THE FOLLY OF EARLY MARRIAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9307, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FOLLY OF EARLY MARRIAGES.

• ■ ■» ■ A pitiable story of one of the results of early marriagescamo before M r. Partridge, at Westminster Police Court, a few days ago. A youth named John Brown, residing at 52, Horseferry Road, and who was sixteen years old hist birthday, was summoned for assaulting his wife, who reached the mature ago of seventeen last Boxing Day. Mrs. Brown, who is described as poorly clad, appeared in court with a black eye, and a baby three months old. According to the wife's statement she had been living apart from her juvenile husband since the child was a fortnight old, for tho reason that he did not earn sufficient to keep her, and she had not enough to eat. On Christmas night Mrs. Brown met her husband, who appeared to be in a friendly mood, but upon her asking him for money she stated that he knocked "her down and caused the black eye. in his defence John Brown said that his wife followed him and insulted him. He denied striking her, but admittted giving her a "shove which caused her to fallJ against a lamp-post. It came out incident- j ally in the evidence that Brown used toallow sums varying from sixpence to a shilling a day to maintain his wife and child. Considering tiie facts of the ease ;u> detailed by Mrs. Brown, her youthful husband may think himself fortunate in a decision which only bound him o\er in his own recognisances to keep the peace for two ; months.