THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 152, 16 May 1908, Page 5

THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER.

SHE HAD NO BLUDGER'BUT>fi{&QY.

The Matrimonial Mess of the Nicols.

ONE OF THE SWEETEST STORIES EVER TOLJQJk

Not an Actor but an Acrobat.

When Cecil Constantine Nicol, a silly coot of some twenty-one summers, hitched himself to a lady considerably his Pcnior ard who hiil previously tried married life with indifferent success, he thought he had captured an angel, and Francis Louise, m spite of her mature experience, was disappointed to find that her cooing dove of a boy, as she fondly imagined: him, "was not so gentle as he appeared on tho surface. This unhappy pair of lovers appeared before Mr W. G. Riddell on Monday and a lively state of affairs was served up for the manly heroes who breasted the bar. Mr O'Leary appeared for Francis Louise, who applied for a summary separation order, and Mr Cook represented the defendant, who opposed the application.

In his opening; statement Mr O'Leary said that the pair had been mar^. ried seven months. They lived happily together for four months, but after that matters were not so nice. Defendant had several times struck his wife whilst she was working at his mother's coffee palace m Willis-stfeefc. Se had threatened her with a knife, and during the time his wife worked he had done nothing but drink; smoke and lounge about;. His wife was m peril of her life. • ■)'■

Francis Louise Nicol, complainant; said when they were first married they lived m rooms m Moir-street, but as defendant had no money to pay for the rooms, and was not working, they removed to hex sister's house m Frankville Terrace and the lady allowed them a room and the use of things for 6s per. week. The' first trouble occurred at a dance, where witness danced with a man she knew. Defendant came to the ladies 7 dressing-room, CAUGHT HER BY THE THROAT, and picked up a chair at her. He subsequently apologised for his conduct. In December last witness went to work because she owed a'bil for £10, which defendant would not assist to pay. Defendant had never given her more than Us 6d or '8s occasionally. Witness went to work at defendant's '.mother's place, the Wellington CoGee Palace, Willis-street, and he got jealous of the' kitchenman and took a chopper to him. Witness was working as cook. Defendant said to the kitchenman, "If you want my wife I will fight you for her." The kitcheDman said, "You're mad. 1 ' Afterwards defendant got a carving knife to witness and took her round the waist, when the knife fell on the. floor. On the iOjbh of April witness went" home and found that defendant had his boxes packed up and was, preparing to leave the house. Defendant caught witness by the throat and said he would bite her nose oft". He also said he would brainher, and brain anyone else who came up ii she screamed. Witness had paid £2 17s 6d for some articles of furniture, which defendant sold for £1 and got drunk with the money. Later on at the Coffee Palace defendant wanted her to make it up, but she refused. She said she would go for a separation, and he said he wanted a divorce, a separation was no good to him. He also said lie would swear : any lie he could think of, and told her he would make her life a perfect pest until she got the separation. Defendant went to Christchurch and when he returned he came Jto the kitchen and. said, "You've been going out every night with your bludger." Witness said she had no. bludger but him, as she could only afford to keep one man. He caught hold of witness, and Jack Bealzley, a kitchenman, who had only been five days m the place, pulled him off and said, "Here hit me, not. the girl." Defendant asked Bealzley if he was looking for fight, and Bealzley : said, "Yes." Defendant then seized a meat chopper and chased Bealzley round the room, and it topk eight boarders to hold defendant and make him put the chopper down. Defendant's father was present and hit him on the head, and defendant shouted, "You hit me, you greyheaded oM — '■ — and. I'll make you suffer for it." Defendant's father then gave witness twenty-four hours' notice, and she went to her room, which defendant tried :to break into. The largest sum defendant had ever given. her was ;29s 6d, and he got a pair of boots out of that.

