DOMESTIC INFELICITY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14857, 24 December 1913, Page 3

DOMESTIC INFELICITY.

NO SYMPATHY FROM BENCH.

An interesting case waa heard before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when Charles KilHck (Mr Leathern) was charged with failure to maintain his wife and child. Complainant asked for a summary separation. Counsel: The parties have only been married nine months.

The Magistrate: But there is a child two years old. Counsel: My client is not the father of that child, and the order against the father has not been enforced.

The Magistrate: Yes, but when a man marries a girl, he marries all she's got. Counsel: That is so, your Worship, but he doesn't marry her father, and her mother, and her brother and sister. They all came to live wit'i him and turned him out of the house.

Complainant said the defendant was not safe to live with. She had known him for two years. The Magistrate: Apparently you didn't know enough about him. Complainant: He changed since I married him.

The Magistrate: Yes, there was one here tho other day who had changed like that.

Complainant admitted that her father and mother had come to stay with them.

The Magistrate: You've got no right to import people into the houso like that. '• i . . Complainant: He gave mo permission to fetch my father into tho house, and give him a home. Counsel: And your sister, mother, and brother?

It was stated that defendant earned £2 10s a week as a driver, but was now out of work owing to the strike. Complainant remarked that sho and her husband had never agreed since they were married.

The Magistrate: I have heaps of these cases where they won't agree. The only thing to do is to make an order so small as not to encourage them to livo apart. It's the only course left open to mc in 90 per cent, of these cases. I'm sick and tired of them. They're married for two or three weeks, and then they come into the Coir.-fc.

An order for payment of 15s a week was made.