BOY FRIENDS RUINED THEIR HOME

NZ Truth, Issue 1187, 30 August 1928, Page 3

BOY FRIENDS RUINED THEIR HOME

••' : —'■ : '- —' ; ■ Sacred Matrimony , r^—- ■ : —: —5 ~ -"

, A Wonderful Boy

Where Is Potter ?

:.■.'.•••/'■■'• No Kissing In Car

Victoria's Candid Confession In Piquant Letter ,

"I KNOW I HAVE ONE IN A MILLION," SHE WRITES iiuniiniMiMiiuiiuiinuniiuuiiiniiiiiiniHiiiimiiHUHiiiiiunuiuMMnHiiuHiiMiHiiiiMMiHiiiiuMiiininimHuiiiiniiiiiiniiHiiiiiiiiiniii^

| (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) '■■■.$/■ § j. "BOY FRIENDS were the ruination of bur hohie.. . . You cannot have them and a wife, or girl, too. . It is no use, I § 1 have tried it myself and find you cannot please both — sooner or later one must go." So Wrote. Victoria Madeline Gilligan to her § | husband some months before they were divorced. . „ . : V I | It might be said that Vickie's "boy friend" finally led to her appearance m the Divorce Court to defend the petition brought J 1 by her. husband, William Lawrence Gilligan, for his freedom on the grounds of his wife's misconduct. ' The correspondence be- | I tween husband and wife, after they had separated by order of the court, and before the divorce proceedings, disclosed a candid con- | 1 fession by Victoria that her "boyfriend" was "one m a million. .. " and, on Gilligan 's side, that he loved another girl and | 1 desired his matrimonial release m order to marry her. His wife, V ictoria, refused to do this, because she did not believe m divorce. . |

..imunminuiiimiimiimiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiii T AWTBR INDER, on behalf of VieJL toria, said that his client, the petitioner, was the respondent m the original proceedings, when the husband, William Lawrence Gilligan,.petitioned for his divorce on the grounds . of misconduct, naming Ernest Potter as the co-respondent. His petition was successful. . "The parties were separated by n magisterial order," continued counsel, "some time prior to the divorce proceedings. Under that order,, the husband paid 30/- per week maintenance^" Gilligan was anxious .'■ to secure a divorce m order to marry another girl. He had done this as soon as he obtained his freedom. • " ' The position m which the wife now found herself was that she could not go out to employment, as she was helping her'mother to conduct a boarding establishment. . . ' The mother herself was m receipt of a widow's war pension of £1 per week and required her daughter's services m the house m order to keep the establishment going. Lawyer Inder's application was for permanent maintenance, the court having discretionary powers to grant alimony to an erring wife under certain circumstances. Lawyer* Singer, opposing the application on behalf of Gilligan, submitted that his . client should not be called I upon to support the ; woman he had

divorced because of her misconduct, as she was still associated with Potter, tho co-respondent—in. fact, she was still living with him. . .' > The co-respondent, a single man, was occupying, the house m Dominion Road where petitioner and her mother lived: V In order to recall the divorce proceedings to his honor's mind, Lawyer Singer briefly outlined the facts. A series of letters had been tendered as evidence which the wife admitted were hers, written to her husband, and m which she constantly referred to a "boy friend.": "10 Arnold Street, Dominion Road, September 10, 1925; Dear Gillie,—Your letter to hand . . . no, you havo not offended me m any way, but I was waiting, until I had seen Miss P "I received the money all right Yes, I fully realize that you are doing your best re'arrears and also that you don't want to. get out of paying me the 30/---a week, but, Gillie, that is not it. "I do wish you could see things the same way as I do. You are different to me —regard marriage no niore solemn a-thing than you do taking out a motor-driver's license. "Gillie, I am different; with me, it is a thing that should happen only once m a person's life. "I suppose you think I am selfish — revengeful—God only knows what, be-

cause I will not divorce you and give you your freedom right away. . . . "But, Gillie, I cannot make up my mind to divorce you yet awhile. You simply have to wait until such times as I,can see my way clear to do so. 1 won't always be as I am now.. "I told you I would some day, sooner or later, but Gillie, I did not expect you to start worrying me straight away about it. . . . "I have nothing against you whatever; you haye 1 never ill-treated me . . . you are a good worker. . "It was not true about you having children ... I thought you would be quite all right/away from your boy friends. Boy friends were the ruination of our home—and so they were. "You cannot have them and a wife, or girl, too. It is no use; I have tried it myself and find you cannot please both; sooner or later> one must go. "Look at me, I have had to give over all my girl pals, even the one living with us, I cannot go out with. "My Boy is the same—has not a boy pal to his name; has given up everybody for me. • "I know I haye A BOY IN A MILLION. No one. else would do for me what he does, so I don't mind giving up everybody for him, as without doubt he worships me and his thoughts are all for my happiness.. "Yours -as, ever, Vickie." The co-respondent and the wife had gone out m a motor-car one night, continued qounsel. iiiiiiijijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

