HE LEFT AFTER TWENTY YEARS

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 2

HE LEFT AFTER TWENTY YEARS

Cox Thought His Wife's Treatment Was Far From Perfect, So He Wandered Off

MAINTENANCE ORDER CHECKMATE

(Prom "N.Z. Truth's?' Special Christchurch Representative). On a sunny morning m January last year, Thomas John Cox, a slaughterman, left home for his work at Belfast/but the evening meal which was prepared m anticipation of his nightly return was prepared m vain. Cox did not return, and ever since his home has g"one without the paternal, influence he had exerted over it for the previous twenty years.

COX believed m his own mind that he was not getting the treatment a husband deserved, so he sought the more placid haveft of bachelordom. ' For nine months after he left home, Cox continued to support his wife, but since October of last year she has been | thrown entirely on her own resources. . Consequently, an action for main.'tenance was brought by the wife, and Cox went to court to dispute the matter. After Cox left home his wife went to work *to support herself, taking a position m a showroom m one of the city departmental stores. From her earnings she was able to isuppo'rt her sixteen-years-old daughter. Who, for the last eight months, was unemployed, but quite recently the mother lost her position, and she

On Good Terms

was sorely taxed m making ends meet. '■ The position was made more awkward for her When her married daughrter|3 husband fell out of work, and .the anticipation of a certain event m the 1 family further increased the wdjrry, for all concerned. So the married daughter went to stay with the mother until the baby arrived. In spite of some financial wizardry by Mrs. Cox, there were many things she and her daughters had to go without. Her budget was supplemented by contributions by Cox, who would meet the daughter m town and give her .varying amounts. ?C .Mrs. Cox told Mr. D. Russell, ' ■"- counsel for the husband, that she :'. had no idea why Cox left home, as up to that time they had been oh as good terms as ever they had been during their married life. . ; Mr. Russell: Isn't a man ■• named Leonard Clements the cause of all-'tne trouble? ......... Mrs. Cox denied the ..impeachment, though she admitted that Clements was a frequent caller for lunch j and had

spent an occasional week-end at the house. Mr. Russell: And he is a married man with a family. Do you think it is a fair thing for him to be spending — "I object to this line of cross-exam-ination," interjected Mr. Roy Twyneham. "Whatever his excuse, his nonpayment of maintenance is not • justi<fied." ■ •■- . Mrs. Cox was questioned regarding

her independent sources of income, and admitted that two sums aggregating slightly over £100 had been received from an insurance company, but she claimed that as she had paid all the premiums she was entitled to the money. * Mrs. Cox showed some reticence m answering a question by Mr. Russell, who endeavored to ascertain the amounts of loans she- had made. It was not until she was urged

by the Magistrate to answer the question that she admitted having loaned £40 to Clements and added that it had been paid back. Cox set out m his defence of the action that he had left home because he had not been getting the treatment he expected a husband ought to receive. „.• pe related having gone home on one occasion and knocked on the back door, but was told to wait. "When I went m," Cox continued, "there was a cup of tea and some bread and butter on the kitchen table, but one of the girls told me not to touch it, as the man it had been really made for had just gone but of the front door." , Mr. Twyneham again objected, stating that the wife had not been crossexamined on this fact. The Magistrate: It certainly alters the weight of the evidence entirely.

Wife's Welfare

Cox informed Mr. Twyneham that his wife had been a good wife for a while after their marriage. Counsel: You made allegations against a trainer named Smith, didn't you? . Cox: Well, she told me she thought more of Smith than she did of me. And after that you went and stayed at Smith's place for a while?— Yes. Cox went on to state that he had really taken an interest m his wife's welfare after he left, and on one occasion sent a boy along to her home with a joint of meat. His wife had told the boy she didn't want it, and to tell Cox that she didn't want him crawling to her. On that account he discontinued contributing to her upkeep, but he asserted that if she had applied to him she could have got the money at any time. „ , . „ The wife, however, applied to the court, and her application met with the approval of the Magistrate, who ordered Cox to pay £2 weekly and find m addition a sum of £10 for back maintenance. '