WIFE v. HUSBAND.

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 6

WIFE v. HUSBAND.

\ A DOMESTIC DOG-FIGHT.

|The Doings of the Douglas.

"GRAjtE IS A NICE LITTLE WOMAN!"

' fTh« stormy mairtial relationship existing between ]William Alexander mod Annie Douglas^ was partly venitilated m Wellington Court on Monday, when the missus sued John Alexander for the maintenance of herself and two children. It was a field day at the Hall of Justice,

and this particular case was last on Ithe list ; so that when an army of .witnesses for either side found themselves thrown together m the common waiting-room, m the corridor, and m the sacred precincts of the court generally, friction ensued, and scornful remarks hurtled through the, atmosphere. Even with a late sititing, there was only time to hear rfche remarks of the wife, who is a small, pale, but decisive personage. Her tale of William Alexanders perfidy was interesting. She married him m December, 1902, but he didn't provide a home for her, and she went to live with mother m

Riddiford-street. William Alexander who is a carpenter, meantime, went to work at Porirua, the place i where mentally deficient persons

gibber at strangers. Subsequently, .rf he pair set up house m Priheess•terracc, Newtown, which sounds rom antic enough,' but Douglas ' departed for Paeliiikariki to do some more iwork, and . the missus went to live iwith mother again. The next effort ito start a home was more successful. The pair are found residing m Berhamporc m. August, 1904, just Jike the ordinary married cou>l

Her husband and c.ac of theToun?sters had been ill, and'the wife felt ;the need of, a change after nursing .them, and she decided to go. to Wanganui. Prior to this, an. old 'schoolmate" named Grace Holtz, who fliad sot/ : into trouble and .carried ; about avUJIi her , , A M'^JVIENTO OP HER INDIS-. CRETION m the shape of a scpalling kid," •applied to Mrs Douglas for the loan of ten bob, as she was m sore -.straits. Annie didn't have the cash .'about' her at the time, but with the consent of her husband, she took i Grace and her unauthorised offspring j inio her own home. The snake that ,w,as taken m and warmed and then Vbit the hand of its benefactor was a fool of an ingr-ate beside Grace, i,who supplanted tbo missus m the fliusband's affections while she was m ■ Wanganui. WiHiam Axender , and UAnnie had got on pretty well to-' gether up to tiris time, but on July •13, two (lavs before she went to Wangamti he exercised his husband's privilege to he brutal. She had been /down town, and was proceeding to :-bed. when Bill swore horribly, and \xemarked, '-'If you don't get out of. this I'll smash your face m." The .wife had only her nig&tdress, on and she slipped on a mackintosh and went to goad old mother's, m the H)assas-e of whose abode she remain•ed shivering tiH two o'clock m the morning. She then, came home again and knocked at tSie window. and William,' who, had been looking on •the bee* when it was brown,; let her m, hut subsequently kicked her •out of. fred., When m Wanganui she received sefcira'te sums of 5s and 10s from her husband, and as she jemarined there a month, it might he explained that she called m at Halcoinbe, where: she has a small property, and collected some cash there. She returned from Wanganui fin August 23, afod after paving a visit to mother, proceeded to her: liome m/ Berhaimpore. The-^ .lady wasn't ve?.y explicit about how ' the < row started, but she said something about a.' letter, and Grace Holtz demanded 'the missive. She came over and struck Mrs Dousilas twice on the fao/3, while William Alexander held Ms wife by the , shoulders and

urged' the other to "give it to Grace-." His familiarity with the strap .go woman's name was not except; anal/ as m one letter to her m . Wangaimi he had remarked, "G/race is doing the cooking, washin?,, and mending, and lookinir after ttoj home." In another letter he tfwnarked, ' "GRACE IS 'A NICE LITTLE * WOMAN," and on another occasion lie wrote, twit'h affectiona'fce interest, "Grace has had a bad time of late with the kid howling at night." It was not unnatural that there should be a •row when the missus returned, and .that she should go and live with . mother. Mrs Douglas testified that v vher husband had banged, her on

