WIFE'S ALLEGATIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 April 1932, Page 5

WIFE'S ALLEGATIONS

SEPARATION CASE APPLICATIONS FOR ORDERS DEFENDED BY HUSBAND CHARGES OF CRUELTY Considerable puhlic interest was taken in a separation case which opened in the Rotorua Magistrate's Gourt yesterday, when Iris Edna Mau, married woman, of Rotorua, petitioned Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., for separation, maintenance, and guardianship orders against her husband, George Ransfield Mau, on the grounds""' of persistsnt cruelty and failure to maintain. An interested gallery which had be.en following the eourt proceedings for some time in antieipation of the opening~hf the case, filled" , • the whole* of the accommqdation at the rear ofjthe court. Tha, hearing proceeding for only an hour yesterday afternoon, before the Gourt adjourn-. ed until 10 o'clock this~morning. Mr. R. Potter appeared for the wife and Mr W. A. "Carter for the husband. The complainant, Iris Edna Mau, in evidence, sa1-d that her husband during their married life had persistently used had language to her and had ill-treated her on a number of occasions. When they married, she went to live with her husband's family, and' although she repeatedly asked him to provide her with a home of her owtf," he refused to do so for some considerable t;me. Finally, they moved into a flat, hut although her husband behaved reasonahly well for about two months, she had further cause to. complain of his conduct. * Promised To Reforni During this period, she heard frqquent reports of her husband's re.lations with other women, hut ow'xg to the f act that she was' kept at home, by her baby, she could not go out and see for herself. Finally matters hecame so had that she left home and went to her people. Mau, howeve?, came to see her and again proxniSftd to reform if she would return; she again agreed to do so. Continuing, the wife alleged that her husband's sisters had further aggravated the trouble between them by their hehaviour. One evening when -she refused to talk over matters with one of his sisters, her husband struck her and hlackened her eye. Until Ghristmas, she had never been permitted by her husband to go out to pictures and entertainments hut after Christmas, she had his permission to do so. Broke Her Nose Further trouble occurred when she heard of her husband's friendship with a certain married woman. She threatened to go and see this woman's father, whereupon her husband struck her so violently that he broke her nose. On another occasion, her husband left a party early and as a result of certain information she received, she later proceeded to Whaka, where she saw him in a car with two other women and a man. There were glassas and bottles in the car. She then went over and introduced herself, and asked the ladies whether they were enjoying themselves. This was a Sunday night and she left the following Tuesday. She was so afraid of her husband that sbe could not go on living with him. Mrs Mau said she had not had auy . particular man friends who would give her husband cause for complaint. Since she had left him, her husband had given her £10, hut he had said that although he would always maintain the baby, he would not worry ahout her. Further Trouble Ahout Easter time there had beexi further trouble. Her husband had made some most serious allegations against one of her women friends, and on the night that the papers for the present action were served on her, she had accompanied this friend in order to charge her husband with these statements. They had been unable to find him, however, and had gone to a dance to fill in the time. Some friends accompanied her home on this evening and when they got to the flat, Mau was driving up and down outside in his car. Her friends went inside with her and remained for some time until they finally decided to go away and see whether Mau would depart. They promised however, to remain within hearing. Mau then came up and asked for admission. She refused to open the door hut when she opened a window to talk to him, he suddenly seized her and dragged her through the window, twisting her arm. Her friends then re-* turned and Mau departed. "Pull Case Out" * Mrs. Mau said that so far as she knew her husband was in a good financial position although he told her nothing of his affairs. On one occasion, he had accused her of going out" with other men and when she denied it, he smacked her on the mouth and broke her lips. Only the previous night he'had approached her and told her that she had better "pull the case out" while she was lucky. He had then tried to kiss her good night, and when she refused he had pushed her in the face. In reply to Mr. Carter Mrs Mau admitted that her husband had always given her everything she wanted in the way of money. She complained that her husband's sisters "ruled everything and made her jqst a maid in her own house." On one occasion she had been eompelled to entertain a visitor in the kitchen because they were oecupyirig the sitting room. She denied: that she had repeatedly tried to persuade her husband to place the house and the car in her name. She also denied that she had said that she would return to him if he would do this. • Questioned regarding her men friends, Mrs Mau denied,that her husband had any cause for complaint. She » admitted that one man had sent her a post card, produeed, hut said that this was about five years ago,_ hpfore she met Mau and while she was engaged to the man in question. At this stage the court adjourned. *