HIS WIFE A STRANGER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9382, 2 December 1920, Page 7

HIS WIFE A STRANGER.

At Willesden, Frances Cohen summoned her husband, Harry Cohen, of Osborne Road, Willesden Green, for deserting her, Mrs Cohen said that her husband was a captain in the Army until last month, when he resigned his commission. During the time he was an officer he only sent her 30s a week, and when on leave he never came to see her, but visited another woman, with whom he was in love. Since he* left the Army he had not been near her. Defendant expressed his willingness for the magistrate to make an order against him, as he did not intend living with his wife. He had held the rank of captain in the Army, but owing to the trouble with his wife, his commanding officer, a well-known man of title, had asked him to send in his papers. The only employment he could find was as a greengrocer's assistant at £3 a week, and he asked that his means might be taken into consideration when the amount was fixed. He said his wife was practically a stranger to him. During the early days'of the war, when he was in India, he was introduced to her by. letter, through a temperance society, of which they were both '•members', and, before being transferred to France/ he came to England tq marry Her. Prior to that they had only corresponded with each other, and two, days after he first saw her he married her. He then left immediately for France, and that was virtually all he knew of his \v.if0.,,.: The magistrate, said it was certainly a remarkable story. They were disbanding before they had really been united; divorced almost before marriage. He made ah order for defendant to contribute £1 a week towards the support of his wife, and advised them to try six months of married life together before giving it up as a failure.