HUGHES' HAPPY HOME.

NZ Truth, Issue 105, 22 June 1907, Page 6

HUGHES' HAPPY HOME.

Kidnapping, Desertion and Assault.

The man who habitually starves his .wife gets a rude awakening sometimes, but 'not as often as could be wished. A -tuck-erless table and one dress, perhaps,^ a year isn't conducive to cheerfulness m any home. : If the husband can gets slacks of work and won't take it on, laziness being a -predominant characteristic an his nature, a morose and sullen disposition is engendered, and when things come to a head something happens.) It happened at the residence of Geo. H. Hughes,. Gloucester-street, Linwood, with startling suddenness the other morning.. Hughes is a carpenter and joiner,) or something m- the j chips trade, and is up good.. His generosity towards his missus' is below par ; he is alleged to have almost starved her, and be wasn't prepared for what occurred. Mrs Evans, a cousin of his wife's, came out from Melbourne lately. The parents of the wife live' m that city , and as she had been complaining of her miserable married life and lack of cash,, they sent over money, by Mrs Evans, inviting her to return home if h-er husband couldn't keep her. She was undecided, bait at a meeting of relatives m Ohrdstchiurch they urged her to slope. Mrs Evans had come under the displeasure of Hughes, afterwards,, and he ordered her to leave his house. Slip left early next morning, when William Courtenay, butter factory manager, came along with a hansom and managed to get not only her things, 'hut a'leo the person of Mrs Hughes and her liittle boy, after a tussle with Hughes. It was a bold piece of kidnapping, and it was strictly wrong of Cour-teraay, no matter what the circs. He is- a brother-in-law. The two women intended to go to Courtenay 's house, but asked driver Bob Keith if he could catch the train for South. He did. and a, way they went. What troubled Hughes was his little boy. He wanted that imp, and on finding at Lyttelton that the woman hadn't gone toy the 'boat, he took train and landed at the Bluff. He found the runaways there,

COLLARED THE YOUNGSTER, and returned -to Christohurch victorous. Hji-s wife could go to the devil ; the nipper was precious, and hs has the consolation of knowing that the mother, will miss him greatly. It was a 'quaint proceeding all through, and the sequel happened at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court, when Hughes, who poses as 'the injured husband, proceeded against brother-in-law Courtenay lor assault ; he also asked for sureties of the peace. Hoig'b.'Ds, who was represented by Lawyer Nicholls, told the yarn of 'how defendant broke m through the front door after asking outside, "Are you ready, Entile ?" He did that more .than once. When Courtenay made the fonslaught Hughes says he * tried to stop him' from coming m, but was unsuccessful. Courtenay struck him on the neck, face and ear several times. His wife came forward to separate them, and the j defendant pulled Ji.gr past Mm, and than held him insids the door while sho got into a waiting 'hansom.. He had endeavored to catch lioldliof the child, but didn't succeed. Subsequently the defendant came into his mother's house and said, : "We will 'dam soon settle you, George." He went off and complained; to the police, taking his child with him. : IN CASE OF FIRE. In reply to counsel * Upliam, Hughes said that the reason she cleared to Melbourne was not that he was not supporting her -/ he had .done so. She had asked -to ©o there, but he had replied that it wasn't convenient. He only, noticed on the! morning of the assault that her boxes were packed. The. reason he asked his wife for a poker was m case Courtenay, broke m. Didn't your wife sing out, "Look out,> lie's g&k a poker *?'"— No. Next-door neighbor Price heard a row, and cries of "Murder" and "Police,"- and saw Hughes standing by the fence. How- he came there—whether he was shot out of the window, or somersaulted out of the door—he couldn't say. However, he heard a man say : "It serves you damned well right, you damned hound, for starving your wife. That's why she is leaving you."

The defendant Courtenay outlined the troubles of Mrs Hughes, saying that her parents had sent cash- over by Mrs Evans, and that the pair had gone together. He denied having assaul'tefi Hughes at all ; he didn't break the door m, but merely pushed it open ; it wasn't locked. When lie did enter, a poker nearly hit him on the jaw. It smashed through a -win-: doW. All he did was to hold Hughes while his wife escaped.

The Magistrate dismissed tt.i.s peculiar case,, but refused to allow costs.