TAYLOR'S TROUBLES.

NZ Truth, Issue 198, 3 April 1909, Page 5

TAYLOR'S TROUBLES.

HIS SECOND MATRIMONIAL VENTURE. Daughters versus Daddy. A Win for Poor Old Bill.

'Tis said that " wlien a man marries his troubles begin," but if this old saying is true when a man marries a second time he can look out for a hell of a time, and consequently not much sympathy is -wasted upon old greybeards who, having onoe gone through the mill, essay a second attempt with disastrous results. Wm. Taylor, an ancient baker, who runs a bread foundry m Adelaide Road, has tasted the sweets, or bitterness of a second dose of matrimony, and doubtless wishes that he hadn,'t, to judge from his experience as related to Mr. Biddell, S.M., on Monday last. POOR OLD BILL THE BAKER not content with bringing up a family with his first wife, must needs go m for a second edition when wife No. 2 came into partnership, and- tho result of the two sections being under one roof has apparently been most regrettable. Old Bill has a daughter by his first wife 'named Bella, aged somewhere m the region of the thirties, and two daughters by his second wife named Ivy and Jessie, aged eighteen and sixteen respectively, and the younger lassies have had a sort of a snort' on the beauteous Bella, and tho trio have been on the warmest terms with each other, like so many Kilkenny cats. The harmony which, existed between , the trio resulted m old Bill, according to the junior sisters, telling them to get, and get they did. As the result of this getting, Ivy and Jessie, by their mother acting as best friend, sued old Bill, under the Destitute Persons Act, for maintenance. Mr. Percy Jackson appeared for the belles, and Mr. Herdman represented poor old Bill. Ivy Taylor, aged eighteen, stated that she and Jessie had resided at home until two months ago, when ructions occurred. . Bella, her step-sister, who, she said, was thirtyone years of age, was the cause of the trouble as SHE WANTED TO. BOSS /THE, SHOW, and influenced her father against the. younger girls of the family. Ivy proceededto let her tongue run to some tune, and it was with difficulty that she could be, persuaded to make any coherent statement, it being plain that she warfted to get one on to Bella, who, she said, did nothing of the housework only the nicest portions, while she and Jessie had to get up at six o'clock and make the breakfast, and do all the dirty work. " Bella lives like a lady " she said, and added " she said she would not be satisfied until she had us all out." The garrulous young chit then went on to say that Bella would get the old man himself out of the house at the' finish, so that she could have it to herself. After leaving the happy home Ivy got. work at a laundry at 12a. 6d. per week, and went with Jessie, to stay at her mother's place, her mother being apart from her pa. The 12s. 6d. was her sole means, and she sought to make pa contribute something towards her maintenance. She had written to pa on the subject and poor old dad had said that she and her sister could come home, but they would have to do something towards keeping themselves. Ivy and Jessie, lite two good little lambs, returned to the parental roof on the Sunday night, but found the place m darkness ; however, after a lot of mooning around they were let m and all went well that night. But on the following morning there was a helovarow when Bella came on the scene, as the beauteous Bella bellowed at them and called Ivy and Jessie all sorts of wicked names ; and to bring matters to a climax, Bella tore Ivy's blouse. Then pa had a cut m, and told them that if they came home again to tea he'd kick them out of the blanky house. The TWO DUTIFUL LITTLE GIRLS went to work that morning without breakfast, and also had no dinner. On returning at tea time, Ivy said, she was pouring herself out a cup of tea when Bella cams m and threw it away. In reply to Mr. Herdman, Ivy said that pa was* led by Bella. She did not accept offers of domestic service because £b.e had , not been taughj that class of work, but had been kept at cleaning tins and messing about the bakehouse. Pressed further, she said she did not like domestic service, and declined to listen to her dad's proposal m that direction, as she did not like housework. Iyy indignantly denied the suggestion of counsel that all the trouble was because she and Jessie would persist m going out of a night against dad's wishes; It was not true that she had returned to the house so late at night that she had had to go up the fire escape. Jessie Taylor, a maiden of- sweet sixteen, said that Bella told dad all sorts of tales, and poor old dad had called her all sorts of names. She used to do the housework, but When dad told her to clear out she got a job aft bookbinding at 10s. per week, but was unable to keep herself on that sum. Referring to the Sunday night episode, Jessie ! said She heard Bella tell dad "if those girls come back here I'll not stay m the houso with them." On the Monday morning dad I asked her what she was getting at the bookbinding, and she replied "what's that got to do with with you." Dad' then told her to clear out, and Bella said " I'D RATHER GO TO GAOL than live with you." The old man told her and her sister to leave the blanky house. Fred Williams, who drives a bread cart for old Bill Taylor, stated that he had re- • sided at the house for two years. In the last six months it had been one long series of rows. Bella was the sole cause of the rows. She could not agree with anyone, not even her own brothers, and was always squabbling. He was with the girls when they returned home on the Sunday at 8 p.m., and Bella and tho old man had called the girls some of the worst names that could be said. His own experience of the girls was that' they- were good girls, and nothing could be said against them. 'In; reply to Mr. Herdman, Williams said that it was not true that he took the two girls out to a whare at 'Seatoun and stayed .there a.ll night with them. Bella was also there and he went afterwards. He had never known the girls return home via the fire escape. They always kept decent hours;* Mrs. Taylor stated the two girls came to her, but she was unable to assist them. Dad had a good business and could afford to keep them. The girls had nothing beyond what they earned, and as for their clothing, they had nothing underneath; it was all top show. Mr. Herdman- said the plain .facts were that the two girls were incorrigible little monkeys, who refused to obey directions, and declined to conform to the rules of the house. Defendant had obtained employment for Jessie at Dr. Rawson's, and other 'offers of domestic service were available to both girls, where they would have good homes and be well looked after. But the facts were that the girls wanted to work where they pleased, and be FREE TO GALLIVANT ABOUT THE STREETS . at night. He submitted that it had not been proved that they were destitute persons ! within the meaning of the Act. His Worship dismissed the information. {