In reply to Mr Cook, witness stated that defendant worked on the wharf and only gave her what was left after he had played "two-up." She had only his own word that he played "two-up." Defendant never worked at the Coffee Palace while she was there, but simply lounged about all day smoking and playing cards. Witness had given defendant 7s . and 8s a week for cigarettes. Defendant had not done so much as to peel a potato or dean a knife while they were at the Coffee Palace. Defendant did not always pay the rent, and he had not paid the bills. Witness had paid them out of her own pocket. She had paid 5s on a bill for jewellery by time- payment which defendant had got before they were married, to SAVE HIM FROM GOING INTO COURT. Defendant's father, mother and sisters saw the boarders hold him down when he Had the meat chopper. Witness had never given defendant any occasion to be jealous and had never walked out with the I man Whittam or anybody else. Witness received 30s per week as cook at defendant's mother's, but did hot spend all the money on herself ; as a matter of fact she had taken defendant for a trip to Blenheim, which cost her £3. If defendant was fond of her he had a queer way of showing it. Alfred Whittam and Jack Bealzley "gave evidence of having seen defendant strike complainant. Bealzley said he pulled defendant off complainant when he had her round the throat. Defendant started to tear complainant's clothes. Witness put

his hands m a defensive attitude, as he was not takius; any chances, and defendant then chased him romid the room with a meat chopper until he was stopped by the boarders. ;

Lizzie flobbs testified to the pair having frequent quarrels. Cecil Constantine Nicol, defendant m the case, said that before he Was married he was an actor on the stage. Witness first knew complainant through his brother. After marriage witness looked for work and obtained a billet as a driver for the State Coal Company at 9s per day. Witness gave all his money to complainant. They resided m Moir-street and during that time his wife had two ior three times" purchased .cigarettes for him. The smallest amount of wages he had given his wife' was from lbs to Us Gd per week. Whilst complainant was'at the Koftee Palace witness was war king on the wharf, 'until he surmised s&mething, and remained at the Coffee Pa : lac'e^ito watch complainant. The wife got all' tbe^money he earned 'od the wharf . Witness hau reason to object to where his wife was now laying, because iier sister, a married wotaan, was living therewith another man. Witness never broke up crockery at the house or struck his wife/ The goods m the house were bought with witness' money. Witness found that Whittam and the wife were

GETTING TOO THICK TOGETHER. He spoke to complainant and she said she'd sneak to and be With whom she liked. Witness had caught hold of his wife to ' protect himself. She was always hitting him m the face. Ho had never taken a knife to his wife or bent her across his knee. Witness came home from Christchurch, and his brother told him his wife had been walking out Avith Whittam. He remonstrated with her, but she said she'd do. what she liked.' He told her she had married him and could not do as she liked. On another occasion witness had a few words with complainant m the kitchen and Bealzley struck-'him. He picked up the first thing that was handy to protect himself, as Bealgley was one of John L. Sullivan's 'pupils. Witness . still was fond o! his wife arid .desired to live with her.

By Mr O'Leary: Witness was not understudy to Julius Knight and was not an. actor out of wotk when he married. He had been an acrobat at fuller's. Witness bad been the cause of sonieipf the rews as well as his wife. Witness knocked off work m February because he had heard something, 1 and Tiis jwife had had nothing to support her with, since, that time. Witness worked on the wharf "'•firom December to February, but did not know what his earnings were per week, as he signed for the money and put it. m his pocket without counting it. ' Witness had never lived with a girl who was not his wife, .but had 1 been but'of 9 ni£hir%ith a girl. Wi tness~ picked a knif&uj) but did not go near the wife with >it. If a person he. was quarrelling >with picketi up a knifa he would do a get;"-*-- y-< •^■-v he picked URk Chopper * to defend himself as he didn't know what Bealziley was. . '„ .

. Annie Nicol,- mother of defendant, and Chrissie Nicol, defendant's sistar, gave evidence denying that defendant had illtreated his wife whilst she was at the Col*--feo Palace. . * •George 'Nicol, father* of defendant; said he heard a scuffle m the kitchen and saw defendant hugging his wife and heard him asking her to make it up. Witness had not seen defendant get a knife to his wife. In reply to Mr O'Leary, witness said that defendant loved his wife, tod well to illtreat her. He was sure that defendant was only hugging' his ! wife when Bealzley interfered/ Defendant said to Bealzley, "11 you strike me, I'll strike you." Defendant had a chopper m his hand avid a boarder took it from him. Witness plug-, ged defendant on the nose. Wit-mis fcad seen complainant bit defendant playfully. A separation order was- ; granted as d defendant was ordered, to pay 10s per weeta to' his wife. No order was made as to costs. ■ ';- - : -"