SHOCKING STORY OF MARRIED LIFE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1176, 16 October 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHOCKING STORY OF MARRIED LIFE.

The case of Greene v. Greene, a suit by wife against husband for divorce on the ground of cruelty, came on for trial at Dublin before Judge Warren and a jury. Mr Cumming, instructed by Messrs O’Rorke and Son, was for the petitioner ; and Mr Phillip Keogh, instructed by Mr Graham, for the respondent. The petitioner, a delicate-looking nervous woman, of about fifty-five years of age, was examined iu support of her case. She stated that she was married to the respondent so long ago as ISSS at the Protestant Church of Burgau. Prior to her marriage she had been proprietress of a ladies’ school in that town. Her maiden name was Julia Susanna Willy, and she had a brother who was now a clergyman in Belfast. When she married she had a sum of £2OO which her husband got; and for some years after her marriage she continued keeping school, and her earnings contributed to support them. The marriage did not turn out a happy one. Her husband was a man of violent temper. He beat her many and. many a time. In 1865 he kicked her about the body, and bruised her very severely, besides cutting her head bv throwing a saucer at her. She left him and went to her relations in England ; but, after remaining away about a fortnight, she returned on his premising amendment. His subsequent conduct showed no improvement, and in 1869, he for a short time became an inmate of Allen’s Asylum for the Insane at Rich Hill. Becoming better, he came out of the asylum, and they lived together again. He continued the former treatment, pulled her ears until they bled, and threatened her. In 1870 he knocked her down, beat her about the back, and she sustained concussion of the spine. She was for some time under the treatment of Dr Burton. In April, 1871, he knot ked her down on the kitchen floor. At another time he beat her with, a horsewhip. She left him again in May, 1871. She, however, returned after some time. He went on as before, until in March last she left him and took the present proceedings. Asked to state what led to her leaving him iu March, she stated that her husband had heard that one of the children, a girl of about fifteen years, was keeping company with a young man whom he considered objectionable, and as he considered his wife was not preventing it as she should do, he quarrelled with her, attempted to choke her, threw her down, and cut her head severely, besides bruising her on various parts of the body. She in consequence left him and went to her brother in Belfast. Dr O’Neill, of Belfast, deposed that he attended the petitioner, and had her removed to the hospital. She had two lacerated scalp wounds on the head, her left eye was blackened, and the left side of her face, neck, arm and side, down to her thigh, were bruised and discolored. The respondent was examined, and denied that he had ever beaten his wife or treated her with cruelty. William Robert Greene, son of the parties, a young man 22 years old, deposed that he had never known his father to strike the petitioner. His father had beaten him (witness) with a stick for bringing the young man referred to to the house. Judge Warren left the case to the jury, who after remaining for a considerable time in deliberation, were discharged shortly before seven o’clock without being able to agree to a verdict.