PROTECTION ORDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1214, 7 August 1884, Page 3

PROTECTION ORDER.

At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Tuesday last a’case was heard in which a Mrs Jane Bull applied for a protection order against her husband, who, she alleged, had deserted her, leaving her without a sixpence, and the chimney tumbling down. The evidence of Mra Bull was very lengthy. She stated that she left her husband at Peel Forest about two months algo, because he was continually coming home drunk and frightening her—threatening her life. She had no money or clothes from him for the last seven months, and the latter part of _ihat time had not enough to eat. Had been with him about 18 months before leaving. Had lived apart from him for ten years before that, and had a little girl whilst away from him. After her coining to Timaru her husband came to where she was staying, and, besides disturbing all her things and throwing her clothes about, he stole away the little girl, who was now about 11 years old. He could have had no other reason for taking her away than to break her (complainant’s) heart. He had frequently threatened to kill her, and once put a csndle to the sleeve of her night-dress to set it on fire. She left him because she was frightened torjmain. She was willing to earn her own living .and maintain her children if protected ■ from her husband. When she returned ' to her husband after the ten years’ separation she took a quantity of furniture with her, and she wished to have that and the • little girl he had stolen away. She wa« cross-examined at great length, and some letters written by her (whilst living with her husband) to a man named Grace (with whom she had been living when away from her husband, and the father of cer little girl) were rend. It was attempted to ■ show that she was trying to get a separation from her husband in order to again live with this man. In her cross-examination she said aha had complained to persons about her husband’s threats, but she need not,— they knew of their own knowledge that be threatened her. She had frequently told her husband ebe would leave him, and he said she should not leave him alive. She put her arms round him, and cried, and begged him to lei her leave him again, as *lie was not “ suitable ” for him, andhsculd have back the woman he had been living with before, who Was more like himself. She did not dislike her husband, notwithstanding all the ill-treatment she hf.d received —was he not the father of her children?-but she did not love him. She would like to he good friends with him and like to know that he was all righc. They were not suited to each other ; he was a dirty mau, and beat her and the children. She could not live with him, and so she look the advantage of his being from home to pack up her clothes in sacks and come to Timaru. He went away that time for a week, leaving her without a sixpence, and the chimney tumbling down. Ho had nevei bought,her any clothing for herself, hul she hail got some for the children. She had not been earning anything since she came to Timaru. She could not do, so a‘ she had not got her furniture, but hat been living on charity, being suppliet with food by Mr Lough (Town Clerk) Ultimately the Resident Magistrate al lowed the case to be withdrawn on tin understanding that it should come oi £gftia At Geraldine.