WHEN HIS WIFE CALLED ROUND

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 4

WHEN HIS WIFE CALLED ROUND

Rivalry Between Two Women Led To Domestic Discord

ASSAULT ALLEGED BY NATIVE GIRL

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Eptorua Representative.)

i His association with Nimera Rikihana, a half-caste Maori woman, led to considerable trouble recently when Thomas Griithrie Blakely, ex-traffic inspector, of Rotbrua, called at the home of the young woman. . He was seen entering the premises by his wife, Marie Ida Blakely, and m consequence of what happened court proceedings were instituted by Rikihana, who took action against Mrs. Blakely for assault. Following scathing comment from the bench as to the evidence generally, Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M. dismissed the case.

.^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinTiimniiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii MR. CARTER, who appeared for Rikihana, said she was the mother of . a child .o£ which Thomas Guthrie Blakely was the father, a state of affairs which naturally caused a great deal of strife between the two women. Nimera Rikihana, giving evidence, said she lived m a house rented by her brother. She gave birth to the child of Guthrie Blakely 21 months ago, and Guthrie had agreed, to provide for the baby. The ex-traffic inspector arrived m the evening of December 4 about 9 p.m. While talking they heard the window rattling. Rikihana recognised the voice of Mrs. Blakely and "the words: "Come out, the L game is up." • Shortly after, the front door was burst open and m came Guthrie's wife and Colin Walker. Rikihana expostulated and told Mrs. Blakely: "This is my house; how dare you break m?" Girl's Allegations Mrs. Blakely shouted: "It's- not your house. My husband pays the rent." .During the exchange between the two women Guthrie allegedly was still crooning to the baby on the couch, but on being asked by his wife to come home he replied: "No; there is only one home for me, and that is here by my child." ' • Rikihana said she told Mrs. Blakely that she and Guthrie had been living together for over 12 months. "He makes this his home when he comes from Glen Afton." The .dispute continued and Rikihana alleged that Mrs. Blakely attempted to strike her with a stick. " "Mrs. Blakely looked horrible," said Nimera. "She was out to murder. I jumped up and seized the stick, but I could not take it aWay as. it was fastened to her wrist. Mr. Walker tried to, pull me away from Mrs. Blakely, but Guthrie told him not to lay a hand on me." Mrs. Blakely allegedly asked: "If 1 gave you £ 250 would you go away and not say the. child is Mr. Biakely's?" Rikihana said she told Mrs. Blakely she could say tilings like that m court,' to which Mis.' Blakely replied that she wouldn't be' m court for a black Maori! In reply to, Mr: ' Davys, who appeared for Mrs. Biakely, Rikihana said her child's name was Guthrie Cyril Rikihana and he was not named after Cyril Brice. Mrs. Blakely threatened to use the .stick on her when she made the insinuation concerning her and Walker. * The magistrate said that if Mr. Blakely had bought the house and put the woman m it that would not give the defendant any right to break m. Colin Spaiding Walker, .accountant, nephew of Mrs. Blakely, said he and his aunt went to the .house m Devon Street for the purpose of preventing 'Blakely from entering the premises.

Mrs. Blakely called four times, but without success. Mrs. Blakely put her shoulder to the door and heaved, Walker remaining m the background. Mrs. Blakely asked her husband to come home, but was allegedly greeted with disgusting language. Rikihana, said Walker, made an accusation against him and Mrs. Blakely. Walker said Mrs. Blakely made no attempt to strike the girl. He did not attempt to seize Rikihana, nor did he enter the house until invited to do so. .Marie Ida Blakely said she visited the house with the best of intentions. She denied having used dny swear words. In fact, there was no such wordy warfare as had been alleged. She said she merely held the stick out m front of her when Rikihana attempted to kick her. She also denied the allegation that Walker had interfered m any way. According to Mrs. Blakely she even invited Rikihana round to the house and told her to "bring the baby, too." She had • never attempted to strike her and had not used the words imputed to her. In reply to Mr. Carter, Mrs. Blakely said she did not make any offer of money to the girl. It was • "an infernal lie." She had never rowed with her husband m her life, but they had had a few tiffs. The magistrate, m giving his decision, said the whole circumstances arose out of a sordid intrigue between a married man and a native girl. Thewife of such a man must be given n certain amount of latitude. The aim of the case was to force the defendant to keep the peace with respect to complainant and her child. The evidence tendered by the two sides was m direct conflict, fudging from the evidence of informant, she had been well rehearsed; she was un-duly-vindictive. * Not Satisfied He had to weigh the evidence. In doing 1 so, he was confronted with the belief that none of the witnesses was truthful. The whole truth had not been told. On the evidence before him, the girl Nimera told one story and called m support as a reliable witness. Walker's evidence was m direct conflict with Nimera's. He was not satisfied that a charge of assault' had been established. The balance of the evidence, leaving out the vituperation and amenities exchanged did not go to show an actual assault. He was not disposed to convict for these reasons, although Mrs. Blakely's going to the house was inexcusable. There was clearly a sad state of affairs. He could ,not convict on a charge of breaking and entering as that was' an indictable offence, and he was not disposed to do so on the charge of being unlawfully on premises. " The case would be dismissed, each party to pay its own costs.