HUSBAND WHO DRANK.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 212, 4 September 1920, Page 12

HUSBAND WHO DRANK.

WIPE'S HARD STRTOGLE.

(B.v Telegraph.— Own O>rr(>*[>onileni.t HAMILTON, this day.. On the "rounds that her husband was , an habitual drunkard, Annie Watts (Mr. I llampson) sought a dissolution of her marriage with William Ross Watts, in | the Supreme Court, Hamilton, yesterday.', bcfori- Mr. Justice Cooper. I, According to counsel, the parties were married at St. Matthews Church. Auck- , land, in 1911, petitioner at the time , being a pupil teacher, 10 years of age, .; unci respondent 30 years. There were ; two children of the m:nriagc. The parties went to live at Morriwville for .. a time, where petitioner discovered that •her husband was addicted to drink. They moved about Waikato a good deal. where they milked on snare*, but the l.ulk of the work fell on her shoulders, and even on the day of the birth of her second child she had to milk fifteen cows. , Eventually she was compelled to leave respondent, and go back to teach, during which time she received no support ■ from him for herself or children. in 1010 he went to the war. naming hid mother as his next of kin. but :>'i • managed to have her own name substituted. On his return she gave him -€7D. which she had drawn as back pay. They lived together again for several monViii. but she" received no support, and had to keep herself and children by teaching, while he drank his earnings. j His Honor said that while he was j satisfied the respondent was an habitual | drunkard, it had also to be shown that j he had habitually refused to support his, wife, and in view of the fact that she . received his allotment and a separation allowance while he was at the war, the question arose as to whether this did not constitute support. He would look into the question and give his decision ! later. | I