Woperations HIS WIFE WAS JEALOUS OF THOSE PERKINS SISTERS

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 7

Woperations

HIS WIFE WAS JEALOUS OF THOSE PERKINS SISTERS

"QNLY one white man m ten thousand knows how to open oysters properly," declared counsel. 1 'And only ten know how to eat them, ' ' he added.

President McDonald, of ;W^ Labor Party, Blames Motlier-m-law And Spiritualism For Unhappy Domestic Life

PICNIC SNAPSHOTS AND TOTE TICKETS FEATURED IN MAINTENAN(^^

MAGISTRATE L.UXFORD listened to the marital 'muddle, while Lawyers Sullivan (wife) and Hubble (defendant), added legal trimmings. The complainant, a: neatly- dressed woman whose age could be taken as bordering ori either side of forty, took the witness-box to commence one of the most protracted maintenance cases heard. in the Auckland courts for some months. -, Her husband, she said, had changed towards and neglected her since becoming friendly with two sisters whom complainant: repeatedly referred to as "the Perkins girls." '. ,'. • "He called them his 'sisters'," the wife complained, "and told me he ' preferred them to me." Until five years ago, her husband had "given her the handling of household expenditure, but since then had managed affairs himself. "1 complained to my husband about the shortage of money and had to fight for every, penny I got." . .' ' ' • On May 7 of this year complainant left home, but returned to her husband, hoping things might improve., . ..His greeting had been: "If you live a lifetime with: me, you will never get a penny!" . Both Mrs. McDonald and her husband enjoyed the privilege of a free railway pass for holidays once a year. During the last three years it had been their >. custom to visit their respective homes, -the husband going to his people at Westport and the wife to her mother m Auckland. • Mrs. McDonald had been informed

Should Wear Kik

by a friend 1 ' that her \ husband had taken the f 'Perkins girls" with him to Christchiirch on his last trip by car to Westport. "But he won't take me with him/ she added; sadly. It was usual for her to. leave home the day before her husband on these holiday trips. ; . . \. .. He would remain away about three weeks and was always willing for his wife to stay as long as she liked. "I always used to think how very kind he was," she said, "but later on I found out the reason." Owing- to McDonald's closeness with his purse, so far as his wife had been concerned, she had resorted to a method so dreaded by all benedicts; to wit— going through her spouse's "trussers" when he was , fast asleep. By this method she had extracted, m all, about £8. Giving full details regarding the final "scoop," which, had netted her over > £7, complainant said:' "My husband was asleep and, his ' trousers were hanging on the end of the bed. I took the money and^ran out to the wash-house . . . and hid it. V ■„ ■ . ' "... ,-■ .■••:•■.■ . ■■ ■ "Seeing that' I had been hit for taking ten shillings, I thought I might as well take the lot. I came back and then called him." ■ • Her account of what, transpired depicted a turn of events quite within the bounds of anticipation. First, her husband barricaded the door and then started to ransack his wife's effects. "He went mad absolutely," she continued, "and this is what Ididn^t like— he jumped through the front window and came round to the back door. . . "He swung his arm at me, .but I dodged it ... I saw it coming." ■There was a general; uproar, which was supplemented by the cries of the two frightened children. . _■ -

