WAYWARD GRASS WIDOW AND HER LOVERS

NZ Truth, Issue 1301, 20 November 1930, Page 7

WAYWARD GRASS WIDOW AND HER LOVERS

FIFE'S PROMISCUOUS FAVORS

S.M. Says Her Letters Disclose Appalling Immorality In Rotorua District

"I HAV£ NOT HAD LILY-WHITE PAST "

•■- - .■■■■' «'.."" . ' -. ■ • . •■" •• ' • ■■• - (Frorp "N.Z. Truth's" Rotorua Representative.)

In one of several epistles redolent of something more than mere platonic affection, Beatrice Emily Smith; wife of an Urewera: timber worker; told one of her lovers, "It would be, heaven,! dear; to work for you; get your breakfast m the mornings; cook for you, wash for you, and oh, anything and everything. . i Unfortunately for "Pat," as she was known to her intimates, these purple pages of wifely indiscretion came into her husband's possession and Sidney George Smith suddenly asked himself why he was paying his wife maintenance. He decided tb seek the answer m the Rotorua Magistrate's Court, and Mr. S. L. Patterson, S.M., who heard his application for cancellation of separation, guardianship and maintenance orders, Expressed the opinion that Beatrice Smith had [ been promiscuous m her favors to other men.

REALISING beyond, doubt that love had flown ■ out of the window of ' ;, his home when his .wife took" her departure 'arid, showed" no inclination to return/Sidney George Smith, a young timber -worker,, consented to separation, 7 guardianship and' maintenance orderis being made, against Him -in' the , court last- August.V&oklohg a!ftei*wafds certairi^letters ■written, .-by arid to- his ,-wife Beatrice Emily, generally. . known, as ;''Pat," cairie into his possession.. These proved . beyond • doubt that • she Was consoling .'herself .with,; and receiving money from, riiore than one rhan, and inV consequence i the aggrieved husband inad'e application, to Mr; 5...L. Patterson, S.M., to have the. order cancelled, asking at the ' same . time for the guardianship of his7.children. ' 'Thehfearirig of Sidneys Smith's application took place last week, at Rotorua, Mr. Ron. A. Potter acting on his behalf ;V and-- Mr'. E. Roe appearing for the wife. >/*•-• . ■ ' , ' : L^ — v- __lV — "'. Mr. Potter, m outlining, his case,; told the court -.that • the application;- Was ' for variation, cancellation, ariji.remis- , ■.-.■.. ,■ , sion of all -arrears. Smith's wife, had left him, continued counsel, -for reasons which had mow -been riiade vclear, and she was ript : iri , need -of the. maintenance. • ■ ■■ ..• - . •■, , 'y.:. • . Telling ; . his ;; story 'on . .oath, Sidney George Smith -said that one: of, the causes vfbr- the disagreement pe- ; tween his wife and himself was that he objected tp. her going around with other men. 'gel ;had;:;nptV ©meted- to her goirig to. dances.. Finally she left him arm ;,her two children, Only once after she\left Vthem,: land : during the; succeeding 1 threeVmoriths, had his, wife enquired after, her children. Then, three months after she left her .home, I he had met her m Rbtorua by accident. ., He had giveri her £>2, _s.lt of all he had. -'V. Detailing the happenings from then i onwardsVi. Smith,, 'said: . ''She wpuldnt stay m rooms iarrariged for her, and so lV made arrangements • for. her - to haveV a'"Horii6"ana f ;the children; and^ I was •to. ; - ! Hay- Access .to - them.- . My father l "%uarariteed-> an-accburit- at. the. store'^'dr- -£l "a MThk' first r ,twp . njghtsV af ten [' s \k^. wentWoV. this house J ..stayed ;there,V because She said she was* nervous, : but' lihdid Vi«>tsta^ there as her ■ 'husband. ' .' : -'■";".-. ..." ':' y777- ~f: "I was boarding' at Ohiriemutii at the time.^ At . the end .of three days

