UNFAITHFUL WIFE'S ADMISSION

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

UNFAITHFUL WIFE'S ADMISSION

Confessed To Association With Other Man, But Said Husband Forgave Her

ORDER IS MADE BECAUSE DESTITUTE

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative)

There are some husbands who will tolerate a great deal from their erring wives, and | William George Riddle is one of them. Even he/ at long last, found that his trust had | gone the limit and he gave" it up. When Do ris Isabel Riddle applied .for a separation and j .maintenance order, Riddle defended the act ion. |

wN 1928, this unhappy ;jpair went beI fore the court and Q.n order was ■'*!' made, but trouble followed^ quickly m the wake of a reconciliation, and, again, they; par ted. ;,,. . .' It was she .was destitute, that Mrflf;, Riddle , brought ' another Action before Mr. H. W.- Bundle, S.M., Wjtb«e Dunedin Magistrate's Court recently, arid on account of her destitution the Magistrate allowed her. 17/6 a; week. •■ ; ;' •■;' ' Ais f ar as Mr. B. S. Irwin,:.who ap-peared-fpr the wife, could gather, the first trouble had been over another man with whom Mrs. Riddle had lived, but that .had' ibipwn over and: Riddle had taken her back. The present proceedings were being brought because , Mrs. Ridr riddle had not been able y-%p wbrKrow- . ing to sickness, and:;sH.e had no '"■■money or any chance, of getting . any except from her husband. According to Mrs. Riddle,' under the previous order /She had received 22/6 a week. She had not be,en living with

Had No Money

her hUsband for some time now, and from the time she had entered hospital for an operation he had suspended payment of maintenance. Mr. G. T. Baylee (for Riddle) : Money was sent to hei\ but it was for the definite puppse of keeping herself, and instead she used it and travelled from one town to the other. Her husband never knew where she was, or how the money he gave her was being spent, declared counsel. • Mrs. Riddle told Mr, Irwin that she was: living with her^ sister at present, but she had no money. Under cross-examination, Mrs. Riddle said she stayed away from her husband for about six months after. the first proceedings, but she . admitted that she often went down to him and asked him to take her back. This he eventually agreed to do. ■'.... Mr: Baylee: There was. a boarder at the house?' ■ 'Mrs. Riddle:: Yes. >. ; * ' '• Bid your husband know him? — I told him it was Jim Fraser, and that I knew Fraser previously. How; long was he with you?— Less than three \yeeks. ; ■ . :■<' : And • why. did he leave the . house '! — Because ;f d;dv } ;:.; % :/ . ■'■. ..■.;, ;•'.<' : Mrs. Riddle went on to say 'that one Friday night her husband came home and gave her his; salary and he and.

Frasft'r then went up the road to have a drinje. . While they were away she left the . -house,!. and 'went to his sister-in-law's. The! 'boarder, she said, did not go back to the house either, but went to hjs' own place/ . . The Magistrate: Did you see him again? Mrs. Riddle: Yes. I was with his grandmother later, and that is where he was. That would be about last September. Mr. Baylee: Why did you leave his grandmother's place?

Mrs. Riddle: Because I had to go into hospital. After being m hospital a month, Mrs. Riddle said she went back to her husband and he set up housekeeping again. . ' She admitted that she used to get all his salary on a Friday night, and although she paid the accounts, she admitted that she ran into debt. Mrs. Riddle stayed with her husband until January, and then a Miss McDonald, who was m the -house, suggested that she go to Invercargill with her for a holiday. There was a row that night just before tea, said Mrs. Riddle, and. she did not return home. She left next morning for Invereargill, and she had not been back to him since then. Mrs. Riddle would not deny that she owed bills amounting to £ 97, or that she bought a perambulator for £5 and sold it. for 25/-, although she had no baby. • To Mr. Irwin, Mrs. Riddle admitted that there was impropriety between her an;d Fraser, but she said she told her husband • about that and he hadtaken her iback. • , .: ■ ' ;

The Magistrate: How old are you? Mrs. Biddle; I am 25. Why did you leave your hus* band?— Because he was always kicking up a fuss; I always told him what happened. What suddenly decided you to go away that Friday you went to Inveroargill?~f resented his conduct. "Any innocent "woman would, but you I 'are not an innocent woman/ added the Magistrate. Mr. Irwiri: She was at that time, ana she has 'been m a mental hospital. The Magistrate said he had remembered he had made a separation order previously, but he would not do so this time^ The only question was one of maintenance. "I * must make an order for something to be, paid," said the Magistrate, "and as " it cannot be for a faithful wife, it wlU'have to be for a destitute person." : >. <. '■ . . Mr. Baylee pointed out that the husband had been fairly easy going, but his complaint was that every time he paid any money it was an excuse for his wife to get into further trouble. He would pay cheerfully if his wife

Terms of Order

could be subjected to some sort of supervision. . That it would be quite improper to grant maintenance if it were going to be misapplied, was the opinion of the Magistrate, who said he would ask Sister Nora to supervise the woman and the 17/6 he would allow her each week.