Tremulous Appeal

During the - course of the turmoil, Mrs. McDonald had said ' to her husband : "George, you are not going to take my children— no one else will have, my children ... . . I will stick it to the. end." ■■;*■'' In quoting her own words, Mrs. McDonald's voice trailed off. Into a heartbroken, tremulous appeal. George, she asserted, had replied by picking up the bread -knife and threatening her: "I'll show you what I'll do with you!" This distressing scene, according to the wife, closed peacefully with the kiddies clapping their hands m relief whem their father went out. Another occasion, instanced by witness m support of the alleged cruelty, was when her husband had thrown her from the bathroom against the pantry, calling her an offensive name. "He then dressed and went out for his night at , the Perkins'* as he always did, regardless of my protests about having no money. '•■. ." . Here, again, Mrs. McDonald's ' voice betrayed emotion. Mentioned by Lawyer Sullivan as "the breakfast scene," the next instance of alleged ill-treatment was recounted by an obviously sad, but seemingly untiring, witness. Refusing to repeat what she conBldered to.be "the, most insulting remark one could use to a woman," and claiming that her husband had thrown It across at her during breakfast, Mrs. McDonald made use of a pencil and paper, handing the slip to the bench. "That was the first and only time I have hit my husband," she declared "I thought he had gone one too many, so I said: 'Take that!' and hit him with the palm of my hand. "He rushed- me up the passage and threw me down. Then he ordered me to get his breakfast, saying he was going to break me m .; . ' "He grazed my hand ..'• . . arid my little boy came up to me and said: 'Poor mamma, naughty daddy. . . .' "I told him to get it himself, as I was sick of it.", On another occasion her husband had threatened to ■ "break every bit of spirit" m her body. "He wrestled and fought and struggled with me," went on witness, "so I prayed . . . . and saved the situation." Lawyer Hubble: "In view of other evidence I have," I should like that noted, your worship." Magistrate Luxford (to the wife)': Did you pray aloud?— Yes.

■■•.■• ...'■' '.;••■" . ; '.'"-.■■■■ , . (From ."N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland ■Representative.) . . LJ AS George McDonald, president of the Wanganui branch of the Labor Party, been making things too " willing m niixed bathing and jazzing with his two platonic "sisters "? His wife, Olive McDonald, thinks so, though she "failed to convince an Auckland magistrate of the truth of this contention when she recently asked for an order for separation and maintenance on the grounds of cruelty and neglect. George hit back with the argument that his wife was incapable of handling the family income and ' had upset the matrimonial apple-cart by working over-time with the spooks. i

Lawyer Sullivan: To him? — No, I to the Most High to help me. Mrs.. McDonald , (continuing) : , "Four days before I left he came behind me and said he would strike me. He started to . go for me and called me 'Maddle' — said I was only a lunatic . . . >m front of the children, "Frying-pain cook" was another term mentioned by witness as belonging to her husband's rather wide.' range of pxpletives m the absence of. endearing appellations for his spouse. ; , McDonald, it appeared,, was a, committee member of a, social club .■which conducted^ weekly dances m connection with the local branch ' of the .Labor Party. He was accustomed ;to attending these dances without taking his wife. Magistrate: Are you a dancing lady? — 1 have -wanted tog o since I heard about -these girls. "My . husband has admitted that he takes them home. '-.'■ During l the last twelve months, witness had been In the habit of attending these functions, but prior to this she went only once or twice a year. , Lawyer Sullivan : "It Is, alleged m the depositions of witnesses foil the defence that you go m for spiritualism." ...Mrs. McDonald's, reply was to the effect that she was not a member of any spiritualistic, society, but was, a member of the Baptist Church. ■ Occasionally, she: attended meetings connected with spiritualism ' and had debated the subject at home -when her husband had been arguing on economics. ... It was at this stage of the proceedings that the wife evinced an inclination to express her views on religion.. : Her' counsel, however, retrieved his client's enthusiasm for' matters more relevant to the case. "He told me to go dozens of times and has asked me: 'Why the devil don't you go?' ■:'■ ' "So, finally, I left, because he told the younger" boy that he. wafl. going to

His Last Chance*

take him to his grandmother's m the South Island and would go down to see him , at' Christmas time." ■ Mrs. McDonald - suspected - that the children were to be taken from her when she discovered new articles of clothing for them, hidden away under her husband's clothes. , . She left on the Monday, May 7, but' before departing gave her husbandwhat she called "a last chance" by asking him: "George, when are you going to treat me like a husband to a wife?" "What do you mean?" he had replied. Mrs. McDonald then mentioned money matters and appealed to her husband to speak to her instead of keeping silent. ; All he had said was to the effect that hb would "never, give her a penny," though he denied that he was going to take the 'children away. Regarding her husband's behavior to her m the dance-hail, Mrs. McDonald had a whole list of grievances. : "He never looked at me at the dances. I was a nonentity," she declared, bitterly. : "At first he used to give- me the first dance, but he used to scold' me and then go straight to the Perkins girls. "He told me that he ; would never take me home from the dance, but I waited about until -people were talking. He would not take me home if he could dodge it '. • . "Once, when we were coming home from a dance, two ■ strange women called out to me: 'Watch him, Mrs: McDonald, or you will lose him'!" . Bringing her . lengthy examination-in-chief to a conclusion, .witness said her husband had asked her. to be a housekeeper to him instead of a wife. In consequence, they had — except for odd occasions — occupied separate bedrooms for the past three years. He had accused,, her of extravagance and said that £i sor £20 a week would •hot be sufficient for her.

