GIDDY OLD GEEZER

NZ Truth, Issue 73, 10 November 1906, Page 6

GIDDY OLD GEEZER

Does His Dough on Dancing Dosialis,

And Brutally Neglects and Stints His

Wife of 30 years.

A festive, .old, grey-headed geezer, aged &7, who was charged at, the Christchuroh Magistrate's Court last week -with .neglecting to provide for -his- dearly beloved wife, was .said, to dance with young, girls— the. giddy old dog— and leave his missus alone every night, or nearly every night that there was a dance oh. His name is Alfred Parnell Smith, and 1 he is a French polisher by. trade, and it is said that he is an "excellent workman, earning a few quid a week, and has three houses at Sydenham, on one of which there was a little to pay, but not much. According to Mr Joynt;. who appeared for the wife, May Elizabeth Smith, it was the most disgraceful case, absolutely the worse case, that had ever been tlii-oup^h his hands. The defendant had been guilty of persistent cruelty to her, and she demanded a .summary separation from him. There was a little trouble about a principal witness, said Mr Joynt ; he refused to accept a subpoena, and said* that if he' had to go to court he wouldn't give evidence. He asked the court to

; DEAL WITH THIS MAN, whose name was Hosking. Mr Bishop said that the Justices of the Peace Act provided for that ; m the meantime the case would proceed, and' he would see about it. Mr Joynt then went on to say that the parties had been married for about 40 years, and that 1 during the last eight years Mrs Sriiith - hadn't had a cent from her nuiiband m the way of cash. He stopped her account, at Strange 's for drapery four years ago, ana she. had to depend upon her .daughters for wearing apparel. Smith went out and danced with young ladies of evenings to a considerable extent, and the wife was not only left to her own resources, but she was half starved. A medical man would tell the court that the woman required proper nourishment, and that she hardly ever got nourishing food. Smith didn't deal with a butcher when he wanted meat, but went to an 'auction mart, and often brought home very crpnlc stuff. Sometimes it was absolutely slinking meat. Mrs Smith was suffering from lupjis, or some such complaint, and had been undergoing treatment at the Christchurch Hospital ; conseouently she required sustaining nourishment. For some years past the woman's life had been

A POSITIVE MISERY, and it was only by the generosity of her family a nd the neighbors that she got along at all. A pennor-th of milk went into the house per day, and a loaf of bread, but that got stale, and as it wasn't consumed it wasn't suitable for a sick woman. She couldn't eat much at any time. There were no vegetables brought 1 to the house, but they grew a few of their own m summer time. The defendant had said that he wouldn't give a shilling to his wife, and that when he died he would leave his houses to the Old Men's Home.

Dr. Bett gave evidence as to Mrs Smith's, ailment, and he was followed by the complainant, who stated that she had been married to Smith for 40 years,, and had been disgracefully treated latterly bj^ him. The lady said that ' she had no oash irom her husband for eight years, and led a miserable life. The meat was bad ; inferior, coarse stuff, and he brought it home hifaself. It wasn't .fit. for use. There 1 had been no vegetables ; Smith wouldn't buy them, especially potatoes which, he said, were costing 2d a pound: On one occasion he

HIT HER WITH A SHOULDER OF MUTTON, and frequently he used Bad language to her, calling her a blasted hitch, and things like that. She used to have a. fire m the kitchen m the winter time, but one day when she 'had one m the front room Smith threw water over it and put it out. She used to get money from her family for anything she wanted, but it arrived spasmodically. The witness smiled when asked if the defendant ever took her anywhere, she said. He had also told her that when she was dead he would marry again within a week, and he would marry a young girl at that. For years her husband {had shown hen- no kindness at all, I though she had never given him any | provocation for bad treatment.. In reply, to Mr Plesher, Mrs Smith said she had £4 m the Savings Bank recently, but that was all she had, and had received it from her daughter, Mrs Atholwood, of Sydney. She could never order too many groceries as there would be a row m the house, (.especially , if she obtained any luxuries.

Tlie daughter, Mrs Atholwood, who has been only a few. weeks over from

Sydney, said that she called on her dear father, and

GAVE HIM RATS

I for not providing her mother with money, eveu for trams to the hospital three timtss a week. The old bloke replied that he wasn't going to give her any money. She pointed out that the mother was always very exhausted after leaving; the X rays room, and defendant then said it was waste of time to try to cure her, as her complaint was a family one, and was incurable. The witness responded that Dr. Bett had said that she could be cured, and Dr. Bett should know better than him (Smith).. The witness then inquired what food he had m the house for her mother, and he said there was plenty of meat. Just then her mother brought out spine steak which, 'wasn't eatable, and then Smith said- he had bought it on Friday. (This was. Sunday.) Told him that he . shoJld^pTovide. jellies and a lot of better food,:, and^-asked him what he was gb.ingptp /'do - with v; his money at all? He* said .thai; When he died he was, going i<y /.l'giye^i^fio the Old Men's Home.. Thgn. -the. fitness gave him once ■ routid'.-' about^ 'going to ,dances m his <jjd :age| .and. he said that it, was his-, only enjoyment, and he didn't care what £hybiie said about it. When he died "he* would take precious fine care, that. Vnot one of the family would. ', get that much (snapping his finger and thumb).

Beatrice Cox, another. 'daughter, detailed . .■ . .

THE; LOVELY LIFE

her mother liyeA. with tier father, and said that "she. asked him for a few bob she had -paid for hospital medicine. He thought it was free, but when she replied m the negative, he remarked "Blast it to hell, paying for medicine." However : , she got her few bob. Arthur Geo. Williams gave evidence as to the wages Smith earned, and Mrs Burrell also testified. Then entered the defendant Smith into the box. He denied the allegations made against . him as to starving his wife, and not providing her with cash. He had his three houses mortgaged, and he owed money round town. He had always provided for his wife until she left the house. He didn't think he had treated her unfairly, -but admitted having once given her

"A BIT OF A SLAP WITH A LEG

OF MUTTON." He had never hit her before or since, and that hit was only a shove. He only spent a bob or two a mpnth on dancing. ' /

Magistrate Bishop gave "the old buster sheol when his case closed. He said it was most emphatically a case for an order, and if he gave the defendant his real opinion about his character it would surprise him. A man of Smith's stamp who treated his wife m such a fashion as had been disclosed was absolutely beneath contempt. He had begrudged his sick wife tram fares, never gave her any cash, only, spent a penny a day on milk, hit Jier, with a shoulder of mutton because she didn't please him over something, and altogether treated her very meanly. He , intended making an order that she nesd /h 0 longer cohabit with him ; that he pay 15s towards her support, and that lie find a bo»d m £100 that he'll pay up. The female witnesses at the back of the court applauded this decision, but the row was promptly suppressed, and the old hunks left the court to look for his bond. « ;