Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 28 April 1925, Page 7

{.'unc back tu her mother lung ago. This j?. ;i case." continued counsel,

where coni imiiii |l't i con ueiiiiii oi t datives has driven iier to separation and defendant In exasperation. I ilf tail- was so utterly improbable for a reasonable man to believe that he submitted that the cast 1 must iail. Ihe defendant was well-known in the town and if necessary evidence, as to his good character ecuhi tip given.

Defendant in evidence said he had gone l:o Wellington to get married because lie considered ii would he better iii the circumstances. as Ins wiles family were against the man in go. Alter leturning it) .Nielsen 'his wiles mother treated him with respect, hut with a certain ‘‘distance." Her brothers ami sisters wore moiY antagonistic. Dealing v.ith the alleged instances ot ciuclty, witness sai.l lie ct.iilil m i retail knocking his wife senseless ami leaving her on the verandah, lit' said that on one occasion doting some "'words she hit him across the heat! with a brush. This was about two years ago. Two-thirds of what his wife had said in Court was untrue. 11,. admitted slapping his wife in the face hc.ause she threatened to take seme bird feathers to the sergeant in order to get him in gaol. This was the only occasion in which he had struck his wife. In struggles between them In' had held his wife's wrists, ami no doubt this accounted for the bruises, lb’ denied ever dragging his wife mil of bed on to t lie, verandah. On one occasion when she was abusive he put her cut on the verandah and told her to stay I'iiere until she got better. lie had never threatened to kill his wife or

warned her that she would he sleeping "in a six let.i box stiff." Ho bail no objection to living with his wife if she stopped her "dreadful nagging." This made him lose lbs temper at times, which was only natural. All the money he earned he ■took homo and placed 0 til,-, disposal of hi,-, wife. lo .Mr Kerr: If his wife was reason able they would get mi ipiite well to geth.or. I he bruises on his wife were caused by her rushing at him and he resisting. He denied kicking 'his wife in a lintel at \\ eliingii mi. lie hail never pointed a gun at his wife; but admitted having sworn at her.

This was all the evidence. Ihe Magistrate said the wife had told a diabolical story of cruelty—(lie worst he bad heard. He appreciated what Mr llailey had snip that it was hard tt ct iiipieheml why she had continued to Ifv,. with him. If the story was not true then the woman was possessed oi the most fertile imagination he

had even tome in contact with. But, fnere was the evidence of the doctor: tiic evidence nl the sislei : and the unbiassed evidence of Mr (modal!. Ac cording to delondant th,. whole trouble was that the wife with no provocation would flare up like a vixen directly he

got home, if that was so she would be a woman of ungovernable temper; but her demeanour in the witness box did not suggest Dual. He was not satisfied with what defendant had to «av in his defence, ihe order asked for would be made, with 30s a week maintenance.

Defendant- was also ordered to pav