UNHAPPY ALLIANCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 6

UNHAPPY ALLIANCE.

"A MASTER OF MEN." SEQUEL TO AN ADVERTISEMENT. (By TeleeraDh.-Press Association.! Auckland, April 8. A somewhat strange case occupied the attention of Mr. Kettle at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon. Henrietta Constantine Violet Wilkie sued her husband, James Wiseman Willrie, for maintenance. Complainant admitted she'was about thirty, and gave her husband's' age as forty-nine.' .They were' married eighteen months-ago in Tasmania, and the story of their meeting is one of'those unconventional things that do sometimes happen in real life. Mrs.' Wilkie explained that she answered a matrimonial 'advertisement m a Hobart newspaper, and that was how she became acquainted with the defendant, who lived in Auckland, and said he was a draper. ■ His Worship asked what the advertisement said. i

Witness replied that it stated something about a Protestant, but she could not remember the precise wording. They corresponded for some time, and the man sent over about twenty photographs of himself. The witness sent one, and then the man spoke about coming, over himself. She had been a school teacher.

■ His Worship: Were you sane? ■' Witness said • she hoped .so. The letters were very nice, and gave glowing accounts of things. Mr. Matthews (for complainant): He was so fascinated with the photograph she sent him that he at once went over from New Zealand, and they were married. .-....'

Witness said that after marriage they came to Auckland. Wilkie was very good to her at first, and she- was very fond of him, but when he struck her on one occasion she was forced to retaliate. She objected to his conduct with another woman, who lived in the house, and decided to leave him. "-, Witness handed up a written- statement to-the Court giving-the reason why she could not live with her husband, and his Worship's comment was: I don't know what human beings are coming to if this is true."' Mr. Lundon (for defendant) was ■ endeavonring to show that' the real difficulty was for the husband to keep his .better half within bounds, but this'was strongly denied. Erotic .temperament and insanity were both scouted.' Counsel 'remarked: "I think your husband is a cold, level-headed Scotchman." Witness: He is a very hot-headed, revengeful man.

Mr. Lundon went on to read from the letter, and stopped where the complainant twitted her correspondent with having called her an "angle" instead of an "angel." ,

Mr. Matthews: You must rememberthat she is a Master of Arts of the University of Tasmania. •' , ' Mr. Lundon: And a master of men as well, apparently. In explanation of a question as to whether not given her husband cause'for remonstrance on the boat iwhen they were coming over to New Zealand, she said she was very weak once after being seasick, and a gentleman friend asked- her to take his arm. She took it, and her husband- sulked in his-cabin, and when sho went down he said she did not love-him any more if she would go promenading with another man. •

After further evidence, both counsel informed the Court that proceedings for divorce were to be taken, and his Worshipsaid the present case 'had "better stand over, till the',.divorce petition was heard." "'.. ur -'... '.' \V'".':";.