Cross-examining, Lawyer Hubble asked: Has he 'ever actually struck you?— Well, I was always on the watch and I got very quick m getting out of the way of his swings. (Mrs. McDonald demon*

strated with a wild gesture of her. arm). i ' ■ '■ It was one of these "swipes," witness informed counsel, that greeted her one night when she came home at ten o'clock and found the door locked. When her husband opened the door, he made as though to hit her and commanded her to "take that idiotic grin off your face."' . Lawyer Hubble: And did he actually get you that time ?— No. , . Has he ever caught you with one of these blows? — No. , Have you a bank account?— What bit of money I had, I have spent on this, trip up here. « Pressed' on the matter of a banking account, witness admitted that during her husband's war service she had £300 m the bank. This had diminished to £80, which sum she had retained m the bank because she "had a feeling that some day it would be wanted." "And that day," she added, solemnly, "has come." •

Counsel:. Did you go to Wanganui to live because your relations were there?— No. * All your relations are In Auckland now? — Yes; And you have, been anxious to get to Auckland because of that? — No. First of all, we had a good offer m Auckland. And the last few months I have said ,1 would live anywhere out of Wanganui. You know your husband is a carpenter and works at night? — Yes. He's made four window-sashes m four years! ...■■'■ Has your husband ever spoken to you about your interests m spiritualism? — Yes. About a month before I, left him. , You do believe that you can receive messages from the other world? — I understand it is so. Magistrate Luxford: certainly m good company m that belief." Thus encouraged, Mrs. McDonald stated /that she could do "automatic Writing" 'and proceeded to exhibit from her handbag several letters purporting to be the result of her. beliefs. ■ !

"May I ; read them?" she asked. "They are rather beautiful." The bench declined the privilege with the remark: "I respect anyone's religious beliefs." . To further .witness declared that she had never complained to the neighbors or the police about her husband's treatment of her. Once only, had. she spoken of the matter to a police .officer — and that was when Constable Simms had called at her place on other business. In confiding to, him that she was most unhappy, she had burst out crying. The officer had expressed his surprise at such a etate of affairs. In voluble reply to another line of questioning, Mrs. McDonald stated that the last time her husband accompanied her to Auckland, he went back the next day. On her own return to Wanganui, the Perkins girls had told her that they "had a great time jazzing." * Counsel: Will you seriously say that there has been any improper conduct going on between your husband and

these girls ?— ■ I will only answer this straight to the magistrate. Turning to the bench, witness conr tinued m a thin voice: "I have tried to be friends with them, but everyone has been telling me things. I always believed my, husband when he said they were good girls . . . "I could have told Mrs. Davis off for things she used to say, but m the end . . . She sighed. Mrs. Lily. Patchett, a resident of Wanganui; next took. the box to describe complainant as a good cook, a clean housekeeper, and a splendid mother, who was well resoected m the neighborhood. To Lawyer Hubble, witness confirmed the story of bruises on complainant's arm. She knew the whole sad state of affairs, because Mrs. McDonald always confided m her. Giving her name as Mrs.. Ruth Hannah Bowman, of Mt. Eden 1 , Auckland, complainant's mother told 1 the court that she had. found, it ..hard to believe' her son-in-law as bad-tempered as her daughter had described.- ■ However, when she visited Wanga-

