BLACK THE BELLIGERENT

NZ Truth, Issue 117, 14 September 1907, Page 4

BLACK THE BELLIGERENT

WALLOPS COOPER WITH A HORSEWHIP.

An Echo of the Mewhinney Worry.

He Does Leave Mrs. Mewhinney Alone.

.In .May last "Truth" had occasion to open its columns with great liberality for the publication ;of a matrimonial dispute between Oliver Mewhinney, a well-known civil servant, and his wife. Nettie Lena, who was then described as a young and pretty missus, but mentally agog, and, therefore, unfit to manage a ' home and care for husband and children. A lengthy cross-examination elicited many facts, including the strange circumstance that the lady, on one occasion, slept under a neighbor's house to avoid her husband, also that she had • climbed a tree on one occasion to escape pursuit. One peculiarity alleged against the woman was that she was m the habit 'of charging, men with violently assaulting her. and once she accused a bosom friend of her husband with doing this. The lady admitted during' the cross-ex-amination, that- she had bad a glass of. wine with a person known as young Black, and that Black had been m her bedroom, although counsel, for the other side did not wish to make any ; imputations against - her chastity. Mrs Mewhinney dsnied that Black, though following her about, had neglected' his shorthand, typewriting, and other studies, and that his mother was heart-broken The lady was m the habit of getting away from the house, at night, and going on an. occasional gad through the city, and the ' husband frequently .- - ■ HAD TO DETAIN HER VIOLENTLY. ' ; Once he appealed to Black as a man to get his wife into the house. Counsel for the young woman remarked at the time, with some degree of scornfulness, that the chief interest of the case centered itself around the young . man ' Black, who. it was alleged, had "clean gone off his nut" m his tender regard for the young and prepossessing, complainant, which attachment had. moreover, caused young Black to 'n&gleet his evening studies, and had contributed to the fracture .of 'his mother's heart. .Young Black did not deny the attention he was naming to Mrs Mewhinney, ana excused it on the ground that his interference was necessary, otherwise' husband and wife, would not have got on so well as they did. It was further alleged m evidence that on one occasion Mrs Mewhinnev jumped from £ window, and. a doctor -. was called m. On examination, he found that she had sustained no injuries. He came tp the conclusion that hers was a case of aggravated hysteria. Young Black was present at the time, and he wanted to ' take charge of the woman, and the doctor was obliged- to order him out of' the roorji, /,; "He was interfering," said the; doctor, "and " thought I was rough with her. I told her she ought to be ashamed of the WAY SHE WAS BEHAVING. These introductory remarks Will co largely to explain the case heard m Wellington Magistrate's Court on Monday, when George Cooler proceeded against Maxwell Black for assault on August 27. It apnears that Mewhinney and Cooper, who is a new character m the drama, were . proceeding along Sydney-street, m which thoroughfare the Mewhinney s live, when Black rushed out of the darkness and tackled .Cooper with a horsewhip. Cooper advised Mewhinnev to clear out, and recommended him not to be mixed un with Black m this particular case. Mewhinney, being a ' discreet person, took the 1 hint, and left speedily, leaving the two men struggling en the road. Black belabored Cooper to such purpose that the latter . took the present action, and asked the infuriated 'young man. to explain. Black is a dark, youthful person, with a defiant expression, and Cooper, who is probably ten years his senior', wears a moustache and a resigned expression! Black pleaded guilty, but entered the box to mention extenuating circumstances, and produced two anonvmois letters, written to his boss, chairman of the local branch of . Rtait^c's Association, which v/ere so harrSilv uncouth m their statenxenis ab.eal; Black, that they were not tter«Mtted to be read m open cejitt: After the . horsewhipping Coepar. fiaSlaS at Reuter's office and asked '%% see Black, when Black remarked, m the presence of .witnesses. "I HORSEWHIPPED THAT 1 " _ SCOUNDREL," I Black accused Cooper of writing tlie anonymous letters aforesaid, urith the object of getting him the sack. The young man, by' the war, ]6&s since got the bag. but E. S: Harrison, manager of Reuter's. was waled to say that he bad dis.ch&rit«i the demonstrative youth for rawans wholly apart from the snaky l«Hfc3S. Black, by the way. is still ife^,matc with Mrs Mewhinnay. arfe while he was m the b«x, Mr Wilford asked him, Is it not a fact that y»« won't leave Mewhinney's wife alone ?— Not that I am aware of. What reason has' Cooper to have a grievance against you ?— From witness's reply it was inferred thas C««---per showed hostility when they first met. Witness stated further that when Cooper visited Reuter's office. and when the manager was interviewed, he had made no mention of a revolver. . ■ ' You are sure of that-?— Yes ; they are not worth a revolver. • What are they worth ?-^-A horsewhip. You were waiting for them with a ; horsewhip ?— I struck CooperMEWHINNEY CLEARED OUT. I will say this of Cooper : He stood up to it. ' ■■•, What did you do to him ?— I h\st horsewhipped him. To the Bench : Both' Cooper and Mewhinney had written anonymous letters. i Mr Riddell, S.M., took into consideration, the plea of "guilty" adduced 'by Black, and remarked "I'iafc there might be something m what he had said about the nrovo™ ' '"|i. He would impose a Tine of 4<>s. with, costs °.s, m default seven days' i imprisonment. ■■••■*