Furniture Sale

NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 5

Furniture Sale

sauntered down to the hotel at Green Island, and later m the day, when Mrs. Patterson arrived, home from her people's place, she found her husband m bed and the room m a disgusting state. j On a subsequent occasion defendant had threatened to knock off witness' head, and finally emptied the furniture out on to the verandah. Lawyer Barnett: Has he ever interfered with your going to church? — Yes. . ■ You play the organ at Green Island Church of Christ? — Yes. And you are secretary of the Bible School?— Yea. Was your husband a member of the Church? — Yes, until we got married, and then he left. - Witness had once wakened m the night to find her husband standing at the side of the bed. On her inquiring what he was doing, he replied that he was going to "slash his throat." "I told him not to . be foolish," went on the complainant, "but he said: 'Shut up! or I'll "slash the lot of your throats.' " She could remember other occasions when Patterson had showed suicidal tendencies. In fact, she had deemed it wise to hide his razor when he was drinking. Defendant had once alleged that his wife sold a suite of furniture, when he had himself disposed of the suite to complainant's own people 'for £7/10/-, £4 of which had been taken out for groceries and the balance paid by cheque to defendant. Her husband had .twice mortgaged his section for £30 on each occasion. From the first loan he had lost- £13 at the races, and expended about £20 on a trip to Christchurch. They both went on the Christchurch holiday, al-

Did you get a second loan later? Witness hesitated, and then intimated that she could remember the time the second loan was raised, but she did not know what it was for. Witness volunteered the information that her husband had once asked her to pawn her engagement ring, as he had used some of the union funds of which he was secretary. "But instead of paying back the .union, he went to the races, and I had to pay the union out of his wages," she concluded.. Daniel Stewart, storekeeper of Burnside, father-in-law of Patterson, volunteered the opinion that drink was the chief trouble with Patterson, who was a queer, moody fellow. "Do you know that she has been neglecting her domestic duties owing to _ religion?" asked ~ Lawyer White. The father said he was not aware of it. Counsel: Your daughter says that I four pounds of the cash paid for a suite of furniture was paid to the grocer? — Yes. And you were the grocer? — Yes. t A tall, pale-faced youth, twenty years of age, gave his name as Oscar Edwin White and stated that he was appointed superintendent of the Green Island Church of Christ Bible School m June of last year. He had been visiting the Patterson home for about 15 months. Patterson had often appeared to be m a violent temper, though showing, no signs outwardly. Lawyer Barnett: How many times would you require Mrst. Patterson's services at the Bible School? — About one night a week. Lawyer White: How many times to odd things? — Average riot more than two nights a week. And you used to come back to the