BARRELLS OF BOTHER

NZ Truth, Issue 1209, 31 January 1929, Page 3

BARRELLS OF BOTHER

Insurance Man Alleges That His Wife's Policy Was Premium On Unhappiness SHE COMPLAINS OF HIS COMPLAINTS (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Bepresentative) .'■ When Edith Elizabeth Barrell induced her husband, Prank Horace Barrell, an insurance superintendent, of Christchurch, to drop a divorce action against her and return to share her home, he expected to enjoy aguin the connubial bliss which had marked the flrst few weeks of their married life. He alleged subsequently that she did not carry out certain promises, and, $ for the second time since he took her for better or for worse, he left her to again reign supremely over the Barrell menage.

WHEN the lady became Mrs. Barrel!, she had a ready-made family, but within three months of the tielng of the nuptial bonds, Barrell expressed a stern dislike to his wife's alleged weakness for the lambent lights and the high spots, and he resigned the presidency of his home, consenting to a maintenance order of £2 7s. 6d. weekly m favor of his wife and her two children of a former marriage. The Barrells apparently could not agree -on anything, and could see nothing but faults m each other, and a series of tilts from either side terminated m the Maintenance Court at Christchurch, when Barrell asked for a variation of > the order, while Mrs. Barrell called him to book for being £9 10s. m arrears. She looked smart m a deep ' blue jersey suit, and was counselled by Lawyer Roy Twyneham, and proved the arrears, which amounted to £9 10s. up till September last. Since then, she said, he had paid nothing. Lawyer Frank Sargent, who guided. Barrell, asked Mrs. Barrell was it a fact that her husband had agreed to drop a Supreme Court action against her early last year. She replied that that was correct. Lawyer Sargent: Those proceedings

were taken against you for the major matrimonial offence, that of alleged misconduct? Mrs. Barrell: He never complained of the life I was leading. .You made promises to him which you never kept? — I don't understand you, Mr. Sargent. . Didn't you promise to give up your men friends and your drinking parties? — Ever since we were married he complained about me having men m the house. He complained about everything I did. You don't object to drinking with men?— -He has brought drink home at times, but I have never had it except •with my husband. Magistrate Mosley: Does the question of her conduct matter, Mr. Sargent? Counsel: It does to the extent that we have an application for a .variation of the order,- m that the circumstances have altered since the order was made. Mrs. Barrell went on to say that Barrell was a very jpalous man, and always suspected her of associations with men. She had never had men to her home, and when her friends came he had never, objected. _^ "Have you never gone to boozing parties?" queried counsel. The witness said she had gone to the homes of her friends, and had

never been home later than 9.30 p.m. A suggestion that she had come home In the small hours of the morning she strenuously denied. . Have you ever gone into hotels to drink?— -Only when m company with my husband. x Did you never go to the Foresters' Hotel? — I wasythere two or three times with my husband, but never with anyon © glsg ■ Lawyer Sargent referred to a letter, the original of which, he said, could not be found. The letter, he said, which had been written by Mrs. Barrell, after she had gained employment m a' city emporium, informed her husband that she had lost all affection for him and that she. was quite able to keep herself. Mrs. Barrell said she might have written . the letter. She had to seek employment, because Barrell did not give her enough to support her. Lawyer Sargent submitted that he could furnish proof that Mrs. Barrell was drawing from various sources almost as much money as her husband, whose Income amounted to a little less than £400 per annum. The witness disputed this assessment, stating that an item of twentyfive shillings a Aveek from her former

husband for the maintenance of the children was hundreds of pounds m arrears. The money came spasmodically, and she had been compelled more than once to write off large sums m arrears. Lawyer Sargent: Isn't it a fact that you had to be put out of a house once for your drunken habits? Mrs. Barrell (indignantly) : No. Lawyer Twyneham informed the court that, m addition to his income, the husband had two or three properties. He had started complaining m the first month of his married life, and had expressed himself with his fists. 'Lawyer Sargent: .1 submit that this woman's' income is almost as large as her husband's. S.M.: I don't agree with you. This man is coming here asking me to give him some of his ...wif e'.s .earnings. Lawyer Sargent: The only trouble is that my client's money is being wasted on her drinking '-habits. S.M.: You have shown no proof of that. . After further legal parries, counsel for both parties agreed, at the suggestion of the magistrate, to withdraw the information, Lawyer Sargent stating that he would see that the arrears were paid forthwith.