MRS. BROUGHTON GRANTED SEPARATION FROM HUSBAND

NZ Truth, Issue 1204, 27 December 1928, Page 5

MRS. BROUGHTON GRANTED SEPARATION FROM HUSBAND

arrears with his maintenance. The subsequent separation of the parties was annulled when they came together again at Mrs./ Broughton's people's 1 place m the Wairarana. When Mrs. Broughton's mother died, she came into possession of a considerable quantity of furniture. , •-■ . For the sake of the children she was then prepared to make another home with Broughton, and had the furniture railed to Well a. - ington, but was astonished to find, when she took a house, that Broughton would not live with her. Instead, he continued staying with a Mrs. Allen m Nairn Street, from whom he rented a room. Counsel referred at length to the incidents leading , up to and including Mrs. Broughton's apprehension as an insane person. At the time the police were looking for her Mrs. Broughton was seeking assistance from the Commissioner of Police, who gave her fair and proper advice. Mrs. Broughton's husband was making endeavors to get her placed m the mental asylum and had managed to obtain an urgent warrant for her arrest and committal.

Living In Comfort

The bench: One only obtains a warrant to apprehend with a view to medical examination. Mr. Mazengarb. You may mislead the Press. Lawyer Mazengarb : That is so, sir. That is what I mean. At the police station, went on counsel, Mrs. Broughton was examined by Dr. Mary Coutts, who m the" meantime had been approached by her husband. On the certificate of Dr. Coutts, the unfortunate wife was sent to Porirua, where the doctors declined to admit her. It was quite impossible for her to live with a husband who had been cruel, who had failed to properly maintain her and who' tried to get her admitted to an asylum without justification. Mrs. Broughton desired the advantage of a separation so that Broughton could not get away from New Zealand without paying her what was due to her. He was earning £4 10s. a week and his keep at an hotel and was living m comfort. When the child died he cut out the maintenance m respect to it and gave his wife £1 a week' The money from her mother's estate was all gone, and if Broughton forced his wife to work he could not say that now, as she was working and earning 30/- a week, he need only, pay her £1.

Mrs. Broughton's counsel then placed the defendant m the box. Broughton gave his occupation as assistant manager m a city hotel, and his wages at £4 ss. a week. He also was boarded there, but had been residing at the hotel for the past month only. Prior to that he rented a room from Mrs. Allen m Nairn Street. Counsel: When your wife rang up on September 26 she told you she wanted another doctor's advice about the child. Did you tell her the hospital doctors were quite capable of dealing with the child?— No. On the morning of October 26, did you make application for your wife's arrest? — Yes, under police instruction. What police?— The senior-sergeant at Mt. Cook station. And m addition ■they sent a constable to meet me at the court at 10.30. D.id you consider your wife was insane at that time? When did you see Mrs. Broughton prior to making the reception order? — I could not say. It might have been two or three weeks. The bench; It is important, You come to court making certain compjaints. How do you know she was suffering from delusions? Do you mean to tell me the police ad- - vised you to come and lay an information when you had not seen her for two or three weeks? — It was under instructions.. To counsel, Broughton said it may have been less than a month since he had seen his wife. Counsel: How dare you come here and say you had seen her within three days?— When did I say that? Counsel (waving the information Broughton had signed): Did you read what you signed ? — No. Did' you know Mrs. Broughton's people or if any of them had suffered from mental trouble? — Yes. Mrs. Broughton's mother was detained folthree weeks m Sydney for unsoumlriess be mmd — and her brother, who "cleaned up" a restaurant m Masterton. For how long has your wife's attack of insanity occurred? — Ever since I maiTied her. . Notwithstanding that, you. have effected a reconciliation with her? — The advance did. not come from me. But you were prepared to consider it?— Yes. ■ ■ What were the grounds for your application to have her committed?— l can't remember everything I said. ,' And you say the police told you to?— The senior-sergeant said if I didn't do it he would;, ' I was forced to. I tried to shield Mrs. Broughton: -..'Counsel: Your way of trying to shield her is under the Mental Defectives Act. Was she worried about her child

(From- "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative). The final act of the tragic drama of the Broughkn marriage union has been staged There are no tfnp hands now to help bind husband and wife together— the medium that m the past has helped to span the ever widening gap between ViolettaAlma Broughton and Leslie Weedon Broughton now lies m a little grace. Mrs. Broughton's husband's children by a former marriage are not strong enough links m the chain to £eep the spectre of the past from her mind. It is. certain that Mrs. Broughton will never again darken her husband's door. The ghost of her visit to Porirua at the instigation of her husband will be forever with hei.

m the hospital?-; — I suppose she was. Any mother would be. Did you tell Dr. Coutts she was worrying about her child?— l don't think so. What did you. tell Dr. Coutts that made her give the certificate? It was based not on the examination, but on what you told her?— lt was based on the examination. ' "Whose suggestion w^is it that you get a taxi? — I got the car. Who paid for it? — I did. Where did you get we money? — Out of my: pocket. Didn't yuu get it out of your wife's purse?— No, I did not. It .is significant that Mrs. Broughton's money was 25/- short when she got back? — I never saw her purse at all. Yoxi didn't make any effort to get your -wife 'discharged 'during the week-end? — The matron told me she would have to stay . m over the week-end. When- '.-did you tell your wife: about the child dying? — I cam© clown, and the matron said she had told Mrs. Broughton. You were told at 7 o'clock m the morning und went down to teli the matron at 4 or 5 o'clock m the afternoon?— Mrs. Broughton knew it. Did it not occur to you that .Mrs. Broughton might .. like to see the child? — The undertaker would not let me see it. '.' When 'Was it the undertaker would not let you see. it? — On the Monday morning. > But you could have, seen it on the Sunday? —I di<L.not see it

