IN DIVORCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2647, 16 May 1923, Page 3

IN DIVORCE.

WIPE'S TALE OF WOE. At the Supreme Court yesterday, Ivy Stevenson (Mr. Rutherfurd) sought dissolution of her marriage with Harold Stevenson, on the grounds of adultery, cruelty and failure to support His Honor, Sir John Salmond presided. Petitioner, in evidencte said she had not been long married before her husband began drinking. His language was habitually bad. During the week in which her second child was born, there was for two days no food in th<> house, and she had to go to a friend's house to be confined. When she returned home, she found the house in an awful state. Respondent and a friend were lying drunk on her bed. The trouble began when respondent started to drink. He had not maintained her since she came to Palmerston North. For some years she had supported herself by dress making and often wondered where the next meal was coming from. She had taken proceedings for separation, but respondent had promised to give up ",tho other women," if she would abandon them, and witness agreed to do this. Eventually she brought another suit for separation and maintenance order when he gave her £5 and promised to maintain her. It transpired that the £5 was from £4O he had borrowed in Auckland on the security of furniture in Palmerston North, which he did not have, and eventually the bailiffs came to seize her furniture to pay the debt. Her solicitors had sent for the poiice who had told the bailiffs to go. Respondent would often come in drunk and very cheeky." Witness had he would smash her machine. He frequently struck her and threw things at her, and witness had gone to the police station and complained three or lour times of his ill treatment. She had also been loqked out of the hous» by rcpondent, who " imagined ad sorts of things and was jealous of the children."

Detective-Sergeant Quirke said he had known the respondent for the last, four years. During the past two years he had taken to drink very heavily and was " idle and lazy, and being round hotel bars with loafers of his own sort," On one occasion, when his wife complained that there was no food in . the house, witness had made a search and found him coming out of an hotel " He was well dressed, half drunk and very cheeky." Witness had got a statement from him and threatened him with a prosecution for vagrancy if he did not leave the town in 24 hours. A few months later, he returned, was convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment foi forgery. Petitioner was a respectable woman.

At this stage, His Honor adjourned the hearing until 9.30 this morning.