A Wife Deserter.

Hastings Standard, Issue 260, 2 March 1897, Page 2

A Wife Deserter.

COMMITTED FOE TRIAL

(By Telegraph.) (Per Press Association.) Auckland, March 1. At the Police Court to-day John Henry Smith, about 10 years of age, who was arrested at Adelaide on January 1 :it! 1, was brought up charged with having deserted his live children under the age of 14 years. /.Jk. v* ifr Strathern, who appeared for the Charitable Aid Board, ssfid this was the first ease brought in Auckland under the Act of last year. Under that Act any person deserting his children and ieaving the colony committed an indictable offence, and rendered himself liable to twelve months' imprisonment. The Charitable Aid Board had a dozen of accused's kind in different parts of Australia. In this case accused aggravated his offence l>y marrying another woman. The two went on their honeymoon to Adelaide, while the real Mrs John Ilenry Smith was being maintained in Auckland by the Board. Annie Smith, the lawful wife of accused, deposed as to the desertion and to herself and her children having been maintained by the Board during his absence. She was cross-examined by accused regarding a business which the, latter owned in Sydney five or six years ago, and which iie said was worth £'2so. She denied that he gave her the business ; he merely handed over the books to another man who was working for him and gave him control of the business. She denied positively that she lived for six months with this man. Constable Hinton, who went over to Adelaide and brought Smith back to Auckland, deposed to finding Smith living at a boarding-house with a . woman as Mr and Mrs Smith. Wit- * ness knew the latter personally ; she was not the real Mrs Smith. Accused reserved bis defence and was committed for trial.