nui, she' received a taste of It. McDonald told her that if she had come down to make trouble* she would do better to "get out." • • $ To cross-examination, witness admitted that she had thought a separation for her daughter advisable,: but only after a reconciliation appeared to be futile. - ' A few embarrassing queries- by Lawyer Hubble elicited the knowledge that witness' right name was "Mrs. Durrell" and that she -had been separated from her husband for many years. : .. 'The name she was now. living under,, and which she had used for some years, was that of her first husband, whom she had divorced. j, To his worship's inquiry as to what these matters had to do with the defence, Lawyer Hubble^ re- ■ plied: "The whole family have had separations, sir. This lady has quarrelled with two husbands and • now tries to interfere with another home." Charles Henry Bowman, father, of the complainant, gave evidence to substantiate much of the alleged threatening and neglect. •• * From the witness-box, a Baptist minister, formerly of Wanganui, eulogised Mrs. McDonald's character and household ability. The defence was an absolute denial of any cruelty or threatening behavior. On the other hand, McDonald entered evidence of a wife lacking m domestic thrift and prone to an over-interest m religious convictions. Throughout the proceedings, the defendant revealed signs of deep concern and maintained a knitted brow during his period m the witness-box. Referring to his method of paying all accounts himself, he claimed that his wife had proved incapable of handling his fortnightly income. With regard to the "breakfast scene," defendant's version was that his wife had taken exception to a remark touching on a certain happening

Tea With Spirits

which he had no wish to bring out m court. . She threw a loaf of bread, witness thought it was, and broke his breakfast cup. . He was cut about the face and had to be treated by the ambulance section of his place of employment at the Eastown railway workshops. . j "There are two causes of . my wife's trouble . . . and I have given it weighty consideration," stated McDonald: . "First, she wants,, to join her mother, who runs a tea-room m Auckland, and, secondly, I blame.. spiritualism." There was no truth m his wife's assertion that he tiad> transferred his affections to the "Perkins girls"— nor had he been m the habit of neglecting his wife m the dance-hall. : To- Lawyer Sullivan, defendant denied any recollection of his wife having found certain articles m his pockets. ' . .-'■■•■ Counsel: Were you m the habit- of giving her money regularly?— Yes. ' 'fThen why did she take that money from your pocket?"— McDonald heßitated with his reply. '•'■■■■ "Why did you not give her some of that money?" counsel persisted.—"Because I had bills to pay." \ Exhibiting a bundle of totalisator tickets, the lawyer proceeded to crossexamine on the suggestion of personal extravagance. • Identifying the tickets, McDonald admitted having purchased them during a race meeting at Westpqrt. The money was not, however, from his own pocket, but bets he had been putting on for his brother, who owns two racehorses, which he rides himself. Counsel: Were you at. the last Wanganui trots?— Yes. . How much money did ' you spend there?— -None; not more 'than ten shillings, anyway. Not a pound or two?-—No. My idea m going there was to watch the horses for the Hawera meet- - ing. ■ . '■■ . ■_ ■•'• "■ \■' ■ ■/'• Did you take your wife?— No. c She was not there to take. .■

Have you ever taken your wife to the races? — Yes, to Hawera once. - How long' ago was that ?- i -Five years ago. .-' ' . v-;.-y :"..:; :K.---''- ■'■■■.-■;■• ■ .' •-.■■ To a similar line of interrogation, witness admitted; ( that he never _tovited ,his/.w^e : to'';race 'meetings; nor had^she ever asice'dvto be ; taken. • • ; i Counsel : ; , Did. your wife ever objeot j to you going to Perkiiis 1 ?— rTes. ' . And there were awful rows about it?^-Yes. ~; ■„ :-.: x . ■' - ■ -. .-| r And -you restricted her money bo-. cause pflthat?r-Nb. .r~ .■'.. McDonald, would not deny that his wife^liad found certain articles m his pockets, liable to arduse her suspicion. If she 'had : found : : such evidence, he was unable' to recollect: the incident. ".You : haye/heard -her story that she hit you -'and you •virtually jumped on htr ?.|;'.y vaB 1 the -, next; question. . "No such ; tbJngr,'\ was the reply.All' shVaaysy then, is lies?— Either lies or imagination. .-'■'-./ To lengthy Inquiry as tovthe making; of window-sashes and tftrie taken up with : the ■';• installation of same, defend-' .apt claimed that he. had made a complete set of . window .'fittings' for his' home. . : •••'■'■ It had been due 'to 'his wife taking money from his pocket that his work had been delayed through . lack of capital for material.. !■' „ .. . He disagreed with counsel that he had been m the habit of telling his wife to shut up. He might have called her a "— — fool" or a yriiad idiot." Counsel: Have you ever been out with Miss Perkins?— Yes, but

