UNHAPPY ALLIANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9187, 12 April 1910, Page 7

UNHAPPY ALLIANCE.

"A MASTER OF MEN." SEQUEL TO AN ADVERTISEMENT. (Per Press Association.) ' AUCKLAND, April 8. A somewhat strange case occupied the attention of Mr Kettie at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon. Henrietta Constantino Violet Wilkie sued her husband, James Wiserrfan Wilkie, _ for maintenance'. Complainant admitted sho was about thirty, and gave her husband's age as forty-nine. They were married eighteen months ago in Tasmania. and the story of their meeting is one of those unconventional things that do sometimes happen in real life. Mrs Wilkic explained that she answered a matrimonial advertisement in a Hobart newspaper,, and that was how she became acquainted with the defendant, who lived in Auckland, and sajd he was a draper, k His Worship alffed what the advertisement said. Witness replied that it stated something about a Protestant, but she could not remember the precise wording. They corresponded for some time, and the man sent over about twenty photographs of himself. The witness sent one, and then the man spoke about coming over himself. She had been a school teacher. His Worship: Were you sane? Witness said she hoped so. The letters were very nice, and gave glowing accounts of things. Mr Matthews (for complainant): He was so fascinated with the photograph she sent him that he at once went over from New Zealand, and they were married. Witness said that after marriage they came to Auckland. Wilkie was very good to her at first, and she was very fond of him, but when ho struck her on one occasion she was forced to retaliate. Sh% objected to his conduct with another woman, who lived in the house, and decided to leave him.

Witness handed up a written statement to the Court giving the reason why she could not live with her husband, and his Worship's comment was: "I don't know what human beings aro coming to if this is true." Mr Lundon (for defendant) was endeavouring to show that the real difficulty was for the husband to keep his better half within bounds, but this was strongly denied. Erotic temperament and insanity were both scouted. Counsel remarked : "I think your husband is a cold, level-headed Scotchman." Witness: He is a very hot-headed, revengeful man. Mr Lundon went on to read from the letter, and stopped where the complainant twitted her correspondent with having called her an "angle" instead of an "angel." Mr Matthews: You must remember that sho is a Master of Arts of the University of Tasmania. Mr Lundon: And a master of men as well, apparently. In explanation of a question as to whether she had not given her husband cause for remonstrance on the boat when they were corning over to New Zealand, she said she was very weak once after being seasick, and a gentleman friend asked her to take his arm. She took it, and her husband sulked in his cabin, and when she went down he sa'id sho did not love him any more if 6he would go promenading with another man. After further evidence, both counsel informed the Court that proceedings for divorce were to be taken, and his Worship said the present case had better stand over till the divorce petition was heard.