MARITAL MISERIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 110, 27 July 1907, Page 4

MARITAL MISERIES.

A SAVAGE SCANDINAVIAN. Tlie Cederlonds Celestial i Cottage. Black Eyes Galore. Beer and incompatibility of temper figure largely as disturbing elements m the numerous cases of marital misery ventilated m the Magistrate's Courts. Jno. Oscar Cederlund, of Wellington, is a large, foreign person, who surrounds a considerable amount of waipero daily, and then comes home and knocks his wife about. Fortunately the missus, whose name is Caroline, is not entirely dependent on Oscar for her livelihood, but harbors the useful and exacting boarder m numerous quantities , but when Oscar starts playing up and volleys uncouth obscenities into the surrounding atmosphere the hoarder is discouraged from staying at the house, and from this point of view Oscar is an unprofitable asset on the premises. Mrs Cederlund appealed to Magistrate Riddell, through Mr Jackson, on Monday, and testified that she was. thc victim of persistent cruelty. On Friday night week the brutal Scandinavian, came t home and gave her a black' •■•' eye' -'to go on with, then he knookefliiier down to fill m time. G.ed&lupdjyr-was m a condition 6f._>he?i.',.;-an.dn his loving spouse asked himaif* he! would have his dinner. He! irh-mediately scorched the inflammable . articles m the vicinity with a volley of shocking language, and said he didn't want any blanky dinner. He accompanied the objurgations with violence, and the unfortunate woman was only just rescued. [from serious injury by her son-in-law. She retired from the room

TO ESCAPE BEING MURDERED. Three months ago the brute kicked her m the stomach "and caused a tremendous bruise to materialise. The . thing was habitual, and as soon as the hulking Oscar crossed the threshold, it was a signal for hostile manoeuvres. The worst of it was he arrived usually just when thc lady was serving dinner, and caused considerable annoyance and inconvenience to tho famished boarders. The lady couldn't keep a girl m ths house because of him ; he poured out his sanguinary language m the kitchen, where everybody could hear him, and altogether he amounted to a large foreign disaster m the house. The best boarders were leaving. Cederlund earned £2 ss, and of this he kept Bs, and sometimes 10s, but he came and took most of the balance when he wanted to put it over tbo crov/. He had come home drunk every night for a fortnight, and the thing was getting monotonous and dangerous j and otherwise unpleasant.

Oscar endeavoured to shake the testimony of his other half by crossexamination, but didn't succeed. The large male person appears to have acquired a pair of black eyes during tbe course of his home-destroying outbreaks, and attributed it to his wife's son-in-law (sbe has no children by Oscar). In this the lady said he was mistaken, as thc boarder who had inflicted the injuries was Dave Wright, who was protecting the missus from her infuriated husband at the Lime.

John Reid, who boards on the premises, .gave testimony regarding the i continuous ill-usage of tlie woman. Three months ago he .saw him strike her with his clenched fist on the forehead. Dozens of times he had heard the inebriated carrier EMITTING LOATHSOME AND VIOLENT LANGUAGE m the kitchen. On Friday • week, witness was sitting m his bedroom, when he heard Mrs Cederlund call out "Murder !" and, rushing into the kitchen, found blood running from her face. Cederlund was makinc for her again, when Reid tripped him up. He believed that" the woman was- m | actual danger cf her life. The police had been called m repeatedly. Cederlund : Are 3*ou a sober man? —Yes. i Were you not drunk on Friday ?— No ; I am positive.

A nice-looking housemaid named Grace Hansen had been m ' the place a fortnight. She gave evidence of a specific case where Cederlund had struck his wife when she was m her bedroom, and she had witnessed other assaults. She testified to the Scandinavian's awfulness m a general sense.

To tbe Bench, Mrs Cederlund said she h?.d seven or eight boarders who paid 16s to 18s per week. Her husband deposited £2 of his wages witb her, but drew most of it during the week.

In his own defence, Oscar said that when he came borne on the particular Friday night mentioned, his wife's son-in-law, Reid. called him a „ and struck him, blacking both eyes. Reid jabbed out three times, but Oscar dodged one of the blows, and it landed on Mrs Cederlund.'s optic. He swore that the missus collected -813 or £14 a week from -her boarders, for the house was full. T-Tis wife bad taken him to Court eight or nine years ago and obtained a separation order, hut bad since asked bim to return to her

Mr Jackson asked what the separation pvder was taken out against him for.

Oscar advised the solicitor not to question him about it, and hinted dp.rklv about

SOMETHING DISCREDITABLE TO HIS WIFE

You say, then, that your wife, Reid, and the girl; are not telling thc truth ?— Ob, it's a family affair, I suppose. I'm a poor man from another country and you think you can do what you like with me.

Magistrate Riddell said be would grant the summary separation order. It was shown that the wife was earning ber .own living, but the husband's rc--i_onsibility must be recognisrd hy the payment of a small _nm towards ber maintenance, and this be fixed' at 7.? per week, Cederlund io pay costs amounting to £2 lis. He was given a week to liquidate the. amount. '

"W.b en are j T ou going to give up drink ?" as!ced a parson of p. parishioner m the .street t'other day. "When I don't .want it," was the reply, quick- .uul lively.-