SODDENED SWORDS SADDENED.

NZ Truth, Issue 57, 21 July 1906, Page 8

SODDENED SWORDS SADDENED.

Foul Adultress and Drunkard's Placid Husband.

The female liquor-victim is a very I sorry circumstance .m our social life, be she the wife of the toff or the laborer, or is an outcast for whom there is not a gleam of hope. Continuous secret drinking; brings about a highly unpleasant state of affairs m the domestic circle, and a prohibition order is very often quite ineffectual. No doubt this judicial ban has good effect m some cases, but.where friends bring along drink privately, believing that they are doing the barrell person a good turn, the weakling who was on the high road j to reform grasps eagerly at the liquor [ vessel, and the hard working, abstaining husband returns home to find that his wife has been at her old tricks again. This is the bitter experience of many a man. whose "skeleton m tfie cupboard" 7 is a drinky wife with an unauthorised bottle m the bedroom while he is wearing his. heart out at work. When a woman chances to have man "friends" who won't scruple to supply her, her virtue is always m danger of vanishing, no matter how respectable she or her family may be. That is indisputable. Of course a woman who gets paralytic drunk can't ' well be called respectable, but still she may indulge and yet be true to her "husband. There was a shocking case heard at Christchurch on Monday when a roan was charged with 1 supplying a married woman with drink. Sub-Inspector Dwyer described it as one of the worst cases, that had ever been brought before -the Court m this particular connection. The accused was a big, burly fellow named Michael Swords, who seems to have more time for drink than he has for work. He was charged with procuring liquor for one Elizabeth Smith, and had nothing to say m defence. The facts are that Smith used to drink so hard that her husband, Robert Smith, bootmaker, had her prohibited about six months ago. On the previqus Friday evening when the husband returned from work he found the accused Swords and his (Smith's) wife sitting on the sofa. They were both under the influence of liquor, and there were bottles containing whisky and beer standing on the table. The husband- was rather annoyed at the spectacle, and asked Swords if he did not know that Mrs Smith was a prohibited. The big lout made no answer, and Smith then ordered him ,to leave the house. This he refused to do, and Mrs Smith backed him up, urging him not to. The husband does not appear to have used any f&rce to rid himself of the presence of the beastly blackguard, but contented himself with sending for tjhe police. Sergeant Norwood arrived jfbut before he put m an annearance Swords made a move and bolted down -the- street. On the following day/ (Saturday) Smith arrived home at mid-day,, and was almost stupifled with surprise on finding his ■ wife and the hulking Swords m bed together. They were both drunk— beautifully drunk, and on the table stood bottles which had contained whisky, brandy and beer. vThe fellow, -nad provided the lady 'with plenty of variety, and the three sorts of poison must have made a lovely mixture. The natural impulse of the ordinary man who found a blackguard m bed with "his missus would be to thrash him within an inch of his life for thus violating the marriage couch, but not so Smith, who appears to be one of those cool, calm, take-things-as-they-come persons, devoid of all passion. In the case of some people there would have been murder m that room, but the husband m this case merely sent for the police, and ordered Swords off the premises. He went, and when Sergeant Norwood saw him along the street he ran him m for drunkenness, and subsequently preferred the other charge against him. Mrs Smith was obliged to present herself to the gaze of the curious at Court. She entered- the box reluctantly, and appeared to be suffering from a facial nervous affection, speak--ing with her hand half over her mouth. She admitted having been supplied with grog by Swords on the two occasions mentioned. Her husband was also put m the box '; he is a very respectable, hard-working m an and possessed of a physique indicative of a capacity to knock spots off the drunken dastard who had so ruthlessly violated his home. He spoke of the whole business m a calm, matter-of-fact way and mentioned that after he had found him m bed with his wife and ordered him away he hung about the place, and actually returned to the back 3 r ard. The persistent brute evidently had an idea that the husband was too easy, going, and that he might be able to see. the object of his unlawful and debasing affections again. However, he eventually cleared. After Sergeant Norwood had given After Sergeant Norwood had given evidence. Slimy Swords was asked for his defence, but the skunk had none, to offer. Then the Magisterial barometer went up. Bishop, S.M., said' he had repeatedly warned people

what he intended to do to those who procured liquor for weaklings who were prohibited. It was one of the worst offences under the Licensing Act, and m this case he would inflict the maximum penal ty. a fine of £10. For being drunk Swords was mulct m 20s. Prisoner was asking for time to pay when the S.M., interrupted with : "I have nothing more to say." So Swords was given a free ride to the cells m the Black Maria. He now has a profound and thorough catholic reverence for the law. The sentence made Michael squirm, arid should teach him to refrain from canoodling with another man's prohibited wife m future. The husband and wife left the Court for home to-n-ether.