DUNEDIN POLICE COURT. Tuesday. February 18

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 37

DUNEDIN POLICE COURT. Tuesday. February 18

(Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) Brutal 111-treatment of a Wife.— Alexander Macuonald, who is also known as Myland, and •who did not appear, was proceeded agminst for persistent cruelty to his wife, Sarah Jane Macdonaia. Mr Gilkison, who appeared for complainant, applied for judicial separation and the custody of the children by the marriage.— The facts as recited by counsel, complainant, and witnesses were that the parties had been married ten years, and there were three children by the marriage, aged eight, six. and two years. About six years ago defendant was committed to gaol for two^ years for robbery from the person, and since coming out of prison he had taken to excessive drinking, and when he came home in a drunken condition he ill-treated and beat his wife. — The wife stated that he frequently struck her about the head and face, knocking her down and kneeling upon her and beating her while she was prostrate. On one occasion he had pulled her out of bed and beaten her, and breaking the brass rail off the bed had belaboured her about the back and shoulders with it. On the last occasion referred to defendant had stated tttat he would kill his wife before morning, and his wife, children, and a la<\v visitor had to leave the house in the middle of the night with very little clothing, and stay with Mrs Macdonald's mother. On another occasion defendant, while drunk, had endeavoured to burn his wife with a lamp, and had als© caught her by the throat. The defendant was cs*scribed as a labourer in the employ of the Drainage Board. — Evidence in support of the charges- was given by Mra Ansell (who represented the Society for the Protection of Women and Children), Robert Phimister (the father of Mrs Macdonald, who had been frequently called in to protect his daughter from the violence of her husband), and by a young woman who had been an eye-witness of some of the grosser acts of ill-treatment.— His Worship said it was a great pity that defendant had not been proceeded against criminally for his brutal conduct — The wife : I forgave him often, as when he was sober he was sorry for what- he had done — Inquiries as to defendant's means showed that he- was in receipt of JE2 8s per week. An order for judicial separation was granted ; applicant to have custody of the children, and defendant to pay JEI 5s per week, together with £2 2s solicitor's costs, and coxirt costs (9s).