SCENE IN A HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1920, Page 7

SCENE IN A HOME.

.VISITOR SMASHED FURNITURE. "ACTED LIKE A MADMAN." AMAZING STRATFORD CASE. (Frow -'Mr Own CorreapondenU Stratford, Last Night. Some a.>.;:;.ing evidence was given in a casn heaivi at the Stratford ?«lagißtrate's Court to-day, before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., during.; the hearing of a countcr-olaiia lodged oy Samuel Barton Hunter, dentist, of Stratford, against Chirloe Herbert Bridger, motor garage proprietor, of Stratford, for a sum of aK2S 10s 6d for damage to furniture. Thu claim in the action, which was brought by Bridger against Hunter, was for £27 »s 7<i for repairs to Hunter's car, and was heard on July 2, when Mr. Bailey gave judgment for the plaintiff for the full amount and costs. Execution of the judgment was stayed until evidence on the counter-claim had been taken. - ftU\ T. 0. Fookes appeared for the plaintiff in the counter-claim, and Mr. A. Coleman for the defendant, 0. H. Briber. The counter-claim stated that on or about August 1"2, ISIS, the defendant (Bridger) entered the dwel]ing-hou9e of ih? plaintiff (Hunter), on the Pembroke Boad, Stratford, and there wrongfully broke and injured certain household furniture and other chattels, the property of the defendant, thereby causing damage to the extent of £2S 16a 6d. Mr. Fookes ea;d that it was an important case arising out of -what he could only call "a most outrageous invasion of a gentleman's private house by a man who had no right to be there." Bri'lsrcr, (lie defendant, was the corespondent in divorce proceedings instituted by Hunter against his wife. The action was heard at the New Plymouth Supreme Court at tlio May this year, aijd a decree niai was then granted, the plaintiff being awarded £IOO damages against the co-respond-ent. Bridger had filed a defence, but for some reason, unknown to Hunter, he did not defend the case. The damage complained of in the counter-claim had been done by Bridger when he was in a violent passion, and Mr. Fookes asked that, if his case was proved, the fullest damages should be awarded.

"TERRIBLE CRASHING." Isabel Hunter, daughter of S. B. Hunter, said that on the night of August I*2, 1918, about a quarter past eleven, she heard someone bang at the door. It was a terrible banging, and it continued for ■some time. Then she heard her mo tier open the door, and it seemed as if & madinan had come into the house. Someone rushed into the drawing-room, and she heard a terrible crashing. Witness got up and looked in the drawing-room, and saw Bridger, who looked just like a madman. He was picking things up and smashing them. Then her mother rushed out of the drawing-room and turned off the drawing-room light, and the smashing did not cease until she had turned off the light. Bridger followed her into the hall, and Goodwin Ford was standing in the corner. Bridger went up to Ford and started to threaten him. Her mother then took refuge in her bedroom and tried to shut the door, but before she could shut and lock Bridger sprang into the bedroom. Her mother backed into a corner and screamed out to witness: "He will kill me; he will kill me." Bridger was quite close to her mother, and it appeared as though he were going to strike her. Witness Went up to her mother and said: "Bridger, you won't touch her. I shall ring up for the police." Bridger turned round to witness and said: "I will kill you, too, if you ever open your mouth about this." Ford was standing in the hall, not saying anything. He was very scared. He told witness to come away. Bridger then said to her mother, "Put on your hat and come with me." Her mother said to witness, "You come, too." Bridger turned round and said, ''No, you won't go." Then lie pulled her mother out of the room—Ford doing nothing—and out of the frbnt door. AFTER THE FRAY. Witness rushed away to get dressed to go with them, but by the time she was dressed the three of them had gone. She did not follow thorn, as thev had gone right away. Witness then returned and turned the lisrht on in the drawing-room. She could "never forgot the sight she saw. Everything in the room was smashed. A wicker afternoon tea table which stood near the. door, and all the china on it, was broken and smashfid up. All the silver was on the floor. Other small carved tables that were in the room weie smashed as well. A beautiful rocker chair which stood near the door was flattened Out. Witness described other extensive damage to furniture. After inspecting the damage witness went back to bed. She did not go to sleep until about halfpast two, and her mother was still absent. There was a sudden interruption at this stage, the witness turning to Bpdger, who was sitting next to his CQunsel a few feet distant, and accusing bim of calling her a ''cow." Bridger denied the accusation, but witness persisted that he had done so. Both counsel intervened and stated that they had not heard the remark. Cross-examined by Mr. Coleman, witness paid that the banging of the front door was the first she heard of the arrival of Bridger that night. When she saw Bridger, he was picking up one of the carved tables, which he dashed against the piano, He then picked up another table and threw it at the piano. ■He had almost finished smashing-things up when she looked into the room. She did not see the other articles being smashed. Mr. Coleman: Might not some of the furniture have been smashed by Ford? Witness: No. He was crouching in a corner of the room. Witness added that there were no blows exchanged between Ford and Bridger, but she felt sure that Bridger wished to fight Ford. Her mother had not been back to the house since she left a little before Christmas. Witness had seen her mother for the first time since then about three weeks ago. Her mother had also been at the house about a week ago. ' MBS. HUNTER'S STORY. Clara Maud Hunter, residing at New Plymouth, said that until lately she' ; was the wife of S. B. Hunter. Slie had been involved in divorce proceedings in .Hjfl-WW' 1 "'"'-"*- -"'1 -

