A PECULIAR CASE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4142, 18 June 1892, Page 2

A PECULIAR CASE.

Is Marriage a Failure?

A oase with surroundings of a most peculiar kind was heard in the Masterton R.M, Court yesterday before Colonel Robetts, R.M, Arthur Byrne, a young man of 22, was oharged with having used threatening language' to Robert Cowie, his father-in-law, and an application was made that lie be bound over to keep the peace, It appears from the evidence adduced that the defendant, Byrne, had been working with the informant for some months in the South Island. He was boarding in informant's house and sleeping in an adjoining whare Now it happened that the informant was possessed of a couple of marriageable daughters, one of whom had been seriously ill in the Dunedin Hospital. She had been attended by nine different doctors, but her health did not improve, audit was at last suggested that she should get married, Hearing of this suggestion young Byrne, who was somewhat enamoured of the fair one, offered himself as her guardian and protector. The parents appeared to favour the idea, and accordingly in September last the happy couple were united in matrimony in the Registry Office, Dunedin, For a few days everything ran smoothly, although the. young man was out of employment, and, according to the statement of the informant, had to borrow the money with which to purchase the wedding ring. His fatlier-in?law advised him to go to the country in search of work, and he did so, eventually securing a billet as rabtitter, Meanwhile the' lady to whom he had just beeu married discovered that matrimony was not quite what she had expected, and, to use the words of the old Bong, "She longed to be single again." A few weeks elapsed, when Byrno forwarded to his father-in-law the sum of £4, presumably for the maintenance of his, wife, In reply he received a communication as follows; " Annie will not take your money, as she oantiot be your wife." The money was also returned/ In another letter the father-in-law, according to the do* fendant, stated that the latter had made a false declaration at the time of his marriage. The young fellow, quite naturally indignant at the suggestion, desired to know the reason why. He prooeeded to Dunedin to make enquiries, but to his surprise found that wife, father, mother and all had taken their departure, After a lapse of some months he heard that they were in Masterton, and thirsting for satisfaction ho went in pursuit.' Making his way to the house in Kurupuni Lane, where the family was living, he marched on to the verandah and knocked. There was no response, b«t bis father-in-law oame from the back of the house and ordered him off the place. He wished to see his wiie and to have an explanation, feeling certain that the letters had not been written by her, but he was ordered to leave at once. He refused to go,' and Oowie then procured a stick and caught him by the coat. Byrne,; after expostulating with biß%fa)te»in»law,. left, remarking that he would find other means'6l Seeing his wife. ;.Thjs, together with, certain atatomeDts: alleged to have been made by-Byrne, on the verandah, was interpreted as" a threat,- and although the defendant proceeded to his work he'received a summons to show cause why he' Bhould, not be ordered to find sureties to keep jibe peace .towards'his in»law. "• ..■'•. •,- ■,-;': ..'..

The'Benoh stated that taking all the circumstances in|o 'consideration it diflnoueeljustified }n calling upon efepdant to enter into'recognizances dud dismissed the information,