After they returned, they were seen m bed on the verandah of the house m Dominion Road. The wife had also acknowledged m her letters that she had gone down to Wellington and had lived there, waiting for her "boy friends . ship t o sail, added the lawyer. , "And she is still living with this man m that house m Dominion Road." Lawyer Inder: "I wish my friend would not make that statement; she is not living with himl" Lawyer Singer: "She is — well, m so far as that he supports her." "This woman," counsel added, "has never done a tap of work for flve or six years — it is high time she, did! Potter is a single man and I suggest that he is still supporting her." Lawyer Inder objected once again to this statement. What Victoria Madeline Gilligan lacked m stature, she made up for m spirit. . Short and plump, attractively dressed, her dai'k eyes gave back challenge for challenge when Lawyer Singer's cross-examination sought to discount the value of her evidence. » She had never been trained for an occupation, she told the court, and had

always been m aencate health, as she had undergone three operations. She could not, m any case, go out and work, as she had to consider her mother, who de-, pended on her help to run the board-ing-house. Lawyer Singer: When was the last operation ? — - Th c last was about twelve months Counsel: "Well, it seems to, have been a very successful one!" Victoria ignored this thrust and went on .to say that her husband had written "her about eighteen months before the divorce, when they were separated by order of the; Magistrate's Court. In this letter, he had asked her if she would ..divorce him, so that he could marry another girl. "'•'■' Lawyer Inder produced the letter m question and auoted from it as Gilligah had written: / • - • ■ "Have you forgiven the old sore and think better of. 'things? Remember, we are not getting any younger and whatsis the. /use of hindering one another!. '.'; • •?■ ■ " • .. •.■'■'" < "As to the money, you will get the same as now. Please let me hear. I was naturally a bit mad at first, but I have learned better since \we -parted: . Y .

"Now I love this girl . . . Ohi Vie, if you would only help me out, I would be grateful to you. It is hell to be a lonely man. . ." Petitioner said she had to take proceedings several times m the Magistrate's Court, because Gilligan had failed to keep his maintenance payments going. .• - ' Lawyer Singer: How long is it since you saw a doctor? — About two years ago. ' ■ "What was the matter with you — Influenza?" , -'>. ; ■.., Victoria's .eyes gleamed as she replied: "No, it was the effect of my operation." ' , ! "What js the matter with you now, Mrs. Gilligan— tired?" '„'■. Mrs. Gilligan's voice went up a pitch or two: "I don't know what is the matter with me!" ■. ■* ■ Lawyer Singer (incredulously): "You don't know what is the matter with you — and you had an operation?" Victdria (looking angry, but collect 1ed): "I don't know." • You have not tried work? — I cannot leave my mother. Lawyer' Singer (registering astonishment) : But your mother keeps boarders—"' : ' Witness (interrupting): '"Yes, but I have to help her m the house." : Counsel: Is Potter one of the boarders?— No. . ',

When did you see him. last? — Last week for the first ' time, m fourteen months.. Lawyer Singer (sceptically): "What day last week?" j.. ' V * Victoria answered : "Wednesday ; or Thursday." She contributed the information that Potter was working oh a boat. V : Asked to furnish the name of the ship, Mrs,. Gilligan's chin tilted and her eyes glinted. She said flatly: "I am not going to • say." ' ■ \ Lawyer Singer: "Well, Mrs. Gil-, ligan, please be good enough to say." .■■.,-. ' Victoria (looking stubborn): "I am not going to say." . ' ,• His Honor: ''You had better answer that question, Mrs. Gilligan." . At this command, th^ name of the ship was giv^n' as the. "Kapbhga." When it wWs suggested by counsel that witness kept 'm - touch with the ship's movements, Victoria indignantly denied it and declared with passionate emphasis: "Mr. Potter ' is nothing Ho me— he has never been anything more than a boy friend." • *. . . '; -. Lawyer Singer (suavely): Never ?— I never lived withhim as you said I did. as you try td make out! He Was a boy friend and. I just went put with him; that was all! , . .

Counsel thereupon suggested that he might refresh Mrs.,Gilllgan's memory by reading a. portion of" her evidence given during the divorce proceedings.. "He is the man, -Potter, I refer to m my letters/ as my boy friend," read counsel. • ■ ■■;■■■ "He is still living m my home and I still go out with him. I have been out m his car . . . ".." • . . * • "I don't believe m divorce ... . It is not a fact that Potter used to be at the house each week-end. He did not kiss. me m. the car on June 5 or when we got home. ; "We did not do any cuddling and there' was ho good-morning, or good-night kissing." . Returning' to \the attack, Lawyer Singer asked:, ''When did Potter last stay at your house?" "For three or; four weeks immediately after the divorce," replied witness. 7 "I do not feel , disposed to make an order m this case," remarked the judge; "I think this, woman is. quite capable of earning her own livelihood." His honor pointed out, however, tliat while this was the position at present; a time might arise in:the future when circumstances would make it necessary -for the, woman to apply again. "I /will make a formal order for the payment of* 1/- every three months with, a view, to enabling the : petitioner to apply, for a variation of the order."