decree absolute was granted. fjhe knew Bridger very well. In the beginning he was quite all right, but in the last two years he had treated her very cruelly. He threatened her if she would not obey his orders. He asked her to meet; him at almost impossible times, and if she could not meet him he told her she knew what to expeot. When she met j him he used physical violence towards her. Ho choked her on more than one {occasion. Her daughter tried to pre- ! vent him ill-treating witnaw, and he J alsq threatened £&:*. During the past fortnight, while she was at the Breakwater Hotel, he bad come to the hotel several times and threatened to show her up if she gav« evidence against him. ! She wM hfoj she intended to tell th» truth. That day he had approached her, and told her that if she gave c»i- j dense he would show somo letters she; had written to hint whilo she was itjj Auckland, ffa triad to get her to sifrc l untrue statements and perjure herself. She had suffered so much and gone through so much recently that she could not remember all the details of the night of August 13, WIS. She was cut and arrived home with Ford. She met Ford in town and asked him to take her home to protect her against Bridger. She was afraid of what Bridger might do. She invited Ford in, and a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. She thought it was Bridger, and she did not answer the knock. Then there was terrific knocking, and she opened the door and Bridger rushed into the room "like a jnadman." Witness then described the damage done to the furniture. Cross-examined, witness said it was not a fact that Bridger had been practically keeping her since the divorce proceedings. AJPPEAD FOR HELP. : Witness said that sho had appealed to Bridger for help. She had sacrificed everything—her home, her children, her husband, and everything for him—and he had sacrificed nothing. He had given her hardly any money since the divorce proceedings. Her board at the Breakwater Hotel was still unpaid. If any money had been paid at the Breakwater Hotel by* Bridger, it had been for drink, and he had received the change. She had known Bridger during the past four years, and there had been encouragement on both sides. Witness declared she was trying to get rid of Bridger, but he us?d to go up to New Plymouth to see her against her wish. The plaintiff, Samuel Benton Hunter, said that on August 12, 1918, he was in Auckland, and he did not learn the facts of \slhat had happened until December last year. His daughter was still very much afraid of Bridger, and would not tell him the full facts until he had assured her that no harm could come to her. Bridger had been acting worse t'.iau a wild animal towards her, and slle was afraid to leave the house or to walk along the street in case he attacked her. The value of the furniture Wfta greater than the amount stated in the counter-claim. To Coleman: After he came home in August, 1918, witness made up a list of the furniture which had been damaged. He did not know who had done the damage until his daughter told him in (December. The reason he did not briiig the claim before was because he was bringing in divorce proceedings.

DEFENDANT'S EVIDENCE. The - defendant, Charles Herbert Bridger, said he had been' intimate witli Hunter and his family, and on house to eee Mrs, Hunter. Witness stated that on the night of August 12he met Mrs. Hunter and stopped and spoke to lier. Goodwin Ford then came along, and the three of them went along to Hunter's surgery, where they -had a discussion about some money he stated he had given to Mrs. Hunter. Witness afterwards went home and found that someone had put an anonymous letter under his door, which caused words between him and his wife. Witness then decided that he must settle the matter once and for all, and called round to see Mrs. Hunter. He knocked at the front door, and, getting no response, he knocked again loudly, but not as loudly as had been stated. Mrs. Hunter then came to the door, and he entered the house quietly. He did not have any argument with Ford. He told Mrs. Hunter that she would have to come round with him to see his wife, and she said she would not go. He insisted that he would make her go with him. The only damage done was to the rocking chair, which was done quite accidentally. There was a dramatic interlude while witness was giving his evidence. He was making certain allegations about Mrs. Hunter, when from the body of the court she cried out that the statements were infamous lies. Mrs. Hunter completely broke down, and the Magistrate asked witness to desist from giving evidence of that nature. I A heated altercation took place at I this stage between Mr. Fookes and the witness, the witness.continuing to make further allegations against Mrs. Hunter. Mr. Coleman suggested that if Mr. Fookes did not take up such "a roaring attitude" the witness might give his evidence in a calmer manner. Mr. Fookes: You leave me alone. The witness is roaring, at me, and I am going to roar back at him. Proceeding with his evidence, witness stated that only the arm of the chair i had been broken off. j JUDGMENT IN FULL. In reply to questions by the Magistrate, witness said he would auggest that Hunter had deliberately broken the articles himself in order to get even with witness. Mr. Fookes: Do you mean to make that foul suggestion? Witness: I do. Mr. Fookes: I'm quite sure you wouldn't make that statement out of that box. The Magistrate said he could decide the ease without Mrs. Hunter's evidence, and he hardly ihought ft necessary to call any witnesses in respect to it. The Magistrate said be was quite convinced the damage was done by Bridger, and he did not think the amount claimed was excessive. Judgment would be given for the full amount and costs.