DIDN'T RESEMBLE "BULLDOG" DRUMMOND

NZ Truth, Issue 1177, 21 June 1928, Page 11

DIDN'T RESEMBLE "BULLDOG" DRUMMOND

Qgfll ■ But Still Might Be Called^ -.&•»_£&? to • JK rushing rellow SAYS; THE PEPPERS MADE IT TOO HOT FOR HIM _> ■ .... ' '„'".-" **- ' - . , ('From "N.Z. Truth's" Hastings Representative.) It may seem a queer and almost inexplicable allegory on life that a woman who had bashed her husband over the head with a beer bottle and -rendered him very much * hors-de-combat through the medium of blows, kicks and viciousness, should leave him because he was cruel to animals! Yet these allegations were woven into a case heard before Magistrate H. A. Young at Hastings last week, when Agnes Drummond unsuccessfully sought a separation and maintenance order against Charles Stephen Drummond, who, incidentally, applied to have his wife prohibited. This latter course the magistrate followed m the case of both parties.

LAWYER T. O'DOWD handled affairs for the woman and Lawyer W. E. Bate was the legal back-stop for the husband. The story told by Agnes was that she was married to Drummond, her husband, 23 years ago. Of the issue, two were married and the other was a boy of 16. About a month ago, she said, she packed iip and gave her husband a hasty farewell, because he had left her for a week without anything to eat. She told the court that he repeatedly knocked her about, the last time being about six weeks ago. . Qn.thls occasion, she had been visiting her sister, when a young man, who was staying there, agreed to take her home. On the way, however, her husband put m an appearance, /and, to show his disapproval of her being out with another man, l\e knocked her down, pulled off her. stocking, and generally "knocked her about." Agnes somewhat shyly admitted that her age was 42, while her escort was only 22. She went on to speak of another occasion, when, for no reason at all, Charles knocked her down m the street, injuring her face and eye to such an extent that she had to go to bed for a fortnight. In fact, she was not better yet. -._ This was too much for her, so she "up and went," but Charles pleaded with her to come back and she- decided to give m, her husband . withdrawing the application he had made for a prohibition order against her. These, however, were ndt the only times the mailed fist was used by her husband. ' Once her brother-in-law was bringing her home and Charles "took to him." . Agnes admitted that she occasionally took a drink, but was quite indignant at the suggestion that she had been intoxicated. ... She had never been drunk. She did not take it now, because she could not stand it. , The boot, she said, was really on the i»ther foot, for it was her husband who did the drinking. This, together with Jealous Husband? \\immmmm.mmmmmmmmm.mmmmSm^*mAm^m^mmmmm^mmmd^m, iiu. an element of jealousy, were the reasons for his cruelty to her. She was now living away from her husband and was. not going back to him. Then Lawyer Bate started the defensive ball rolling. "Your married life was happy until the last couple of years?" he suggested, but complainant quickly replied: ."No, it wasn't." When did you first leave 1 your husband? — About eight or nine years ago. And hasn't he given you any money? — Not m the last two months. Up till then, didn't he always hand over his wages to you? — He might have handed it" to me, but he took it back again. You always had plenty to keep the home on?— I didn't. Didn't he send you £123 when he was up m the bush?— No, he didn't. Are you m debt with your household accounts . m any way? — No. Do you suggest that he has not maintained you m, say, the last eight months?— -I have been away from him for about four months of that tinhe. Really, his failure to maintain; has been only a matter of a few weeks? — No. I have had to go put to work. To keep house for ' a man while his wife Was m hospital? — Yes, but it was work. ' -. You say you have never been intoxicated? — No, I haven't. HoW much drink have you had m the last four months — Possibly two or three glasses of stout. . That's all you've had m that time? — That's how much I've had at one time. What have ybu had m the last four weeks ?■ — You don't think I keep a tally, do you? I haven't had strong drink for a long time. I possibly had one glass of stout this week. Of course, you .have never neglected your home? — No.' Which hotels do you patronise mostly? — Oh, mostly the Hastings. IS th__.t the only one? — Yes, mostly. How long have you been going to hotels?— -Two years or more. My husband took me there first. Do you have lictuor m the house? — ■ No, t don't. Sometimes on a Saturday

