OLD COUPLE DISAGREE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1707, 23 December 1919, Page 5

OLD COUPLE DISAGREE.

MARRIED 53 YEARS AGO. “TOOTH AND CLAW’> SCENES. SEPARATION ORDER REFUSED, An unusual separation case, in which thi parties had been married for 53 years, wat hoard by Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The application was made by the wife, and was contested by the husband, for whom Mr Singer appeared. The complainant said her husband was addicted to drink, and ho ill-treated her. When Mr Singer, for the husband, rose to cross-examine her, she said excitedly: “My husband Ims boon telling you falsehoods about me. I want nothing to .do with him. I was only a girl when I was married.” Mr Singer: Your husband is 80 years old. Do you expect him to work at Ins ago?— He is the laziest man in _ New Zealand. 1 have been a slave over since I was tied to him. i Mr Singer: I think you had seventeen children ?—That is a falsehood. The husband here interjected: “There were 16, and you reared eight.” The cpmplninant:. “You beastly old man.; you arc not fit to live with.” A son of (ho parties di poscd_ to Jus father being under the influence of drink and fight, ing with his mother. Ho did not think his mother was safe alone in the house with Ids father. They were better apart, as. hia father, he feared, was_ beyond redemption. A woman who had lived .in the house also gave evidence. Mr Singer: Is it true you have suggested to this-'old couple that you are something in tho nature of a witch ? —Certainly not. You call me a witch, you will have to prove it. I never said you wore a witch. By the way; why do you call yourself “Madam” and not “Mrs?”—l suppose l ean call myself what I please. Oh, certainly, Buonamrte, if you prefer." • Now,’ is not thi? woman’s husband an ipoffensive old man?—He is a “street angel and a homo devil,” like many other men. The husband, in, evidence, denied his wife’s allegation. He said he had an argument with her at Napier 30 or 35 years ago. hut barring that they were as happy, as a man could bo with a wife who gave way to had temper. Asked, if he drank, the respondent said: i H .w,fll j'aye-a ,gkßß of beer as long ns- I can got- it.*. .When; I."oaniu>t get beer I will brew it. He added that he and hia wife got on allright as long as the son was away. It was true, ho was prohibited four years agO, but it was _ pot , needed. The boy was the cause of iho j trouble. One day he went homo and found bis things out on’the verandah and the door 3 locked. Since then he had lived with his . daughter.' . , . ~. , Questioned regarding ill-treatment of Jus , wife, tho, respondent said : “I do not want v to have rhy face scratched by a bad-tempered woman, so I have to push her. off. No such j thing -, as her being afraid of me, 1 can " assure you.” , , , , ~ The complainant here rushed at tho witj ness-box, to reach her husband, and was led 1 ° U A°Muin-law of, the parties stated that he had never seen the respondent under the influence of liquor. It was ‘ tooth . and daw” when his mother-in-law got excitedTho magistrate commented on the conc trndictory nature of the Whafc had been going on lately had probably-been a the case for many 7/cars but he considered l ' the Gomd should not interfere,, and no order would bo made. . ■ y