EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 8

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

V ' — 4" • - .• - RELATIONSHIP CONUNDRUM. "NO LAUGHING MATTER, EITHER."' (iIY TELEdUAr'n.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.! ' ( Dunedin, March 31.' If two young men marry cach otlier's mother, what relation ilo the two young men boar to each , other,- to ■ their •. respective mothers, to.thoir wives, and to themselves?" This.-was a conundrum propounded-by an extraordinary case in tho. City Police Court today, before Mr. ; H. -Y. Widdowson. , Tivo young men had iiiarribd each other's mothers, one young man had .tired of matrimony, and tho other j man's mother was suing for maintenance. Mr. J. R. Hawkins appeared' for tho complainant,. and Mr. Downio. Stewart for defendant, -a riiiddle-aged lady, said her'name was Sarah Anil Elizabeth M'Caugliau, and that sho hiid several children by a'former husband. .. Sho had married defendant, aged sho believed tweiityono, five nionths ago. He left her. threo days after the marriago took place. Sho resided 011 her son's place at Wakari. Her husband did not appear to h'avo any Homo.of his own, so ship told him he could, come and help hor, and live v.'ith her sons, and this ho seemed quite satisfied to db. Mr. Stowart: Before you married defendant, .his'mother had married your son? Witness: Yes. •' So each of the young men is his own stepfather ?■ ' (Laughtor.) . , . '• AVitnessYes: and it's no laughing matter' oither. '

Stewart: There was a good deal of jollification at these weddings, I believe ?"•■ - A voice: Was it Leap Year? (Laughter, and frenzied demands for silence.) Continuing, witness said sho only' lived on her son's farm,, arid wbnt' but washing when she could got it to do. She .. had not asked, defendant to/niarry her. It had boon the. other way, and . ho know what ho was doing. Sho had Witnesses to. prove that. ;Hbr sons had not made things unpleasant for her young husband. There had not even been an angry,word. -, V

Mr. Stewart said that the, young man,' in pique at .what his mother had done','had gone off and married his stepfather's mother. l Tho. farm mentioned was in. complainant's name; also „ a cottage or so, arid it had not been proved that complainant was without. adequate means of maintaining 'fho Magistrate: We}l, .it. appears• to me that complainant is' rio'w.orse; off than': before, excopt „that sho has got a husband. ". Thomas Hector M'Caughan-, aged', fwentyorib, said 'lie married' plaintiff' laist October. She tolcl him, that-the,'fai'iri arid soriib-cot-tages.-were in her name. He had,nowhere,to tako her,•/so jie consentecj to .live'with her. After '.being married ;,tliro'o tdld. his. wffo.that.hb was "..full up "of it."■ He could not, get oil with her -sons: '. Sho 'had .said: "You.;, are.,foolish t0,.g0. away,".: but.. hid packed ,his clothes for him; She ,ba<;l trbat'cd him more. like. a ,son .than. a . husband,. Ho •was: now. employed at'.,a:.'dairy Jarni/'at St. Cljiir, .arid got 15s.'. a .week anil ..keep; ' ■ Other, evidence was, given to show that tho defendant was, a weakling, arid .suffered' from asthma, and brohchitjs,: and.',was, only able to 'work .in.'dry' weather. ■" :: v , Tho Magistrate said, it was. a most extraordinary case. ,Tho. best thing-coriipldiiiant could do, , having, married!- the tako .win; homo and . look after- him. V ,Tho qucstioniof. relationship, still:,hun£ like ii cloud■ pvcrVtho-,barristers'.-tabid;