WOMAN ILL-TREATED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 896, 13 February 1930, Page 8

WOMAN ILL-TREATED

DRIVEN OUT BY DRUNKEN HUSBAND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE •Press Association PALMERSTON N., Wed. A young married woman was today charged in the Magistrate’s Court with attempted suicide. “She is more sinned against than sinning,” said Senior-Sergeant Whitehouse, and the evidence bore out the assertion. “This woman has been worried and knocked about by her husband until j she has about reached the end of her mental tether,” said the senior-ser-geant. “Last night her husband was in such a drunken state that he was locked up. He threw his wife and children out of their home and when the woman, in her distress, said she would end it all in the river, he replied that that was the best thing she could do. “A man says he stopped accused from throwing her baby into the river, but it appears that she collapsed on the bank and the baby rolled iu. The woman is not so much to blame as her husband, who has spoiled her life.” Further details of the case were supplied by accused’s solicitor. Mr. A. J. McLeavey, who stated that the husband was in receipt of a salary of £3OO a year and spent practically the whole of it in drink. The family was in destitute circumstances and only yesterday all their furniture had been sold and they were in debt everywhere. The husband had been on leave from his employment for some weeks and had spent the whole time drinking. The wife had just come out of hospital, where she had been under a doctor’s care, suffering from nervous prostration.

The unfortunate woman had nad no intention in the world of carrying out her threat. Her people were willing to give her a home and she proposed to obtain a separation from her husband, although she considered that ,f he were living iu a no-licence district he might even yet have a chance. Counsel asked the magistrate to be lenient with his client. She had three small children.

“If her people will take her I will convict and discharge her," said the magistrate. An order was made for the suppression of the woman’s name. The husband was then placed in the dock and charged with being found drunk. On the application of the police lie was remanded for a week in order that he might be placed under observation.