BIRKETT'S BOLT.

NZ Truth, Issue 243, 19 February 1910, Page 7

BIRKETT'S BOLT.

Was He on a Message from Mars?

Frederick James Birkett. a draper's assistant, took unto himself a wife named Nellie Eliza m October, 190p, at Dunedin, but soon got sick of : married life. They resided together for about a year m- Greymouth, and then lived m Dunedin for a further six mouths with Nellie's parents. About February, 1904, Frederick went to work m Invcrcargill, leaving his wife m Dunedin. As she received only £i from hubby Nellie went to Invercargill, where she found he was about; to leave the country. Thereupon she took him to the Police Court, and m May got an order for , the payment of £1 a week as maintenance. He took no notice of the order, and six days later he was before the Court again, and was ordered to find immediate security for the payment under the order or go to "the nick" ioi; half a year. He was given time to find the securities, but used it instead m transferring his carcase to Australia. Since then he hadn't been seen or heard of, except that a letter received from Suva showed that he d been seen passing through there on his way to America, for the purpose of taking a part m the play "A Message from Mars."

Mr Justice Williams granted Nellie a decree nisi. She was looked after by Lawyer H. D. Bedford.