earlier as the doctor advised me not to. The S.M. interrupted the examination by remarking- that he understood the rase was only to take an hour and a half. Lawyer Scott: In view of what "N.Z. Truth" came out with it will last longer than that. The bench: I am not concerned with that. ■■■■'- ■ , *» . - To his own counsel, Broughton said at tlie time he made the allegation of cruelty against his wife they were living 'm Ellis Street. He was not allowed to smoke a cigarette or pipe m the house. His wife used ''to assault him, and once, m Courtenay Place and every time she ■ had the opportunity, she would annoy, him. "When I went to go out of the house she would tear my clothes off. There was never any comfort at home , for me. This is only part of the, cruelty I suffered from Mrs. Broughton," he said. : , His wife, he added, took the house in 'Creswick Terrace against his will, but she sa.irl ■she could probably sublet part of it. He could not 'afford to pay the rent asked for the place. Mrs. BroughtOn related to the court the' story of her short married life. Her husband, she. said, had. never treated her kindly. : Sometimes he used to drink ,to excess, .and always' when . he had liquor, he was quarrels some. - When; her . child was ■' born her mothei paid all the - necessax-y expenses. In fact, all through her married life, she had money from her own people. Oh one occa ss o n her husband attacked

her, blackened her eye and knocked out a tooth. She was attended by.' Dr. Mackhv as a result. In Hill Street she had occasion to callin the police when he had the D.T.'s. When she moved to Wellington, the furniture m the Creswick Terrace house was her mother's. Broughton did not attempt to get a place for her.' In commencing to relate her trying ordeal, Mrs. Broughton said Commissioner Mcllveney, on the morning she was arrested, gave her good advice. "I was at the hospital at 2 p.m. intending to spend the afternoon with the child," said the woman, with tears m her eyes. "I knew it was dying two days previously. The nurse came m and told me I was wantedin the corridor where I met the police matron and a plain clothes man." . . Mrs. Broughton then related her examination at the hands of Dr. Coutts, after which the matron said she w^ould have to go to Porirua. ■ -Mr. Broughton was very kind on the way out and I told him of several things I wanted him to do. I didn't want the home broken up." Mrs. Broughton said the . police had treated her very kindly. Her husband had not seen her for three weeks or more prior to laying the information. .Lawyer Mazengarb: He says your mother and some of your other relations have been treateel for unsoundness of mind? — That is not true. My mother. has. never been m Sydney. In the information he says you were starved? — That is true. There wasn't any delusion about that. . Also that you said he. was carrying on with another woman?— All the circumstances gave, me some basis for suspecting that he was carrying on: "I wrote my husband at the hotel and told him I was ill and that there was no food m the house," went on Mrs. Broughton. "He did not come to see me. He sent .me a solicitor's letter/Stating that he would not be responsible for the rent." , ■• To Lawyer Scott, .Mrs. Broughton denied that she was of violent temper. If she had created a scene at Mrs. Allen's she wanted to see her husband and. had reason .to believe he was m the house. ' , ' • Do you remember thrashing or striking Broughton m Clyde Quay?— No. Mrs. Broughton made some inco-m- j prehensible remark about a society for the prevention of husbands and their fancy women.' , : .'•What is that ybu said /about fancy women," demanded Lawyer Scott. • Mrs. Broughton 'broke down and wept.' The court was then adjourned till the following- Tuesday. "When the . hearing of .the - case was resumed. Mrs. Broughton said she was not calling any .other witnesses concerning the. acts of cruelty which she alleged against her husband. Di\ Mackin, however, could testify to cruelty if he were called. .He attended

her once as the result of Broughton's attention. „. ; \ . Lawyer Scott: Did , you never attack your husband? — I got upset sometimes and had to protect myself. Did you ever create a scene m Lloyd Street? — No. Do you remember a man named Carrol who came home to dinner with your husband and you created a scene? — They were both drunk. Did you refuse, to let him have his clothes m .Ellis Street? — No. "I was always happy m my home," said Mrs. Broughton. "It was a different thing Broughton coming home at seven m the even- '■•• ing and. seven m the morning; I had to stick up for myself." Broughton's counsel questioned Mrs.; Broughton closely .concerning some supposed cuts, on the boy Desmond's body, alleging that Mrs. Broughton had belabored the -child with a mop. . Witness denied this assertion emphatically, and said that the only trouble the child ever had was a skin affliction. : Lawyer Scott: You have made the implication that your husband practically robbed your purse? — Yes. Buried As Pauper Where did you get that money from? — My mother, and some I had from Broughton to pay the rent. Who had your purse on the way out to Porirua? — The police authorities, I suppose. . , ; Lawyer Mazengarb (to the bench) : I have- enquired into that matter, sir. Broughton apparently paid for the taxi to Porirua, and the . money was deducted from Mrs. Broughton's purse to '■ pay for the taxi to and from the hospital. ; . • . , : . To her own counsel, Mrs. Broughton said she did not pay money for the rent because she "had to live. After your discharge from the police station you found that the - child had been buried m unpurchased ground? — Yes. You yourself paid the £4 neces- ■ saw for the 'purchase of the land?- --;-■ -Yes. .. '• .-. ■ ■ , . ■■■. . [ What particulars did Broughton give to the undertaker and the registrar about the child's place of residencesHe had stated that the deceased's place of residence was: Nairn Street* the house occupied by Mrs. Allen; I went round and corrected the entries. "In view of the allegations that Broughton made regarding the instructions from the police," said Lawyer Mazengarb, "it has been.authorised that the senior-sergeant should come to court and. clear the matter' up."". ■■■■:■.. ;*. .■ ■"•■ ; : :.c ■- /■■ "The day previous to the' application being made," Senior-sergeant Butler