it benefited her.
But the only person who benested out of this scheme was you?—Also my wife, because it was her desire. Who conceived the idea?---Lady Louis Mountbatten and myself to- gether.
How much a year did
you beneft over one year?--I can't possibly say without reference to the papers.
Baker,
"Mary, belleve me any selfishness has been knocked out of me and, of course, you and I love Michael and Neil (the children). I ask you to give our family life another chance.
"Oh God, for the opportunity of taking you off anywhere you want- ed and, if it pleased you, we would sell the house and get one you liked where your bedroom would have less noise ond more sun." Sir Patrick: Did you keep a copy of that letter?-Certainly. How much do you think it was Captain Cunningham-Reid explain- going to represent fourpence, ored that he penellied out drafts of his
£10,000 a year? We letter then sent M. very con- £1,000 or
copy to his wife, siderate about future financial arthought very likely it would be and later made another copy from
about £5,000. rangement to take place of mar-
the draft. It would not be correct to riage settlement.""
Captain Cunningham-Reld sald say he made his coples at the time. Captain Cunningham-Reld: If my That is the first note you made would be until the end of each year, they did not know what the savings
Sir Patrick Hastings then read a said that was said at the be-after or during your honeymoon and Sir Patrick asked: "Then what ginning of our married life, it is abroad?--No, it is not the first note.did you mean by drawing £39,000 for yourself before you were married nine months If didn't mow what the savings were?"
Sir Patrick Hastings: If your wife anys you repeatedly made it plain to Sir Patrick Hastings, resuming his her at the beginning of your married cross-examination of Captain Cun-life that you had an income of £5,000 ningham-Reid, referred to a sum of £80,000 which, it was alleged, he had drawn from the joint account to repay him money he had spent on his wife's trousseau and presents.
DREW £6,000
Sir Patrick suggested it was untrue that one of the presents so paid for was the suit-case which, the husband had said, was wedding present from his wife and cost £1,200.
"I put it to you."
said, "that counsel before the marriage, you had given
a year, so that no one could say you were marrying her for her money, would that be true? wife"
unirtic.
Counsel then referred to Captain Cunningham-Reid's diary of 1927 and said that across a double page was written:
Honeymoon, motorqd, bathed and did little else."
your wife a sult-case as a weddings a record of your honey- present and she gave you a similar present, and that both were bought at a shop in Paris."
Captain Cunningham-Reid: Yes. On July 22, 1927, you drew from the joint account 20,000 and at that time nobody had paid for the pre- sents? That is correct, I think."
Sir Patrick Hastings said, and the first entry which appears after your marriage is one regarding Anance. Does it strike you as a little odd that the first thing you could have thought of after a happy period was something to do with finance?"
"No," replied Captain Cunningham- Rek. He asked to see his diary, and I suggest to you that having drawn he read out: that £0,000 from t
"Motored, moneys provided wife for the purpose of n by your
bathed, gambled, mostly did nothing at all, but did joint account, on August you paid it ever so pleasantly." to the shop at which the presents were bought the sum of £1,253 13s. 2d. In other words, from money
"CONSIDERATE provided by your wife, you paid not only for her sulicase to you but for your suitcase to her.
THE DIARY
Captain Cunningham-Reid asked to see the account. He was handed his
TINS
PATENT TRUVAC' TRU-VAC" airtight tiks protect
Craven against all climatic con ditions imtil the seal is broken by pulling the ribbes tab. There's no |curter---tie jagged edges. IN PACKETEOFIS The eary dictata inner foll pack, and the demoliture proof cellophane FACTORY FRESHNEJ.
ABOUT FUTURE"
"Motor driva,
There are several others.
Captain Cunningham-Reid read one of May 12, 1927, which said:
"M. looking too lovely. May Fair Hotel very pleasant."
"DESPERATELY IN LOVE"
Sir Patrick drew attention to a "passionate love-letter " from Mrs. Cunningham-Reid. He read:
"My beloved one, I am missing you so terribly. I am so desper ately in love with you that I want be with you and at times your absence almost causes a physical hurt."
to
"That is what I call a passionate love-letter," said Sir Patrick, who read on:
you
CX-
Captain Cunningham - Reid plained that if the money had been required it would have been brought back.
Sir Patrick said he wanted to turn lo the time when the mandate was under consideration.
1
"What more advantage could you could, before that, draw all the get by having mandate, if you savings?" he asked.
"That advantage was much less," Captain Cunningham-Reid replied.
"MY WIFE'S IDEA" "I am looking forward to los sole object in entering into this Sir Patrick Hastings: Was your glorious years of perfect happiness and understanding with you as my transaction I call a mandate to get husband and comforter and pro-rangement which could not be upset? for yourself, if possible, some ar- tector.'
Is that how you regarded yourself as your wife's protector?—Yes.
"SAVING TAX"
Sir Patrick: Will you rend out the first note you made after that din- gonally-written word "Honeymoon"?ningham Securities. Limited,
Referring to the formation of Cun- Sir Patrick Hastings asked: "Do you
The witness read:
Craven A quality
never varies-they're always smooth fresh!