• many occasions during their mar- ' ried life, and one Saturday he rthumped her on the skull, gave her a black eye, and battered her face generally. He hail again been enveloping beer, and he remarked, with ferocity, as he got' in his dirty left, "You have no witnesses ito prove this." - Mr Jackson (for the defence) : 'Are you m the habit of using vile, filthy language •?— No. What, never ? — I didn't say never. When do you use it. then ?— I might '<y?hen I'm wild. Wouldn't you do it .-if you were' wild ? Magistrate Riddell : Vou-musn't ar,gue. ' : /

You have a bad temiper, have you not ?— l've got an Ordinary temper. Witness stated further, under crossexamination, that she 'didn't know to iher own knowledge •jbha.t there had been anything improper between Miss

Holtz and her husba'nid while she was m Wanganui, although she had received two letters frrorn Mrs Russell. When she returned to home from the West Coast there Yvere m the house Mrs Hallev and hf^r daughter, Grace Holtz and Miss S'bevenson. Now, is it not 'true that when you entered the room you screamed, "A iiiee friend you are of mine !" and rushed at Miss Holtz and slapped her On the face ?— Orace started it first, 1 and Miss Stevenson .pulled my husband off me. -My husband used bad language to* "Miss Stevenson. Annie sai d, with indignation, that she had n6t passed herself off as a single Yroraari m Wanganui. She had met a 'imai named Metham m the ifcrain on. tine homeward journey, but she 4id , a«t $,elji bin o tb#t sta h&d hail

a. good time m. Wanganui ; 'itiat stie had taken her rings off and represented herself to be one of the unmarried contingent. She had not, since her return, received letters from mcii m Wanganui addressed to her m an assumed name, although she had received correspondence from Mrs Cullen, with whom she had been staying. No man had asked her to go to Auckland with him . To his Worship the witness said that when she went for the trip she left one of the children with mother, and the other with another woman. Mr Jackson : Now, THISyIS A DELICATE QUESTION. Have you ever been unfaithful to your husband since you married him ? — No, sir. . Mir ' Wedde.i for the complainant, held -that this question was not permissive. His Worship : This is not a suite alleging adultery.' Mr Jackson : No order can be made , under the Act to a woman who has committed adultery. I can prove that as late as May last she, admitted it herself. ■ "His Worship said the admission or otherwise of such evidence was at the discretion of the Court, and he considered the question irrevelant. If such a thing existed, the husband had his proper remedy. Counsel: He is going to take it. His Worship : I will- have no further argument. Counsel : I can give it m the evidence of the husband and other witnesses. His Warship : This is a charge of persistent cruelty, and the Question is irrelevant. The wife, still under cross-examin-ation, said that prior to the row her S husband was m the habit of giving her £2 out of his wages, and of keeping £1, although sometimes he gave her more than £2 a week. She was supposed to pay the accounts, and although some were still owing, she didn't believe he was getting bills, from all over the place. She acknowledged an unpaid account for chocolates. Her husband had agreed to separation if she would accept 15s a week and give him the children, but this didn't suit her. Since she came back from Wanganui she certainly had gone down to Courfcenay Place and asked if her husband was working there but she didn't pour scandalous remarks into the ear of her husband's boss and make it impossible for Bill to ,jgef work. She hadn't gone to the job and made faces and ' CAST OPPROBRIOUS EPITHETS' at her husband' in front of the other men, but she acknowledged, ■ with a grin, »that she had placed her thumb on her nose and extended her fingers derisively m the direction of William Alexander. Since the separation hubby had come to mother's and offered her 10s, but she had not remarked, "You can keep your dirty, b , stinking money !" She didn't require cash at the time, but she accepted 15s from him when he offered it on September 15. These proceedings .were conisnenced on September 27. I

At this stage the case was adjourned till Friday.

The case was, again before the Court yesterday.' afternoon when a number of witnesses gave evidence.