EX-DETECTIVE'S TROUBLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1913, Page 11

EX-DETECTIVE'S TROUBLES.

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE. ! AD-TOURXED FOR THREE WEEKS. J Further evidence-was heard by Mr C. f". Kettle. XJVL, yesterday afternoon in the case in which ex-Detective John Paton MilJer was. amnmoned by his \vife-j o.i an application-for a separation-order, I tlie ground being persistent cruelty, Mr R- A. Singer appeared for Mrs Milter. Nurse Elizabeth Casson.stated that she lived with Mr iind Mrs Miller for a period before they went to Christcliureh. During part of the time Airs Miller was away on a holiday, and iv her absence J ililler took liquor to such an extent that) he was bordering on delirium tremens, j She deejrred it necessary to take the , children away and leave him alone in the j house. On one occasion Mrs Miller came '■ rushing out of her bedroom into that of the witness, and Miller followed, trying to strangle her. ' " i Mrs Victoria Keld. who hail lived ■ next door to the couple during this 1 period, stated that slip frfiqm'nUy heard ■ sounds of quarrelling bPtwcen them, niid ' early one inominjj Mrs Miller took refuge \ ill her house, .saying- thai Miller Irad tried i U> choke her. She was in her rtijrlit ■ attire, which was torn, i.ml there were' marks on her neck. Miller Inul lieen ' visibly in liquor several time* within Hie' witness' observation. ! Mrs Violet Morris,, a sistor of Iht , com- ' plainant. said that while in her house Miller had struck his wife. :ind she hail ' also been struck in attempting tn shield her sister. She considered that Miller was quite lit fnr the island when he was sent there. The parties' eldest daughter also gave evidence a.s to her father's conduct. This concluded the complainant's case, i CASE FOR THE DKFK.VCK. | The first witness for i.hp defendant was \ Mrs Caroline Rogers. Hie complainant's mother, who said thai she had lived with the parties in Lyttrlton, and they had lived with her at her house in Auckland. \ At tliose tiin"s she saw nothing amiss, I and Miller showed no signs .if drink. '. lite complainant was not living a t home < when she got married, ami the witness j considered her sonn-whiit difficult to live with. j ilrs Agnes Rogers, :i relative of the pai-l,ies. said tlrat Mrs Miller had been rather fond of consulting fortune-tellers,, though her hushsiad objected, and several ! times she asked the witness not lo toll him. The witness voliuit<>cr"d I lie information that Mrs Miller reported being . told by a fortune-teller thai her husband i might drink to exc-ss unless .-he kept a ' tight rein on him. ! Herbert Wyat.t Morris. ;i brotheria- ! law, said that the parties came to blows one night at Onehunga. He knew Miller! was not a teetotaller. He was ii man ' who could not take one jrliiss iind m> '. more: he was apt tn be leii nn In drink.' Miller had bciu taking ;i little on i he morning when the police took charge of him. He had s>oinc liquor in a bottle at that time.

Alexander Robinson stated that he had kuuvvii. Miller l'ov a considerable time. After his return froiji Christchureh, and ■ while he was living in Eden Terrace, Miller was never visibly in liqnor. so far :as the witness had seen him. j Alexander .1. KoruiUidos f*ave eorrobo- . r:H,ive evidence. TBE DEFENDANTS STORY. Miller made a lengthy statement iv j the bos. on his own behalf. He said he I was prepared to admit that he drank ! to some extent in the earlier part of his married, life, but this was to some degree due to his calling, and chiefly to his wife's continual nagging. She did not try the kind method with him, but wanted the "forcible upper hand." He had not touched drink now for many j months, and hated the idea, of it. He I admitted, -with sorrow, that he had struck j his wife on the one recent occasion she [had named, but he declared that this was j the only time he had done bo, and he '■ declared that he had never tried to choke her. tie felt sore over being sent to the isliviid. and he believed his wife, had used i influences to get him sent there, believing that it was for her own good. She had often oitenly defied him, l>Tit he was quite '. ready to make it up with her. "If she 'never mentions drink or I hi' island I'll ; never wiy J. cross word." I Asked'bv the lfeiu-.ii what cause hi- h.-id I for leaving the poli.c force. Miller said ■ that drink had nothing to do with it. lit , ' and wile couldn't- £et on, and lie ■ hoped that, they could if he left. Neith-.-r J JJr. Shimruiu. Dr. Irvine, nor Dr. L'phaiu i hud treated him for alcoholism. They had treated him lcir stomach troubltt. ■ Miller also n j;eneral denial to the statement of witnesses called b}- his wife. After hearing: all the e\ idence, his Worship said that, h". would adjourn tlie cum' Ut three weeks t.> enable the parties to Irv to come to some sort of an arrang"inent. as he did not consider it a ca-e i for an order. He urged them to get r:d '■ m" the drink question, and ii a recoil- ! ciiiation were impossible, to effect a ! private seltlciueiii.