A FLIGHTY WIFE.

NZ Truth, Issue 130, 14 December 1907, Page 5

A FLIGHTY WIFE.

THE MISERIES OF A MOTORMAN. He Had to Cut Her Hair. The Singular Case of Anderson v. Anderson. There is a considerable amount of married unhappiness m this glorious Dominion, and more particularly m the cities, whete the rents are damnable and love departs up the ohimr ney as poverty comes m by the door and seats itself on the time-payment furniture. Young people m the country don't think of divorce ; but m Wellington it is the brutal rule, instead of the exception. It is not definitely known whether the cost of living had anything to , do with the connubial infelicity of a motorman Robert Esther Anderson and Alice, his missus." but it was probably a contributing cause. It is within the bounds of possibility that Anderson's unfortunate name had something to do with it, for it is difficult to conceive of a girl like Alice lavishing her affection on a manly person called Esther. The parties were married m Wellington seven years ago, Anderson being then a recent arrival from the aged country, and a little girl is the fruit of the unhappy union. It was m May last that the daily sameness of things got on the missus's nerves, and she lit out for Auckland, to which sinful city her husband followed her and brought her back. One taste of liberty was enough, however, and Alice left. her domicile again and went to work at Barrett's Hotel. The infuriated ■ motorman followed her up, and, "playing her out "to her employer, waited on the premises . until Ms erring spouse got her clothes together and came home. That' night HE CUT HER. HAIR OFF, much' as- one clips the wing of a fowl +-o prevent further flight, and the lonian bemoaned the loss of her head thatch with violence. A grocer named Alexander Birnie runs m and out of the story at this period m. a hazy fashion, like the night-flitting of an overworked spook, and he was named as co-respondent m recent diyo'rce proceedings, which were adjourned from time to time. Birnie hns gone over Sydney way, and a -tired' Court ultimately dispensed with' the > co-re, altogether m the proceedings, principally because he wasn't get-at-able. When the case made its final appearance before the Court last week Alice didn't have a lawyer, otherwise her case would have been much better conducted. The loss of her hair troubled her considerably when she was m the. witnessbox, and the woman submitted that it prevented her earning her living, but as she appeared to have all her mop on, Judge Button was surprised to find how much artificiality could .exist about a woman's •hradpiece. The erring wife and mother offered to demonstrate the awfulness of her affliction, and, retiring to an ante-room for a short time, she returned with her thatch considerably reduced. Since divorce proceedings were instituted Anderson and his dame have lived m the same house together, and the missus swore that they occupied the same bed. In a petition for divorce, this extreme , familiarity is unseemly,, and the tramcnn'luctor denied the allegation with vehpmence. Alice stated further that so gratified was he with her society that he burnt the divorce papers he had served on her, and they were going to live happy ever after m the old way. No. 13 Al-fred-street, was a house mentioned by Mrs Anderson as an edifice m which she and hubby cohabited during the prohibited period m which Robert Esther was seeking a divorce. No. 3 Dmimmond-street, where they alsolodged, found them nightly m the same bed as man and wife. There was no difficulty m calling testimony to rebut this evidence if it happened to be untrue. Anderson called Mrs Rebecca Hare to prove that he didn't burn his wife's divorce papers, as stated by her. Mrs Hare is the wife of a tram conductor, and she stated that Anderson's misguided mdssus had brought her divorce papers' across to her m a neighborly way for safe keeping. She appeared to •be proud of them m a way, and she mentioned defiantly that she had also , MISCONDUCTED HERSELF WITH A CONSTABLE after the proceedings were commenced. Mrs Anderson left the blue documents with Mrs Hare for a fortnight and then took them away, and there was no burning whatsoever. When this evidence was being given the imaginative wife refused to appear m Court, although she was about the premises, and she failed to hear the flat contradiction of Mrs Elizabeth' Scorringe, who stated that when Anderson and his wife were with her, m 13 Alfred-street, they occupied separate rooms, and far from exhibiting love and affection for one another, they were on very bad terms. Mrs Ellen Catherine Johnston, too, gave Alice the lie m some particulars- Anderson and wife went to stay at her place, 3 Drummond-street, on on October 9, but they had separate rooms, and led a cat-and-dog-life generally. Justice Button granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute m three months, and gave the motor person interim custody of the child. With regard to alimony, Barrister Herdman mentioned that Anderson had arranged to give his wife £1 a week, and S'Honor said that m the circumstances he would make no order. In the event ol remissness m payments the discarded spouse could sue [for an allowance.