DECISION IN MAU CASE RESERVED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 212, 2 May 1932, Page 5

DECISION IN MAU CASE RESERVED

TO BE GIVEN TO-DAY DEFENDANT SPENDS GREATER PART OF DAY IN ,box ALLEGATIONS DENIED In order to eomplete the evidence in the Mau separation case, Mr. ■ S. L. Paterson, S.M., sat into Saturday afternoon and announced that after reviewing the evidence over* tKe week^end, he would announce his decision to-day. The whole of Saturday was occupied with the case for tlje defendant, George Ransfield Map, who underwewfc a searehing crossexamination at the hands of Mr: R. Potter, 'counsei ~for the complainqnt wife,- iris Edna Mau. "**-* There were some'spirited passages, both in evidence^and cross-examina-tion, defendant occupying the witness stand for the greater part of the day. Mau gave a eomplete denial to the allegations of cruelty and habi- ' tuai drunkenness made by his wife, although he admitted that he had 6n one occasion, under extreme provbeation, struck her in the eye. Before proceeding to call his evidence, Mr. Carter stated- that negofciations for a settlement the previous evening had been unsuccessful, and the other side had intimated that they intended to "fight the matter to the bitter end." During the course of the conference after Friday's ad.l'ournment, in consequence of something which he had mentioned when prefacing his opening, Mr. Potter had seen fit to subpoena his partner, Mr. Speer. Mr. Potter: I have not called him yet. Mr. Carter: ff would like to explain to your Worship — The Magistrate. The point has not arisen yet, Mr. Carter, you can refer to it when it arises. Mr. Carter: Very well sir. I know that in fairness — and of your fairness we, as a bar, have a very high opinion — you will not take into account that my client has been 'in trouble before as a bookmaker. .1 know that you will not alloW that to weigh with you. The Magistrate: .1 see iio reason why a bookmaker should not be "'a perfectly good husband, Mr. Cartet. No Failure to Maintain Mr. Carter then called the defendant, George Ransfield Mau, who in reply to the first questions, denied that he had in any way failed to maintain his wife and child. The Magistrate: There is no need to worry about that, Mr. . Carter. There is no evidence of failure to maintain. The charges you have to meet are cruelty and drunkenness. ; "She kept harping on about it uhtil she got into such a state that she said she was going to get up and see the girls' father," said Mau describng the incident of the alleged broken nose. He said that on this particular evening, him wife had accused him of improper relations with another woman and the scene had resulted from her accusations. When his wife persisted in her intention to get up and see the girls' father, said Mau, he got out of bed and tried to push her back into bed. His wife then called him a most objectionable name and losing his temper, he pushed her; she fell up against the bedstead and hurt her nose. Mau emphatically denied that he had struck his wife with his clenched fist. On the contrary,. she had struck him. Hit Her Onoe Mr. Carter: Have you ever struck your wife at any time? — Yes once. At my sister-in-law's place. She wanted me to'hoot my sister out of the home so that she could have the house to herself. I asked her please to come back to me and said that I would see that my sisters gave her no trouble. Then she turned round and said "do you think I would live with a like that." Then I hit her and that is the only time I have ever done so Continuing defendant said that his wife had only offered to come back to him on condition that he put his car in her name. He admitted that he had signed a doeument in front of a solicitor in which he had agreed to do so but said that he was so anxious to get his wife back that he stopped the solicitor when he eommenced to read it, and had signed it. without realsing exactly what was in it. 3STot a Drunkard "I am not a drunkard and everybody in this court knows it," pro^ested the witness who went on to 'say that when he asked his wife to do small housewifely duties, she would refuse and use certain language toward him. Questioned about the incident at theNew Year dance, Mau said that he had looked through the house for his wife but had been unable to find Her. He had then gone to the dance hall but found his wife was not there either. At the dance he saw Mrs Tommy Mau who had promised to look after his wife, but she also said that she did not know where she was. "I told her she was a beaut to "be looking after my wife," said Mau. Continuing Mau said that he "hung about" for some time, and then went home again, but still his wife was not there. Finally he waited till 4 o'cloek in the morning, when his wife returned. When he asked complainant where she had been, she said she had been asleep on the back verandah. He knew this was not true and told her so. - ^ Sat Down and Squealed He then tried to get his wife to go inside but "she siMply sat down in the street and squealed." Iii the end, there was such a disturbance that witness's sister came out to see what the trouble was. Mau said his wife still continued t5 protest,"' and said that she was going to an early morning party at the Shalfobn's.' Finally she madei so much noise that witness, on the ad\fice of his sister, went inside and left her. This was at 5 o'clock in the morning, and his wife told him after that she went on to the party, and did not , get home until 6.30. Mrs Tommy Mau