"A MISERABLE, CREATURE."

NZ Truth, Issue 380, 5 October 1912, Page 7

"A MISERABLE, CREATURE."

Castigated, by Mr Kettle, S.M.

Mr Kettle, S.M;, handed out some severe Verbal cas'tigation to a hopeless waster called "WilLiam " Sharpe on . Friday last. . The occasion was when s Williani's wife, Susannah, asked , the S.M. to grant her a separation order, and to. cause William to tear off a portion' of his weekly envelope for her benefit. % < Susannah is a welL-built, energeticlooking woman of about forty, and William -is a physical weed, and looks as though the hardest work he' had done for some, time was to paint his classic beak m .the fourpenny bar of his favorite pubbery. The S;M. adjusted . his specs, and decided to .Hear Susannah's end of the argument first. . . The ''allegation's against bore the* "lira v ntlr"Beel' i -" "and ' abuse," ' likewise <"stbush."' ■■ :■. : ' ■■ Susannah said that they (were nmde one some thirty years ago m Dublin's dirty city. She and Bill had been living- for the last fifteen years m Potisonby, ' Bill had a stiddy job as a watchman at., a, mill, antl used to blow home wearing wine leaves m his hair, and abuse her. Bill had weighed m with an order for £l per week some time ago, and up to ths present time he had kept it up. The S.M. : The only trouble is tha drink ?— Yes. . The- S.M. : Does he drink jnuch ?— •He's scarcely ever sober. ■ ■ The S.M. (fixing a glassy stare on Willie) :vl's he sober now ?— -He looks all right. . ' Lawyer Denhiston •' (who was appearing for Willie : It's greatly.. ex-' aggerated, a i ri I think you will find. In cross-examination, Lawyer Denniston m:ade reference to alleged relations between th? lady and a son-in-law, when ho was 'pulled up by the S.M. ■ . The S.M. said he strongly'l'esented these things unless there was very strong— the strongest— evidence m support. ■= v ' Lawyor,Dennist6tt said that Bill would, make a strong statement m support.' ' Bill was- then 'duly called into the box,, and proved .to be, ah old acquaintance of Mr Kettle, as ths S.M. said, "I've seen you before. Weren't y6u before me ?."— : Yes; What was it for ?— The old complaint.. . ■■,-.'.■■. . .When was, that ?— On the eighteenth. :' '^ I see— »y our nose ami' the pint' came into Contact. (Laughter.) . Bill, ■m .. evidence, , reckoned that Susannah was carry jng on with the son-in-law. Ono night when he was j reading the Paper he got belted by the son-in-law, and the family emptied him out -into the. cold, windy street. ' • . ..." The S.M. : lie's a. poor creature. The idea of a jnaii Jikp this being the head of n, family is "ridiculous. The S.M. . then v hcatpd up, and addressed a few remarks to Bill. He started by • saying : "You're a- miserable crenturo— a miserable man. You come hero and make allegations against, the mother of your children .w.it'hout any foundation. Now. you know my opinion of. you. If you break your ' prohibition order again you will be sen,t to the Island.

You're a miserable man !"' Lawyer Denniston suggested that mebbe Bill had better be sent to the island. Bill reckoned he didn't want to go. The S.M. then made an order against Bill on the grounds that, he was ah habitual inebriate, and once more warned him that the island was looming up m the near distance. Bill : Can't I go home ? The S.M. : G-o' home where? Bill : To my own home. The •• SvM . (boiling over) : No, sir ! The island's the' place lor you, and you'll probably be there within , a week or so. If you go near your wife or interfere with her, you know what will happen to you. . The' S.M. then instructed the "John" Department to keep an eye on Willie and the moment that Willie fell over the beer line he was' to be summarily brought up so that the law co-ukl send him along to Booth. A crestfallen Willie then went forth into' the cold, beerless world, where nothing is free,' except the waterworks.