A NOVEL CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2134, 17 July 1907, Page 2

A NOVEL CASE.

Press Association. AUCKLAND, lasfnight. Tho wife of James McNeil, gunsmith, residing at St. Holier’s Bay, applied to-dav- for a separation order the grounds being that he had become too dangerous to live with. According to the wife’s story McNeil had become possessed of strange and fearsome fancies, one of the most abiding being tho conviction that every room in the house had a phonograph in it. He also went in for a quantity of dumb plays suggestive of gruesome happenings, the favorite gesture being a pantomimic performance of cutting out her tongue, occasionally substituting the throat as the field of operation. Three weeks ago hse had been obliged to flee the house and take up her abode with,her father. She was making the application on medical advice.

Mr. Brookfield, who appeared for applicant, said defendant got up one night atmidnight and cut a hole in the roof, putting his head through it' and surveying things below in a threatening manner. McNeil: Nothing of the sort. My wife objected to smoking in the bedroom so I just, went up and cut a hole to allow the smoke to escape. Mr. Alexander explained that lie represented the man’s employers. Messrs. Harvey and Sons, who gave McNeil the best of characters as a sober and industrious workman. He had been given a holiday lately as it had been considered lie was run down. The man was in a state of nervous debijity and wanted a spell. , His Worship decided to let the case stand over for a month.