SPEEDY BREAK

NZ Truth, Issue 1178, 28 June 1928, Page 8

SPEEDY BREAK

Hazel Forged Ahead Too Soon (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Christmas' time would seem to be a ©rltlcal period m the lives of many married obuples— -to Judge by agony and divorce court proceed • ingsi I AST week, when Hazel Florence ** Speedy made an application for variation of her maintenance order to a higher figure than thirty-five shillings a week, for herself and her young child, she told Magistrate McKean that her husband, Heber Campbell Thorn Speedy, left her during the festive season and transferred his affections to another woman, with whom he is still living. Lawyer Brodie, who acted for Hazel, a Woman who looked very young for her years and was very tastefully dressed, put his client into the witnessbox, whence she related her story. ■ Matters finanoial, she said, had changed for the better with her straying husband since last February* he had reoeived some money from a house m which he was .interested. ' Hazel, it appears, lives m one of her husband's houses at Bayswater, but it was gathered that he had removed and sold his own furniture, though she waß not able to swear that he had obtained the cash. Her plea was that he had a house worth £1250, which was mortgaged, and also a mortgage bn a property at. | Woodley to the tune of £ 800; the mortgage would easily be covered by the property, which was worth considerably more than that. The thirty-five shillings only kept herself and her child m food. "Is he still living with this woman?" asked Lawyer Brodie. . "I went up yesterday," was the^ answer, "to investigate, and he's still living with her . . ."■ Hazel's voice made it evident that she considered this was adding insult to injury. . She further stated that her husband was not the one Who found the money for her maintenance, but his mother. The bench expressed an opinion that the application for a variation seemed a little premature; so far, the circumstances did not show that there had been much change In conditions. THE OTHER WOMAN "What alteration haß there , been m the circumstances?" he asked. Hazel's lawyer opined that the order had expired, but one of the court clerks, having made a search m the office, came to light with proof that' the order had hot by any. means expired. . : i ; . Still holding her ground, the wife said she had heard that the payments would stbp shortly and that she would be asked to leave the house where she lived rent free, while her daughter, aged seventeen, was out of work; Magistrate McKean made It dear that he could not make ian -order on. those grounds. I For the husband, Lawyer Thompson I announced that his client had not yet sold the* house; when he did, there was another for his wife to go to. "I will admit that defendant is living with another woman, but he is not able to get work at present." "He's not endeavoring to find work," interjected Lawyer Brodie. "He's living on an island with this woman." This was refuted by Heber's counsel. ■ ■ \< •■ . ; . . • ■ "I don't see that I can interfere with the order," was- the decision of the bench. "Twelve , months has not yet expired." ■ ' And with that Hazel, < her . healthy-looking features some' what more rosy than when she en- . tered the witness-box, stepped down. . y : Having put her husband to an expens© which the magistrate did not think justified, she was ordered to pay the costs. of the hearing, £1 Is.