SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Evening Star, Issue 10882, 16 March 1899, Page 1

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

WELLINGTON, March 16. • SAD DOMESTIC INFELICITY. A deplorable case of domdptio infelicity came before Mr Kenny, S.M., yesterday. It will be remembered that Mrs Laura Emma Fisher recently obtained a maintenance order against her husband (Mr George Fisher, M.H.R.). Yesterday the latter moved to have the order set aside, on the ground that he bad not failed to provide maintenance; that he had signed an agreement to provide her with £2 a week, but she had voluntarily and spontaneously annulled the agreement, returned to her home, and left again; that she had persistently refused to accept offers made by her married son in Otaki to provide her with a home; that no opportunity was given to defendant to appear when the order was made against him, the magistrate (Mr Eyre Kenny) having adopted the unusual course of hearing the case ex parte in his private room during the defendant’s temporary absence from Wellington; and finally, that he could show good cause why the order should not have been made. Mi Skerretb suggested that the order should be set aside and a rehearing granted without prejudice to the arrears at present due.—Mr Fisher: Arrears ! You have my silver. 1 accept that suggestion Without prejudice. The defendant went on to say that he desired an adjournment because he had several witnesses to call. After a pause of some minutes: “ The witnesses are my own children, and it is with reluctance I call them.”—Mr Skerrett said the defendant could have been ready with his witnesses. "No payment had been made under the order.—A son of the defendant here said his mother agreed to the adjournment.—Mr Skerrett said he would only consent to an adjournment on condition that defendant placed bis affairs in the hands of a solicitor, because he needed sound advice in his own interests. —Mr Eyre Kenny said he thought it was advisable to have a solicitor in family matters of this kind, where there was strong personal feeling.—After further discussion, the Magistrate said he would adjourn tho case, as the defendant could not properly conduct his own case, and it would be belter for him to obtain legal assistance. The case was accordingly adjourned until Wednesday next. THE MAIL SERVICES. The * Post’ considers the Vancouver mail service gone beyond recall, and advocates a fortnightly San Francisco service, calling alternately at Auckland and Lyttelton. PERSONAL. Mr A. M'Kay, Government geologist, returned to Wellington yesterday morning ; after an extensive tour in the North and an examination of the thermal springs district for indications of auriferous country. Judge Ward, who, with Mr M'Kerrow, has been appointed to conduct the Rakaia railway accident inquiry, arrived here last night. '