asdfsadf

my wife said she would not stay there by. herself,, so. l gave up my room and went to the house, and she went to a room. On- the fourth day 'she, said she wouldn't have the house at all.. I then said I could do .no more and ?rie could pleased herself,, and I-. left." '-.-'. Smith -Went ori to tell how he was later .'.arrested , for : no,ri-payment of maintenance,' only to be •■ subsequently released. After-he had ■ consented to the order; he" found, his furniture had been sold, or a portion of it, m a Rbtorua auction mart. Replying ■ to Mr. Potter,. Smith said that he knew his wife was friendly with' certain persons, and being handedxup some letters by counsel, he identified ' the. writing, of some ?t them as tha* of his; wife. y '■ •, These -letters were not written .to A* small sheif of r - letters, written, sortie - of ? them, on v yellow notepaper, were handed, to the magistrate., Sorne of them; were written to a man named H. Kingston. They contained many erotic effusions, of which the following , are extracts. - • "Harold* Dear,-— We've got to use oiir' heads sometimes, and this ease - wants' handling tactfully. •-.'• , ; . barling, you i will, have to' ■end me money;." One letter ended,.; •♦Well, darling! one, I am just going up tp post this. . . .All my love^. your own " Pat;" The; opening page of another letter, written m- September, contained the statement: , "I have' a sure chance to get my divorce v on the way, and I' a;rii sure ybu "••would hot like me to lose that, for It cbncernsVour future, darling." V '■'' ' : ': : V' ; 'V .V" In yet another letter, commencing, "My O-wn 'Dear Daddy," Mrs. Smith wrote: v "Oh, God, ■ > how my heart aches. Oh,; how; won der f ; ul * it., would be,;, to have your . dear ' arms ; around me, the only , _ T V v. comfort .for me, . darling. . When, oh, when?" V Another; letter: ■ '"'.. . "I* can only ■ wait and dream for the day that will bring, you' to me for ever. y{. . . I am a bit confused over this baby, and I saw Father HblbrobkVon Sunday. '„...'..'... Father 'Holbrbok 'is very nice; dear, he is going to/ christen our; babies, dear, into, our .own church; When I ' .', get them together a,gairi. V -..-•' . ■■ V ' "We will get; him to; marry us t " aifter V ; the .divorce. V^,.;- Q n V Bweetheart; txyVarid writeVme more often. •;. *I .;' am -jjist living^ or your ;•; ' letterb-^-they are Vlike -heating balm to , myy-PffPTi heavy hfart.; ;^ . -.-,-. •« . V Myibv& how I think of ypiiV '..:'. ... I never wrote ; any -letter to. , Sid; (husband) and^ri^ver Would; You know I prdim^d;<ysbu'Vl would have-nothj|\g--tO dP with him, and to ..."_. wr;ite^^irn^puld|>e breaking ; my^.pVqmise. ■';•./ 77 •. : r - 7 ; y y v-v-'V-•I-haye .nbt?V. liad- a'" lily-white, past by any meanß. ....?. ;•;•,;'; I 'have , ,

"Loving Johnny"

taught her (the baby) to say ' Harold Kingston, and she says it . m her furiny little baby way., . -;. .'•■ . "I could' take a house" and every- • thing could be private. It would '< be m heaven • dear ..to work for you, 'get your .breakfast m the mornings, cook for you, wash for you, and.' oh! anything and every - , thing." '•-/ This. letter/, also ' contained, a request for money, Mrs. Smith laying that she could not write 'tbVheivhusband f or> any. From College Hill Pbhsonby, where she was : staying m Auckland, the wife wrpte again: > "Oh, my love, I hope you don't have to go toVAmerica. Oh; darl- ** ing, what will.'l do without ypu? . .- v ; But lam ;a Yankee now, sweetheart, and Yankees never say die. If your £2 a week still comes m it Vis going . into the Post Office. . . . God must beon our side, • : ' -'y: : . ■'■ sweetheart, and he will help us, • dear, for we are Working for the best cause m the world. ' love and marriage. I want to be yours m the eye -of the law aa- soon as 1 we can make it so. The gramophone . beside me is playing 'You're wonderful.' .You are my wonderful one." '.'■ ' One epistle produced was written to Mrs. Smith by. a, man named Weiberg, who said: "Tom is your friend, and I think he will do everything he can to get you right. 7 Little does he know he is doing it for my sake, too. . . . You say when I picked you up I picked iipa lot of trouble. Dear, you Ijnow I'd do anything for you. . .'."Weiberg signed himself, "Ever your loving.: Johnny.' -/P. S. — Lots of love and kisses dear."; ' -y -'■ ' "Pat- Smith certainly has a genius for writing and inspiring love letters, to .judge by the examples handed up to the bench. V " 'Asked, what .he intended to do with his two young children, if the court made the cancellation order, Smith repjied that KS| would place them with his , mother, who would loofe aitfer them. \ Mi*. Potter: What did you allow your wife when she was living with yoQ? — She hadall;,my money, but she neglected the house and ran around. >• Cross-examined hy Mr.Vßoe, the husband said he was not of a jealous disposition, and he. had not stopped his wife going to 'dances, though he had not. gbne to moire than one at Te Whaiti ; himself-. MrV Roe: Have you ever ill-used- or man^handled your wife?— No, I have hot. ' . 'V "• ' '■„''' '•.' '•. . '-'V-v Have you never hit her? — No, I've

