MATED, BUT NOT MATCHED

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 5

MATED, BUT NOT MATCHED

MORESBY'S MISERABLE MARRIAGE. Maintenance Order Breaks Old Mao Morrisby Up, and he Goes Oat by the Rope Route.

That May and December wedding between a couple at Ashburton Porks referred to m "Truth" a while back, once again bobbed into notice at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court when Sarah Morrisby demanded maintenance., for herself and infant child fa child by a former marriage) from William Smith Morrisby, farmer. The last time the case came on it was dismissed for this reason : It was late m the day. when it was reached, and the woman had to leave town by train for fear of losing her billet ; she is grafting for five bob a week and keep for herself and child at Lincoln. On the present occasion Mr Leatham put her m the box, ,and she spoke m strong terms of the way 'in which she had been treated by old Morri&by . They had only lived.,together.^ v fortnight after. ftheir^niarri!^;v:was t^^^ ina^e'.ih TEtea^ehr She was aged 30 and hubby 60. Ac* cording to the lady Morrisby was m a bad temper on November 8, for he caught her by the.liaii;, and pulled her down, anil when she: ran outside he followed and did A§ie. same thlog again, besides t /

THREATENING TO SHOOT HER. Later on she told him that she was hurt and. when he went into- Ashburton he sent Dr. Hunter out to see her. The doctor advised a few days' rest. Sbe cleared out from Morrisby a few days afterwards. She was frightened of the man and wouldn't gb near hinV again. Morrisby owned 37 acres of land and horses and stock.

In reply to Mr Hunt, Mrs Morrisby said she knew her old life partner about three months before she spliced him. She thought he was fairly well off at the time. She denied getting into a paddy and smashing windows, nor had she hit Morrisby ; she never touched the man, but if she knew as much then as she did now she most assuredly would have. Witness uttered this sentence loudly and vehemently, and should have made the defendant tremble m his socks. It was true that he had been up to town on the Saturday before she left, and that she asked him to go again ; there was no food m the house, that was the reason. There wasn't half a loaf of bread m. the place. When . she cleared she didn't take any money out of hubby's pocket; she stopped with the Salv'army a wejßlc at Ashburton .before going on to Christchurch.

Who was the man Lewis you were knocking about with m Ashburton ? —I never knocked about with any man m Ashburton.

Now isn't it this way : That you were disappointed m Morrisby ; you thought he was a rich man. and found he was a poor one f— No ;it was the way he treated me that caused me to leave him.

Well, you have only had' a fortnight. ; of tha joys of married life, won't you go back to him ?— No. I won't even go near the district where he is. He threatened to shoot me.

You are earning -your own ; living now ?— Yes ; but I find it hard to get work ; people won't employ me because I'm a grass widow.

The defendant denied having threatened to shoot the lady. He naively admitted that he was fond of shooting, but he didn't extend his pleassure so far as to shoot his wife. He. was quite willing to take her back and treat her kindly. The only thing" about her was that "she had

•AN AWFUL TEMPER, and had given him a taste of it. One moping she 'started smashing windows because he wanted a second ..cup of tea. He pushed her aside a couple of times and she complaim&d of being hurt, but the doctor whom he sent to see her said there was nothing the matter with her. When Mrs M. parted company with him she abstracted four lovely quids from his pocket book. Replying, to Mr Leatham, Morrisby said it was /quite untrue that the, complainant ■ lived with the Salvationists at Asfoburton. ' There was always plenty of food m his house. He did not make enquiries after his missus m Ohristchurch, because he didn't think it necessary. He didn't h^te her child ; he had. nothing against it.

Mr Bishop, S.M. : Have you ever been married before ?— No, and I wish I never had been.

How long had you known this woman before you married her ?— About a month.

1 And you had been 60 years single, and then married on a months' acquaintanceship ?— Yes. Then you deserve all you get. Well, when I first made her acquaintanceship she was working on an adjoining farm, and when I called round she gave mo afternoon tea. She often told me she was miserable, and I, 'thinking that she would make my' home more comfortable, asked her to be my wife. She agreed and the wedding was fixed two months ahead. But m about a week she "same to me m a great hurry, and said she thought she was about to lose her billet, at the same time urging me to bring the wedding off sooner. I took pity on her and did so.

The bench said that people who made such hurried domestic arrangements must take the consequences. No order would be made m respect to the woman, but Morrisby would have to payi 8s towards the maintenance of the child— a child which isn't his'n.

Morrisby returned to his lonesome home at Ashburton Forks to ponder over the ill-luck that had overtaken him so late m life. But eight bob a week needn't have troubled him. However, it got him down • and worried him, and he resolved to end it all and did so. . On Monday morning he was found dead, suspended by a rope from a rafter.