[ get a couple of gallons from the Mrs. Mary Isobel Pepper, sister of brewery, but that is for Charley. Agnes, was next called. Have you had drink m the house She admitted -that Agnes had a glass when your husband has been away? — or two, but she had'a weak heart and No. " couldn't take much. Did Mr. Grant, a neighbor, com- . Sh . e corroborated Agnes' story of .Illplain about the noise m your treatment. In her opinion, jealousy house?— Once, but' that was a night was the trouble. • on which Charley -\ knocked me Violet was pretty perky until Lawyer about. I wasn't drunk then. Bate opened up again . - You Avere Miss May Vereoe, of Didnt you promise Mrs. Wyatt, of p a i me rston North, weren't you?" he the Salvation Army, that you would agj^eci. ' leave "the liquor alone? — No, why ' ' .... .„ „ _ should 1? "Yes," replied witness, "but that Didn't your father find yqu drinking has nothing to do with this at your sister's one night?— Yes. case ■ •. . • '„ dortt want th 6 And you drove him to tears?— That P ast mentioned. was a family trouble which has noth- All right. And you were then a Mrs. ing to do with this. • Massen? — Yes, but I don't want, that Do you remember hitting jour hus- mentioned, either. ..-■-.. band over the head with a beer bottle You don't want your past bf-ought one night?— . Yes. He deserved it for up? — No, I don't. culling irie What he did, All right then, we'll leaye that m Of. course! He objected to the beer the meantime. You and yojar husband m the house, didn't he?— No, it was lived with the Drummonds, didn't you? there for his cobbers. — Yes, and we paid our way. And your cobbers, too? — No. Of course, but when Mr. Drjamrn'ond Your husband objected to your aa- came "back from the bush, he told you sociation with -your sister, Mrs. Pep- to get out, didn't he? — Yes.

per, and her husband, didn't he? — That was no reason for him taking to Mr. Pepper. I put.it to you that he was acting m your' best interests, -wasn't he? — That js besfe left for 'myself to decide. It 4s rather unfortunate when husbands interfere with wayward' wives? —He can't call me a y/ayward wife.-. Of course not. Do you remember recently kicking Mr. Drummond? — Yes, he deserved it, too. ' y He could h^ve retaliated and hit you, but he didn't, did he? — Np,. there v^ere too many people about.. You- didn't mind the publicity, ffiough?— No. ; And another tinie, outside an hotel, you hit him with your hand-bag, whibh had a glass ih it?— Yes. He deserved that, too. • Of course he did, but he didn't retaliate, jle simply said: "Thank you"? —Well, he deserved it. .- . ~ Then, on another occasidh recently, yoii knocked him put with a beer bot-tle.-^-'-'-s, and f_ia,t was another one he deserved. , 'i'liat injury to your face, wasn't tha - caused by . an intoxicated ' acquaintance of yours whose initials are D.S.? — No, my husband if. '. '' Lawyer O'Dowd : When you gtr'uck your husband, was there provocation? — Yes. : He called me an improper name . . ; . and any woman would have clone the same, . ' .

You go into the hotels with your sister and drink, don't you? — Yea. Which hotels? — The Hastings., Albert and Carlton. You give each a fair share of your trafle?— Yes. How many drinks do you have m an afternoon?— About "four. I Frank Pepper, husband of the pre- I vious witness, gave similar (evidence. He thought that with the Drummonds it was a case of two tempers which did not agree. Mrs. .Violet Bell, daughter of Mrs. Drummond, also admitted that her mother took a glass or two, but was neyer inebriated. Mother had always looked after the home well, but father used to tr6at her badly. : . On one occasion, several years ago, he twisted a towel around j her neck. f. ' Ttje tale told by Charles Stephen Drummond was to the' effect that their- married .iif e had been quite happy until the Peppers arrived 'on the scene. ' .'■" ' J . 'When he was worWhgvjn the bush, he sent Agnes £55 an& then, when lie came to town at., the end of his contract, he gave her. another ,£123. On his return froiri the bush, he found that the Peppers were staying [at- his house. The place was littered with beer and whisky bottles.