HADE IN LONDON: B
MADE, SPECIALLY TO PREVENT SORE THROATS
ARRERAS LTD. — 150-year
Reputation
No. That was my wife's idea. Sir Patrick went on to read a soli- citor's letter to Captain Cunninghain- Reid, which ran:
"You asked me yesterday whe ther the deed, as now drafted, was absolutely watertight. As far as the deed itself goes, I think there is no doubt it is final and binding. und that you have the benefit of covenants by your wife that can be enforced."
"Are you asking his Lordship to believe," counsel asked, "that was not actually your idea?"-No, it was my wife's iden. She insisted that the deed should be watertight in all cir- cumstances.
Any letters written by your wife on any business matter, I suggest, were never written by her, but by you, in the sense that you told her what to sny? That is a ridiculous contention, She had a very good business head, HUSBAND WAS "HEARTBROKEN"
Sir Patrick next referred to Mrs. Cunningham - Reid leaving her hus- band, and asked Captain Cunning hom Reid : "Were you heart broken?"
"I was," replied the witness. Sir Patrick: No thoughts of money, In your mind?I offered to give her everything in the world if she would come back.
You were not concerned about your wife leaving you from a Busi- ness point of view, but only from an affectionate point of view?-That above everything else, I was very upset and hurt at the suggestion which, apparently, my wife WRS making as to the way I had con ducted our financial affairs,
"A COMPLETE OSTRICH" Counsel then read a letter written by Captain Cunningham-Reid to his wite:
"Dorling. I only got your note late at night, as I had been hours with Barbara. How profillable that time with her would have been if It had occurred before, but now I know what a complete ostrich I have been
"Do come back to me.
You and
I have bulit up so much together that is worth while that it would
be
terribly sad to give it all up..
I have realised that my attitude
on occasions has upset you
"Mary, come back to me. At the worst, if I have forgotten my lesson, you have your remedy. I can always make you happy, as I believe I have done, sometimes in the past.
"You see, sweetle, sitting here at five o'clock in the mornings has brought it home that you are not just my wife but my best friend and my whole existence."* Sir Patrick: Did you keep a copy of that letter?--Yes.
WHY HE KEPT COPY
Why did you keep a copy of a love-letter to your wife?I wrote IL out in draft first.
Captain Cunningham-Reld sold he kept a copy of his love-letter because his solicitors told him to do so.
Sir Patrick; I suggest that from this date you proceeded to set down in black and white some corrobora tion. If you could find it, of your story, and you were planning to get buck in correspondence something which would corroborate your storyi, →That is not wyngangka
letter which Captain Cunningham- Reid sent to his wife after they separated. It began: "Dear Mary" and passages in it were:
"You may recollect that when your memory in the past has play- ed you false... and I have been able to convince you of your error, you have been the first to laugh over your previous Insistence...
With some
of your original insistency, you have been saying
I have got all your money and had induced you to part with a portion of your income.
"Perhaps when I have jogged your memory, you will be generous enough to say 'I take It all back"."
BUYING £11,000 DIAMOND RING
The letter recalled the folnt income arrangement and pointed out:
me;
"You were naturally anxious to make some
provision for especially us you yourself had ali the money you required.
"So it seemed unfair and untrue to say I have taken all your money, especially in view of the fact that I did not leave you. You left
me
"On the very day you left me... I was buying you for Christmus a remarkable solitaire diamond ring for which I was going to pay be- tween £11,000 and £12,000..
"I never, for one moment, thought that I was not to be with you until the end of my life.
Sir Patrick Hastings: Was that letter written with the sole object.of you being able to say, If it became necessary, that you had set out the arrangement in writing before pro- (Continued on Page 7.)
Amenities
DURING VISIT OF THE "EMPRESS OF BRITAIN
Hong Kong Hotel || Peninsula Hotel
IN THE "GRIPPS" Nightly Dinner Dances with Cabaret Entertainment 0 p.m. until 1 am.
SATURDAY 12th MARCH Extension till 2 a.m
ROOF GARDEN
Tea Dances Dally
CHINESE RESTAURANT
Choice Oriental Meals
At Luncheon & Dinner Hours
MAC'S CAFE & LOUNGE service 7 a.m72. - 1 s.112.
PHONE 30281
SATURDAY 12th MARCH SPECIAL DINNER DANCE Extension tit mm.
SUNDAY 13th MARCH from 9 p.m. AN ORCHESTRAL CONCERT
by the Band of the
2nd. Bл. THE ROYAL SCOTS (The Royal Regt.) (By kind permission of Lt.-Col. G. E. Hall, M.C., and Officers). No Admission Charge
PHONE 58081,
THE HONG KONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD.
POPULAR the world over!
Jdot
ODOL
The complete toothpaste
Odol whitens the teeth, cleans the fronts, backs and in-betweens, Odol never, never harms the precious anamal. Odol is plaa sant to taste. Let Odo! take care of your festh Obtainable from any lending store.
China Agents: CARLOWITZ -& CO.
Tel. No. 31225.
Scen everywhere-in the best circles-Kayser's* alieer Mir-Q-Kleer hose please all women, from ingénue to sophisticate, because they have age- less vitality. Their natural blending tones and perfect proportions always flatter! Both slicer and service weights. "Be wiser-Buy Kayser."
Don't fail to see Kayser's new underwear
KAYSER
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.