Fought the legal battle for the wife: Mr. E. Roe. held her from hitting me. She's a girl with x a very bad temper. Smith went on to say that domestic matters at Te Whaiti had never been pleasant. '.-...' "I have riever told her to get out," he added; "I told her she could go to a boarding-house." '.'Did yoii tell her to get her things and the door would be closed to her m- future?" .queried '■■ Mrs." Smith's counsel. Smith r No; I told her she could go

'7 Am Just Living For Your Letters"

to a boarding-house if she didn't like home; . ;'-.- :.' ■' • '■■■ - V.- v The husband "protected that he. Avas not aware.7of what' his wife was doing after she ; left him. . She had written once, but not for money, _and he had met her by accident m RotoruaV /His mother ha y d had his children at Puriri. At no time had -his wife's .people: had to assist hirri. '. ■- Smith went; on to relate that his wages at thb; time- of the court- proceedings' were £.5- per week. He was at Puriri ; when ; arrested arid was released on bailV' "I knew .nothing about those letters then," declared /Smith. "If vl had I' wouldn't,- have. 'consented to the; order." -V; v 7 ' VV-' ■" y7-- : '' -.■•'■••'■/. ■••''': Mr. Roe: If you yvere not cruel to your wife, why did ypu^cbnsent to ah . order Vagainit; ypu; ialleigirig ' persistent; , cruelty ?~Th<?r.e,.'V' was • nothing else to , do. "It was' nbV good carrying Von as ,we were.What is ybur reason, for asking, for the guardianship;' of the children?— l don't think- ".;sheVis<-ia';-fit! and- proper person to look: after '^ ; . Do you think vybuare?— X can-keep a

home • without tearing around the country. '••■'' Do. you think your •wife is. moral or immoral?— She certainly isn't, moral. Referring to the letters put m by Mr. Potter,- Mr. Roe asked the husband what he thought about them! "I'm better than' that," was his reply. • Mr. Roe: When the police ar-' v rested you you had some letters on you? — Yes. -. „ ' Written by a Gwen Hall ?— Yes. „| Counsel carried three, letters to Smith m the box and asked him to

Commented strongly^ on Mrs. Smith's conduct: Mr. S. L. Patterson, -S.M.~: look at . them, after which Mr. Roe read an. extract as follows: . .. , ; "Dearest Sid — My Darling Sweetheart . .. .- " Pointing to some crosses, counsel asked if. they .were symbols .of a secret society? Smith: I don't know what, they are.; Mr. Roe; Read, the letters. , Sriiith glanced at one of the slips of paper arid smiled. Mr. Roe: What's that mean? Read down, go on^-be fair — what's she.say? Smith read 'down and presently replied, "There's nothing ..in it." Counsel expressed surprise and read aloud the words, "Honey, I wish you were beside . mje, it wodld be heaven.".Smith only smiled. Mr. Roe: And m the face of that you come here and- say you are better qualified to look after the children than your wife? . V Mr. Potter: . He didn't say he would look after them. He said his mother would. ' . ''. . '■'•■' , Mr. Roe: What, do.you mean by coming' to court to blacken your wife, iri the face of these letters V found on you?. Smith replied that the letters meant nothing. ' \." „' : '' ' ''' '• In her letters to • Smith, Gwen Hall, who wrote a big, scrawly hand, penned ' the' following: "I have missed, you terribly lately. . . . I only ..wish, you were beside me, old dear,; it would be heaven. ■ v / \"T 'was very lonely when you left' me," and signed herself, "Your own! true, faithful girl,- Gwen." Asked where his wife was at present, Smith said she "'was: Staying with an aunt of his.' .He couljl" not say hqw his- wife was to live,, but he had no money <;o help her at vpresent. Mr. Roe: Is it a fair thing to come here and ask for cancellation?— l want the children. Mr. Roe insisted that Smith had only given his wife £4 in ' the last few months, but -thfl Mr. Potter repudiated, and it was shown that Smith had given his wife over. £ 8 during the period m dispute. The wages he! was then earning, Smith said,- were' only 30/-? a week looking' after his brother's trucks. He cduld riot .say where the young woman, who had written him the letters was now living. He had not seen her for some * nVo.nths. When he got started on a contract where he would be employed, he considered he would be. receiving £4/5/- a week.'. His aunt's home was not ; a good place for the children, . because' there were too many m it. Moreover, his I".'-' ' ".'-' ■ y wife' was gettirig money from other men and she would v not starve. Smfth denied that there had - been ■ trbuble- with- his I wife over the young woman; and the latter had never admitted that she had been m a certain room all night. - To Mr.' Potter, m re-examination, Srnith'said the young woman who had written the letters had knbwn his family for years. He had- written and told her- after the letters reached him that 'he never wanted to hear from her any. more. . . Evidence that Smith's, father had guaranteed "Pat" Smith's account for £1 a week for necessities was given by Herbert Montague. ■'■ The wife had '. never, made use V of ' the . order. '' .' '. An auctioneei" named Cosw^il stated that he had sold sorne furniture for Mrs. Smith- Vfbr £2/4/-.^ He didn't know Mrs, -Smith . by V that -name, she had so. many. ; , .-, -..- - ... A tall: young woman'; m ..a fur coat was next called.:. She gave her name) as Engie. Croslapd, .and^,, said she knew Mrs. Smith • arid' .Harold .Kingston. They had,. both stayed at her home and had shared the. same room.. When she discovered 'this she had remonstrated, telling them' she would 1 not -have V it,

