IN THE NECK

NZ Truth, Issue 1191, 27 September 1928, Page 4

IN THE NECK

Dusky Husband Gets The Axe (From "N.Z. Truth's" Whangarel Rep.) In 1912 Harry Hubbard took unto himself a Maori wife, but during the ensuing sixteen years he evidently regretted his matrimonial venture, and is alleged to have sought severance pf his connubial bonds per medium of an axe. HIS dusky spouse was evidently not intended for such a gory fate, however, and she appeared before Magistrate Luxford at Whangarei with a tale of woe and a request for separation and maintenance on the grounds of persistent cruelty. It transpired that they had not been living together for some time past, but nevertheless they had managed to swell the population by seven. During their period of separation Harry had made frequent visits to his wife, but these were far from being of a solicitous nature. Indeed, several had been the occasions of the punching of his better half. R. Hubbard, a very dark boy of about fourteen or fifteen years of age (and of whom, by the way, Hubbard, sen., denied paternity) entered the witnessbox and swore inter alia that his father had threatened to kill his mother on two occasions. He stated that at Waikaraka the father had. pono for an axe wherewith to make himself a widower, but that a neighbor had prevented him from carrying out this thoughtful act. On another occasion his mother had been under the necessity of calling m the police when her husband had again made search for the handy domestic chopper. Recently at Mill Road, Whangarei, he (the son), who was a cripple, had been obliged to defend his mother from her charming husband by vigorous use of his crutches. The hectic Harry, when ■called to answer the complaint strolled up the courtroom with jaws masticating something energetically., "Take your breakfast out of your mouth," ordered the clerk of the court, and his command elicited the fact that Hubbard was "only chewin' gum," but when further ordered to remove it, reluctantly" did so and cast it upon the court floor. . Apparently the most he could say for himself was that he had received provocation from his wife, who had refused to speak to him. His Worship stated that there was quite enough evidence to enable him to grant Mrs. Hubbard the relief which she sought, and, her husband's wages being found to be. £4/6/2 per week, an order was granted on the grounds alleged, for £2/10/- per week. . Access to the children was granted to the husband, who, it is to be hoped, has learnt his lesson, and should realize that axes are best used for chopping wood and not for backing up domestic differences. •