Bathing Together

not alone. I have been out to picnic parties with the /Perkins . girls and "some other people. . And you and -she were singled out and photographed together ?— l'll j ust explain. ' . k \ ] • Producing snapshotsj counsel became insistent: M Have you and she ever been photographed together?" Magistrate (as witness still hesitated):. "Come on and answer the question!" ';■■■ ■. • ' ■■■"■■•■■ . Witness: "I'll say "yes." S.M.: "Now you're entitled to state the circumstances." . . In detail, McDonald' recounted having been snapped by one of the others of the party just as he was himself taking a picture. . •: He denied that. he had ever slept at the Perkins' during his wife's absence from home. : ' v His visits to their house not be. more 1 ihan three- times since Mrs. McDonald's departilre, while the Perkins girls had not visited defendant's 1 home during the sairie. period. . Counsel: What has your wife been appealing :to ; yoii for?— To give up things I was. not doing. ,' ; l . Is it not true that you ' never took your- wife to the dances?— l had to be there at seven -thirty ; and / she was never ready. : "• „ Do they go m for mixed-bathing : at Wanganui?— l think so . . I at the •baths. . ;"„ •"■• [f. : . .' ■. '. -■'■ •"' .'^ • ■ Have you ever been mixed-, bathing?— Yes. : .• . ' With ytiur wife . . *:• or Miss Per-kins?-^-Both. Was your wife with you when Miss Perkins was . bathing with you? — No, she was on- holiday. It was at the picnic I have spoken of. In giving a lengthy response to, fur 7

The Astral /Phone

ther pressure. ", by ■■■ hi?v :.wl£e'a counsel, defendant claimed that his wife had once attacked him with a-stick which appeared £6 ;W one used , by complainant's father. '..;"■ Evidence of 'ten witnesses, taken m Wariganui.Ycomprlsing 27 sheets of depositions' and ! . including' ■ the testir mony of William, James Rogers, the mayor, ; was then handed m by Lawyer Hubble..- ■■'/.■:;/;:;,;.. ■•v.. r --' „', ■ [.■"■ , ;.,..■ j In effect,, the testirtipny^ condensed down to eulogistic references cqncerning defendant's character; with' varied criticism of the .woman's, eccentric behavior and disposition:;' - . * '• '. "The husband did not know what was going on;" said Clifford Harry Davis,, a next-door neighbor. . ."Mrs. . McDonald had plenty of friends and relations to • visit . her. They .were always there. McDonald hid no home life. .-> ' - ' ..';.. /^There were two sets of separated wives staying there. Mrs. Hall : ! and one child stayed tfyere . . . . ";, • and Mrs. Smith and two or three ©hildren also . ." Charles Gordon, horse-trainer, was" of the opinion that ./ complainant neglected .her domestic duties,, m a manner witness : would , not- have tolerated from; his; own wife. . The secretary of the Amalgamated Society pjf' Railway Servants, 'John Joseph Scott, expressed the belief that" the trouble, arose through Mrs. McDonald's^ peculiar; temperament. Descr'ibingf complainant as a "bite," Joseph Glover said that there existed a ."strange feeling"' m the McDonald .household which gave one the impression!-; ; that ■. something "might break loosed 'v-;'. : , './ Vj" . '■ < ■'•• '■• . "She accus^d^him. of being familiar : with a <yourig girl who was staying with \them • about" four, years ago . . ' ,-.; She had,-Va, habit of trying to browbeat him' arid make him look 'small .'.;■."' :.• : : ■ ,' : . . • >•., ■ „ ■'; "Mrs. McDonald was a spirituklist .and was •'-supposed to be a medium. She used to ringlup her 'guide' arid get the jottings for whatvshe : had to do' for the^day -. ■ „•."■;,?; - . ■• „ .- /.. ': : :;. ,• \'Q. These ; were some of the, ; things spoken of by Osibbrne; David Partridge; "She liked flattery and was given to vanity . '. ./ and appeared to be a gadabout,"; safd Fred, Perkins, of Somme -Parade. After duly • perusing the ' long set of depositions^ Magistrate ■ Luxford - dismissed the .application. . ' ' 7