MARRIED A CHINESE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18077, 29 April 1922, Page 11

MARRIED A CHINESE.

ENGLISHWOMAN'S REGRETS. ' HUSBAND TO BE MISSIONED SEPARATION" ORDER GRANTED. • The English wife of a Chinese, a, woman t of independent means, applied for a separa- . tion order and maintenance, before Mr. W. [ fIL McKean, S.M., in the Magistrate's t Qourt yesterday. The complainant, Mrs, , L. L. Home (Mr. Moody), alleged perf sistent cruelty and failure to maintain against Shack Home (Mr. Sullivan). The > hearing of tho case occupied the greater j part of the day. , In opening, Mr. Moody said his client , belonged to the Ebenezer Faith Mission. . After the marriage everything went well . until complainant, who had independent . means, altered hsr will. Than her husband's attitudo changed. i Medical evidence was given regarding . complainant's health before and after the . ' marriage. Complainant, in evidence, said the '. | marriage took place in May last. After ; she had signed her will her husband's r j manner changed. He treated her very | j unkindly, and caused her much mental | anguish. He had never supported her. , j She was in fear of her Ufa He frequently talked of murder, and told her one night that he would kill her before morning. She J had asked defendant not to go to places , J of ill-repute, but, he said he would go. , j Complainant gave further evidence as to . her husband' 3 cruelty. He had bruised her [ wrist and bitten her cheek. Cross-eiamined she said defendant proposed marriage to j r her five times. She married him because j . she had faith in him, and because he had • promised to go into the mission work with J . her. He had proved to be the most de- ) ceitfnl man she had ever met. She had , not wanted him to work, but to help in . the mission. She knew he had been • married and had six children in Hongkong. ] She had gnpported them. She hart been prepared to bring them out to New Zea-1 i land. Complainant was questioned at • length regarding events loading up to the j ): case. She said the cause of the disagree- > J ment was defendant's own conduct. She 1 j had actually seen him go into a house of 1 j ill-repute. It was certainly not on mis-1 I j sionary work. She could' not live with II him. Mr. Sullivan submitted that there was' 1 no case to answer, but the magistrate " held that there was. • Defendant said complainant was " cryL ing" for the marriage. She asked him many times to marry her, and wanted him to help in the mission work. She was in 1 ill-health, and he gave her medicine, which 1 cured her after she had been to several 1 doctors. He had never quarrelled with her, and was willing to live with her. She 1 knew he was in debt when the marriage took place. The trouble arose over a police ' raid on a Chinese laundry in the city. 1 Previously the relationship" was satisfac- ' I tory. He had not treated her unkindly J nor given cause for disagreement. Defendant, who gave evidence at length, de- ' nied tho allegations against him. He had been interpreter in Wellington for eleven ••ears. He waa a sincere Christian, and; the reference to revelations from Almighty ! God, in the letters produced in Court by complainant, was made in good faith. He ■ had made no threats to complainant. i Mr. McKean, in giving his decision, commented adversely on certain explanations and statements made by defendant. ' He said he quite believed Mrs. Home re- , eardinc the threats, and that thev had , an ill effect npon her health. Certainly , there had been no attempt by defendant to . support his wife. On that ground alone ; she was entitled to separafion. He held [ that complainant had proved her case. An i order was made for separation and main- , tenance at the rate of £1 a week, with i costs. Security for appeal was fixed at £15 Iss.