WASTER WELLS.

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 6

WASTER WELLS.

Wife Deserter and Deceiver.

Must Find Security or Retire for Six

Months.

A bright sort of vagabond arrived at OhristCii'ureh a' couple of months ago from Timaru which produces some lovely sprcimens of bum^nity now and again. This villain's name is Charles VViiliam Wells, and Timaru is well rid of him. He got a Tjiliet at a -quid a week and found*, and ,-a number of privileges 1 , so his wife and seven oluld-ren were temporarily all ri : p.'ht. He placed them m a small cottage!, but it was for the most part devoid of furniture. But people can put up with that if there is plenty of tucker and 'the grasping landlord is regularly paid. However, things soon got m a f»a;d way, Mrs Wells having only been riven five shillings m a fortnight. ■ This she v told Magistrate Bishop when she v summoned her generous husband for mgintenance. She said she had no home, no bedding, and a relative 1 was at present keeping an eye on her welfare. There was seven children altogether, but the eldest didn't 'belong to Wells ; she had a child before he married her, and at present herself and hsr- children were well nigh starving. In fact one child had to be taken to the hospital to be treated, so bad was it through lack of nourishment. The poor woman almost broke down m the box when she said there was another infant only three months old outside, and that she didn't know what to do about it. The surprised Magistrate was even more surprised when the wife said that her hellish husband had be?n carting out a young girl who didn't know until the other day that' he was married. When asked- if he bad any questions to put >to his wife, Wells said he had, but they proved to be qiuite irrevelant.. But a woman who knew the young girl , THIS WASTER WELLS was walking out with at nights put his pot- right on. She showed that the soally-wia-g was not a girl deceiver and a wife deserter^ but that be was also a base impersonator. Afier he toad become acquainted with the eirl m -question he used to call >. at witnesses house. On the first occasion he represented that he" was Detective Johnson, of Dunedin, and she thought he was until later on. He kept coming to her place and telling her about casos he had on hand, the lying lout. Out one night he said too much. He told her that she happened to be living m the house of his ibrother-in-law, Scott, and so he was, and the next time she met Scott the lady asked him about his relative. Detective Johnson. He denisd knowledge of any such individual, and later on Wells was bowled out and denouuiced, and the girl told of the blackguard's true obaracttar. She was astonished to learn that her smooth-tongued lover had a wife and seven kids.

Beak Bishop fell heavily on Wells, expressing the opinion that a man who passed himself as single, and also posed as a i' : Detective f a/nd didn't provide for his wife and family was no earthly class. He ordered him to pay £>1 a week maintenance, and to find security m the sum of £100 that he would do so ; otherwise he would hn"e to go to choky for six months. The rascal was then taken into custody, and from appearances tfere is a sixer ahead of 'hiLm. and ; the .State svill have to keep the wife and seven.