OH, THE LODGER!

NZ Truth, Issue 132, 28 December 1907, Page 6

OH, THE LODGER!

-BARROW'S UNHAPPY HOMEiI Scott the of the Missus, ; 'Row a Good Husband Can-be Humbugged. " ? , iThe dometic infelicity) pf .■Wiliiam<| Alfred Barrow and . his wife, Lrizzie>M has furnished -the scandaHovrng iesi-i dents of Johnsonville with a 'con-? ;genial topic of conversation at tea- : meetings and sewing bees for time past. The mainspring 6t> the trouble m this as m many another : unhappy house was the everlasting • lodger, who, according to Barrow,' monopolised the missus to an undue ; extent. The unbearable condition of: things • arrived at an anti-climax m August, last, when. , the lodger (James . Scott) banged the : unoffending husband m his own house, and --wiped the floor with him m a realistical- ■ ly physical sense.. In the subsequent Court proceedings at Wellington Scott denied that Barrow had on . one occasion ordered him out of his • wife's bedroom, and also , that he-* was m the shabit of bringing beer' up to Mrs Barrow. Just prior to the, assault Scott advised Mrs . Barrow to kick her husband, put, and m the ' affray that followed, .Barrow suf- > fered severely about, the f&ce., Mter; this 'boTlhv husband and 'lodger left 1 , the unpeaceftil domicile, Barrow going- to his . grandmother at Kaiwarra : . and Scott commissioning a whare,; at Khandallah. To make sure that« his three kids wouldn't starve,; Barrow (who draws £2 8s weekly from a Kaiwarra tanner) went to, store-? keeper—M ay, of Johnsonville, and ; told Mm to give ttLe family any-f thing within reason up to £1'- per' Week,, and tbe unattached husband has been : footing the store bills ever; since. The missus, however, is A" CANTANKEROUS SORT OF, woman-, ;■ ■- and rLegotiations had : to be carried : on throug-E the local constable, Col- ' lett, who . once, brought a, pair of! child's boots to tbe r house, but was repulsed with great moral slaughter ..by the. woman, who wouldn't accept her; unappreciated husband's gift. Onfee or twice she ,. went round to tho bobby's place and was there given bread, jam, -and butter,,' but Barrow, swears that all necessaries could have been 'obtained from local tradespeople were* it not tliat his disrespected missus was top pig-headed to 1 apply for theni : personally. As it was, Barrow- used- to meet the kids,tlie oldest of whom* is eleven, and furnish them with goods . every : Sat- • urday. These facts came but m an action instituted . for maintenance by; Mrs Barrow' m Wellington S.M.Court, when solicitor, Ayson put .in,' numerous . receipted store ;. bills to show that Barrow had obtained' .goods" averaging 12s ,6d:a week: for some time, independent of meat and bread, and had\ also paid r 10s~ 6d rent weekly.- - . : .. . . ; . .• .. The wife accused her legal protector of getting drunk, but Bobby Collett said he had neyiesr seen him m a condition that justified : him being locked up. Barrow, on iAie other, hand, said he was willing to go on maintaining the. family, but he would; give his wife no money, as her at— tention\ waSy too much : OCCUPIED WITH THE BEER SHOP • He had now ceased his contribution towards the rent as his wife had mr stituted • proceedings for divorce, against him .on the grounds of cruelty: and j habitual; drunkenness. "This man," said Barrow, indicating no one m particular, "has had her on a." string. } He put £5 down and won't go any further." Is it 'true that your wife drinks'?— Well^ last Saturday I saw her going up the street with three bottles: of beer, while I, was talking to the storekeeper. ; ' .' * .Constable Collett, recalled, \ said he'had never seen the .woman drunk, or anything approaching it. He didn't, know what went on m her house. "* Buririg these proceedings ' the exlodger, Scottj who was. present, betrayed marked anxiety- about- something, and repeatedly whispered m the ear of Sub-Inspector '.O'Donpyan, who was guarding .the woman's interest. .'He was a prospective witness, but was waved, aside. Riddell, S.M., gave Barrow credit for a certain •amount of inain'tenaiice,. but did not "consider it sufficient, and ' he =. was ordered to pay ißs a week towards the support of each child. •:■■•■■ The ex-lodger was much 1 , disturbed at this period .and asked to be permitted. t,o speale about Mrs Bartow's sobriety^ but w^as ordered to be seated. • Two witnesses were- meritionedVahdl '.''. his Worship asked the ex-lodger-: "•Do you want your expenses ?"— No, but I would like — — — — . His Worship : .That will do. The expenses of one, witness (3s) were allowed. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan remarked that if it was found' the woman was of intemperate habits, the children would be committed to an industrial school, - when the father's eontributibns would be received by the aurthorities. '.' : .- . r ,. ,