WIFE TERRIFIED OF HIM

NZ Truth, Issue 1286, 31 July 1930, Page 2

WIFE TERRIFIED OF HIM

He Was Decent When Sober, but A Bully When Drunk

MAGISTRATE REMEMBERED HIM (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Described as being decent, when sober but a bully when drunk, Walter George Pearce received a severe warning from Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when he appeared before him m the Auckland Police Court charged with trespassing on the property of his wife, Olive Pearce, and also with being drunk. "Terrified of the man" was the way a constable who had been called to the scene of domestic upset described the feelings of the wife. N

TT is now about four months since George and Olive decided to live their respective lives apart, to which end a separation order was made m March of this year. The wife now alleges, however, that her husband paid her an entirely unwelcome ancl unsolicited visit when under the Influence of liquor, demanding tea before he would consent to go away. In a speech from the dock Pearce, a big man, denied that his call upon his wife was a surprise one, stating that he had been asked to the house. Replying to a question from the I magistrate as to what he, had done when he went to the house, Mrs. Pearce stated that they put him to bed and he went to sleep. "He wanted a cup of tea," she told his Worship, "and said that if he got that he would then go away." Continuing, she stated that he had been given a cup of tea and had gone away only to come back again on the following day, on which occasion she gave him some dinner. At the conclusion of the wife's statement his Worship cautioned Pearce m no uncertain words. "Now, look here, Pearce," he said, "you must not go near your wife." After Pearce had ' admitted that he had been to the house at about dinner time a somewhat pithy interchange of remarks occurred between himself and his wife. "He was drunk," stated Qlive, appealing to the magistrate. "It's funny that if I was drunk you should have offered me more beer," retorted Pearce. Mrs. Pearce (to the magistrate) : I have to receive charitable aid. He doesn'ti pay. Pearce (hotly): You don't get charitable aid to go to the races, do you ? The magistrate then intervened with a remark to the effect that he seemed to have seen Pearce on several occasions before the court. Sub-inspector Shanahan (conducting

the case for the police) : Yes, your Worship, he. has been up before on a maintenance order. Mrs. Pearce: That's right. "You haven't let me have my say yet," joined m the husband. "No," responded Mr. Hunt. "And I don't know whether I'm going to. You are a bully." A constable giving evidence as to the affair Itself stated that Pearce had been swearing at his wife and also calling her an objectionable name. . "The wife is terrified of the man," announced the constable. "When she came for me I went back with her and we found him m the kitchen." It was also stated that Pearce, though quite amenable when sober, was a bully, when drunk. A maintenance order of £2 a week made against him m favor of his wife was also the subject of a certain amount of controversy. "Why, the man is £14 m arrears," exclaimed his Worship. Amid loud laughter from the court the constable then stated that at the bottom of the road m which Mrs. Pearce lived there were * number of square-riggers belonging to Pearce. "I don't know whether he is going to come and collect them or not," concluded the constable facetiously. "Well, what about a prohibition order?" enquired the magistrate. Pearce expressed himself agreeable. I "Very well," decided Mr. Hunt. "We will prohibit him and order him to come up for sentence if called upon." Warning Pearce that if he went up to his wife's house or got drunk again he would get three months m gaol, the magistrate then convicted him on the drunkenness charge and ordered him to pay the cab fare of 5/- and to take out a prohibition order. "The man could work well if he chose .to," commented his Worship after inflicting the fine. "You bring him straight m if he is found under the influence of drink again," he told the constable.