Assaulting a Wife.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1462, 23 September 1885, Page 4

Assaulting a Wife.

A DISTRESSING CASE.

At the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Saturday a respectable looking man named John Elley appeared on summons charged with having assaulted his wife, Isabella Elley, on Thursday night last, and also on the morning following. The prosecutor stated that her husband went home on the night m question, between 10 and 11 o'clock, and pulled her out of bed by the hair, of her head, and beat her cruelly with a walking-stick on her head and face, inflicting, m addition to other injuries, a black eye. According to Mrs Elley the defendant held a butcher's knife newly ground m his hand after committing the assault, with which he threatened '•" to put the- set on her." He then threw himself on the bed and fell fast asleep, and on the following morning, according to Mrs Elley, he repeated the assault. An intelligent 10---years-old daughter of the defendant gave evidence m the case, and corroborated the charge of assault. The case was a most distressing one, and mutual recriminations occurred m the Court between the ill assorted pair. Elley informed the Bench that his wife was a victim to intemperance and neglected her home, and for months past she had misconducted herself, frequently being absent from her home till 1 and 2 o'clock m the morning, returning intoxicated. On one occasion recently Elley stated that she brought home a man with her. He was, he said, m a position to prove his wife was unfaithful to him, and her craving for drink was so insatiable that she had pawned his furniture, and had now commenced to dispose of her clothes for liquor. Constable Milton testified that he had known the Elleys for some years past, and was aware that Mrs Elley did drink. Elley, so far as he was aware, was a sober, hard-working man. Mr Wardell, R.M., remarked that he had known something of the family relationships of the unhappy couple m Masterton. A fine of 50s tfftd costs was inflicted, m default 14 days' imprisonment ; and m addition the defendant was ordered to find one surety m £25, and himself m £50, to keep the peace for four months. Defendant went to gaol m default. , .