DIVORCE CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14531, 19 November 1910, Page 5

DIVORCE CASE.

A DRUNKEN HUSBAND,'*. V J ■ / * . •'••• ■ ' .• i 'i-jf* ! —V f t*rrrs> -; KcZjgj ~ " . i »'! v?r! * r yy Mb. Justice Edwards heard oino divorce J suit at the Supreme Court, yesterday. . Margaret Vickers, for whom Mi'.: Bar- - J ton appeared, petitioned for a'dissolution of her marriage with Charles John Vick- ' ers, who did not appear, and wag not .re- . presented. . ...-'i 51 The petit ioner stated that she had been •; ■ married to the respondent for 1.5 years. Almost from the time of their marriage > "J the respondent drank . heavily, losing- : V employment and failing to find' new work. '."'isS She had had to. work in service ever since,,. - r and during the whole period he had. not '''/".j: sent her more than about £40. The respondent was a ship's cook, and often ' went away. On the three or four times %| ho came back to her he was usually drunk,, p\ and thrashed ; her. He last ; came back two or three years ago. ~ ■' Ann Elizabeth McGuire - gave evidence K'A as to the drunken habits of. the respon- 'fdent, and mentioned instances of his ill- : ; treatment of his wife. „ " Mr. Burton put in . also the evidence'p£ Daniel Charles Woolsey, ; petitioner's 'jfij brother-in-law, who {'stated that respondent ~ "5 was a drunkard who cor,ld not keep, Ha ' employment. -v.-.-^ During the hearing of - the case, ,His - ,-a Honor said , the evidence of service nppa the respondent was not . very satisfactory, y v :js and there was not a very strong case. ' r( * I MiV Burton' said that as this Tespondehfc y.: '• was a ship's 'cook', ib, waif exire&ely.hard , r y.:f to get at him, bat , the evidence showed ■'*$ clearly that he was" a confirmed drunkard. v -y. His Honor said that he feared he stretching a point in granting a . decree, • : " but if the respondent objected, ho could apply to have it get aside. At the same .- J; time this instance should not' • encourage • the introduction of any more weak oases. : A decree nisi .was issued, to be made absolute within three months. . .-i