None of the money he had given his wife had been used to pay off his house, for which he had paid a deposit of £350, and the result was that he had _now lost this £350 and had to givo up the house as well. Since his wife has been friendly with the Peppers, he had been obliged to get his own meals, and generally, the house was left severely alone. He had no difficulty m finding his wife, for, whenever he wanted her, all he had to do was to look m the hotels or at Mrs. Pepper's—^and he was sure to find her. , Drummond strongly denied that he had ill-treated his wife m any way. The (boot was on the other foot. On one. occasion, he complained of the drinking.which was going on m his house and the next thing he knew was that his wife had "laid me flat with a l>lack beer bottle." Yes, he once had a fight with Pep•pei*.y' He ... only hit him once—a right and left —burthen Agnes and Mrs. Pepper joined m the fun a°d used a shoe with a steel plate on the heel, so that once again he reluctantly took the count. About three WGieks ago, Agnes struck hirti with a liand-bag, but he .was "too much of a gentleman" to retaliate, so instead he went to the police. He was advised to keep the house m food, but' not to give his wife any mohey, and to prohibit her. This he .did. The night .-, he went to the police, however, he encountered more trouble, again being'freed from his domestic troubles.,, when Agnes and her beer ibottle once mere sivung into fiction. Regarding the time he -was alleged to. have knocked^ her down m the street and injured her ttf such an extent that she had. to stay iri toed, he stoutly affirmed that this was "all lies." '■ , What happened was that he saw his wife under the influence of liquor. . He remonstrated.with her, but there, being no beer bottle handy, she.used j her feet, kicking him severely and knocking him over. When he got up, i ' he pushed her and she fell over. ll His Sttspidpns ? Lawyer O'Bovrd: Tou vrsxht your wife to return to yout—Yes. In spite of what she has done? — Yes. Do you drink? —Occasionally. Have you. . ever .been drunk?— Yes, fcut not for a long: time. Are you prepared tor'take out a prohibition order against yourself ?—Yes, I am. Were you m the Albert Hotel last Saturday with a woman?—l can't remember that t was. I -don't think so. Wero you m the hotel with Dave Jarvis? —Yes. And wasn't there a woman with you? — No. You are jealous of your wife, aren't you? — No. '..-■• Isn't the real trouble that you are insanely jealous . . . and "Wh©n m drink you axe suspicious and attack your wife? —No, ]_ am never m drink. You have frequently ordered drink to be brought into your house? —lhave not. That's lies! Your wife says the. beer was ordered by you? — She is lying. Were you m the house when the .bailiff waa put in?— No. No! You were hiding and left your wife to face him, didn't you? —l was away, working m the (bush. When did your wife first leave you? —About six years ago. She cleared away to Palmerston North with another man. Didn't she leave you because of your cruelty to animals? —No, no. Why did she come back? —l went through and got her.-: Did she leave you again?— Yes, about a fortnight later. Why?—l don't know. Hadn't you attacked her?— No. Now, did you seize her iby the ear and try to pull it off? —No, I did not. Still, she went back to you?— Yes. At your request? — Yes. .' And on condition that you reformed?— No. Did she leave you any more lr—Yes. And again you asked her to come back? — Yes. After you promised to treat her better? —l did not. You were suspicious of her, "" weren't you?— Yes, I was. You tackled Mir. Jaryis about his association with your wife?— Yes. Is he the Only one you suspect? — Not by a long way., If your wife returns, are you willing to withdraw the application for a prohibition order? — No. You deny that you have been cruel to your wife?— Yes. ' You didn't threaten her with a revolver?— No. . Have you ever taken her to a hotel for a drink? — Once or twice, but I would not let her have more than one. Has your (wife ever objected to you bringing men to the house to drink? — No, it is the ottyer ,way about. You say you didn't hit your wife when she suffered an injury to her face?—No," she must have g6t 'that when she fell, after I pushed-her. And you pushed her again when you found her coming from Peppers' with a man? — Yes. This pushing is a habit pf yours ?— Perhaps it is. Ypu suspected, your wife, that night?—-Yes,' l.d id. •SHe was.vith * a man at 12 o'clock at night. "And from the same house, a few minutes before, I saw her sister cOrrie out and go into the park with a, man. I needn't tell ybii what happened, "yoii can guess . „ ."_ At thiis point, His worship indicated that there was ho riecessity 1 to ball further evidence. He was not satisfied that the wife's grounds for the application had been proved; therefore the applications would be dismissed. The prohibition . order . "^rould -. be issued, and as the husband had" offer. Ed to help his wife, to keep away from liquor, he would he prohibited as welli ' ' • " " —3