HOW SEPARATIONS OCCUR.

NZ Truth, Issue 265, 23 July 1910, Page 5

HOW SEPARATIONS OCCUR.

The Cottons Don't Cotton to Each Other.

They Take m Boarders.

The married misery of Agnes and George Cotton, of Christchurrch, corrugated the lofty brow of Magistrate Bailey towards the end of last week, when the parties mentioned the things they had omitted; to say to each other at an earlier date m the house. Agnes, a little dark woman, who was championed by Lawyer Donnelly, applied for gnnunary separation on the grounds of persistent cruelty and negject to provide a crust, and mentioned that they bad been married for the period that a biblioal gentleman, waited for Rebecca — and then didn't get her. Two iboys, 6 years, and 4£ years, were their contribution to the birthrate. Yes, George had been cruel to her. On Jane 1 8 he threatened to cut her head off with. , a razor, and on the same morning he i raised a chair and brought it down on. [her back. On. March 14 he clutched her by the throat and tried) to throttle hex, land m addition he Bad hurled dare 'threats at her. One Friday m. the present 1 month he held aloft a bottle of beer and [threatened to bash her with it, and one !«f her boarders came to her rescue. George boozed. He poured -down 1 Ms I throat almost everything he earned, and |was a printer by profession. Agnes ari ranged for a large, piece of blue, paper Ito he served on b>jS)kby, then left the, "house. She was afraid to live with him. [She had a nafuraf objection to being a corpse." The kiddies were frightened oi ithe; man and shrieked whenever he came into the room. Unfortunately he didn't- : maintain the family, -jukl Agnes had often ! been m want of food and clothing. Since their marriage he had bought no furniture, her pa procuring the . necessary articles. These had been sold by George, I who rioted on the proceeds.' George didn't look a very bloodthirsty personage as he cross-examined. George : Didn't you get 50s a week foe' six years ? Certainly not. Excuse me Magistrate Bailey : You have' her an.gwer.

George : What did you do with that mosey 1-. — I never had it. Tie wife explained that sonietiimes when there were races she would .get nothing. Sometimes he would give her £1 out of his wages, sometimes £2. George : How often did you get nothing ?— Very often. Haven't I come home from the races sometimes and given you £7 or £8 ?— Never. What is the cause of this domestic trouble ?— You knock me about. Have you been out. with anybody ? — No.' Never ?— I went to a picnic with Mr Coffey, with your permission. Did you go to any other picnic ?— Yes ; one, but it was with your permission. Did you ever go to the theatre ?— Yes, with you. With no one else.?;— Once with Mr Kerr. You went round to the neighbors and they . wouldn't come and give evidence for you ?!— Mrs WatTcins, who saw you with the razor, is ill m bed.

To Mr Donnelly : The boarders resided m the house with her husband. She had *o take them m, or they would have starved.

. Henry Chasinar, father of Agnes, who ■has an accfcsicraa.l stutter, raised a whiteihead and frosty-whiskered countenance m. *tfae witness box. George didn't support ibis family, . he said, and the aged person ;bad frequently found his daughter anil kids without tucker, which the ancient .hastily purchased. He had even bought the clothes his daughter had on her. Once he purchased £23 worth of furniture which George seized, sold for £3, and bent his elbow with theicoin. George : You say you bought this furniture ?— My wife did. Will .you; swaar. oa your oath she did? Mr Donnelly (to George) : Did .you.biuy it? . George : I ftixl ; and I've got the receipts. George ($0 pa-in-law) : .Youf wife is the cause of this domestic trouble, isn't, she ? Fa-in-JaW : No. She's driven * the ■ hoys and girls away, hasn't she *— Our affairs at home are no- - thing to do with you m your house. Your wife is (puck-tempered ? The elderly person declined to answer, and GeoXge reproached him- with his reticence. The Bench didn't see the application of the question. George said he wanted to prove that :it was the mother's fault. Stier-came m. Ho the ibouse and wonted to run it as ,'she liked. ' The Beach : Does your wife interfere ' ' wi-th yoor daughter's household' ?— No. George : Has see never done so ?— She might have cautioned you when you drank all the money. George (disgustedly) : She's gone up ' town, paid 18s for a papen pair of slip-: '■ pers, and by thettme she walked home they wece woca out. Is that economy? The old blaster didn't hazaxd an opinion. George : Does your wife ever go away > and leave yo%«?*-Not. a* ail.

Will you" swear on your oata she was not away for a forfendg-iit, and you made an offer of 15s a week ?<— l will. Whatace you getting at ? An eidfcrly man with a grey moustache named Vfilttam Kerx said he knew Mrs Cofcton very well, and stopped at her place for afooot two years. fcSomefcimes Geocge was good t© A^gnes, soraetjimes he wasn't. It depended on the number of race meeiitnES. Booze- and the. races were his trouble. There were times when William had to come to tile woman's aM : by advancing her cash. Mr Donnetty : She is aa industrious," well-Kehaved woman ?— tYes ; and I would be only too glad to have such a wife. George : .You are a married man living apart team your wife, I believe ?■

Witaess : That is Gorrect. Have you ««rer seen me ilPtreat her ? Witness : Mo.

The SM. : How long have you been: living wfrfch theu» ?— On and off for three, years: I have been home to the Old ■•Country lately.. The witness said that George was- aot • afraid of work, but had fallen out of toil m January. WilKam Gfcbfceas, a middle^ag-ed boarder, said he had never seen George-strike : his missus, but on one occasion he had espied thslady with a chair raised as H m self-defence. Also he-liiad heard WilKam call Agpes by an opprobrious epithey. Thtf-wtoess, w*o h(ad beea-'board-ing with.' the family a couple of years, was pyeseat when George raised a bottle of "hops m a threatening manner. George : I've been piefefcy good 1 -bo you ? William : Yes ; we've beera friends ever since I've knowH you. Mark Coffey, a teirly youngisb njan with a detormined expression, alFo a boarder, said that once he bad sten GooTfro with Ha atmi around the T «aisl> oi Agnes, and she was sobbing bitterly. Yes, he had freen to the theatre -with her once or twice ; hut there was no ground for stay suspicion that be had *ver beisft**ct! iiapvopcrly with 'the woman. George : Were we happy together ? Witness : JVell, if you call arguing the point happy, you were. The defendant gave no evidence, hut contented himself with tho statrrnent-that th« whole cause of the trouble was the fact that be was out of toil. •

An order for separation was granted, and the type-simtcirer was asked to contribute 25 s a week towards the support of bis family. :