Wife's Conduct

and they had departed. Mrs. Smith was at that time wearing good clothes and , was well, fitted out. Mr. Roe cross-examined this .young woman at some length. Mrs. Crosland admitted that she was not on good terms with Mrs. j.'Smith when the latter .left. She had a room there- and Kingston i had a bach at the back of her house.' "Isn't it a fact that Mrs. Smith, Mr. Kingston, a man named Douslin, and yourself bathed together m one of the pools?" asked Mr. Roe. The pool, known as the Lobster Pool, is situated at the back of the town, and Mrs. Crosland. denied the. allegations. ', . ..', VV.,... v "The four of • us never bathed together. There were two bathing. I did . not bathe," she declared. Mrs. Smith, it was learned, remained at the Crosland home eight, or nine days after Mrs. Crosland iriade her alleged discovery, and witness said there were words between Crosland and Mrs. Smith. They, were few and she did not hear them. Mr. Roe: Didn't 'she promise she would 'not have Kingston m her .room again?—^She didn't say she'd 'lie good; she said she'd behave. '. '-. :. Questioned as. to » why. she had gone to Auckland about the time of her discovery of Kingston m Mrs. Smith's room, Mrs. Crosland turned < to the bench and asked whether she had to answer ' that ■question. ' -y Mi*. V Patpr^o^ii a^Jj&d J^V-JVoe how th e' q u esti e®%aifeetedg, ttipiyisssu e, ,md the ; latter. r^ps^^ a certain s|^esD|^^^ teiV/was no^M^^^^^^^yyyy: y ■ Mr. Roe: ingis betwe#|^s?^tw^ have anyth^jg^ti^^-jwtt^ nothing ; w^teyer^V^V'^^;'^-' ''<■}*?■•' yy ■'■ The evidence?s6f Albert .JJalfour Douslin a motor was "taken m Auckland. His statements said: "Mrs. Smith is a hard case. ' Mr V Kingston occupied a room at the_back of Crosland's house." * v , Douslin then claimed to having seen them under compromising circumstances. ' .;. ' 7. Weiberg's evidence was also taken on comriiissibri at Taurnarunui. He denied any., iriisConduct with Mrs. Smith, but skid ; he had rriet ' her m Auckland/ by chance more or less, and had taken her .'to . the\ pictures, a.nd' home afterwards, where he had left her. He admitted sending her->£s. V This closed the case, and when Mr. Patterson gave his decision the fol-: lowing, morning he announced that. he had .considered tne .evidence and taken into consideration the letters, tendered. ' ' His. Worship said he was/of the opinion that certain phrases m the letters from Mrs. Smith had been written prior /to the order. The let- '" t ers, , that 'from Wei'berg, and o t;h c r.'s, showed that . Mrs. Smith had been projniscuous m her favors and had misconducted herself with two men, and that she had obtained money from Kingston and Weiberg. • ' "I am certain," continued Mr. Patterson, "that had.the husband known, he, would never have consented to. an' order, or the court have iriade it. As to the letters to Smith, there was no evidence of misconduct on hig part prior, to the separation. Smith seems to be the lesser party,' and his misconduct, if any, was induced by his wife's conduct:" The procedure urider certain ' sections of the Act was not clearly defined; continued the magistrate. . He could give Smith's the custody of the children, but, he was avei*se. to doing so, arid plaintiff himself was too young. The best course be for the court to communicate with the Child' Welfare Department to -.put the children under their control, and- have an order made for- the father to maintain them. ■ : *" . ' "The letters disclose a state of appalling immorality among' a section of the inhabitants^ of the - Rotorua district. There is the cvi- r dence of Mrs. Smith teaching her : children 'to, -call. Kingston 'daddy'," he added. In- , conclusion, the magistrate remitted the arrears, but Smith, as his wife was a destitute person within tlie meaning of the Act, must continue to pay maintenance according to the. current o^br/ during the period of the adjournment of the case, and the rhatter would be "decided on Decerhber 8, when an answer had been received from the Child Welfare Department.