CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20582, 4 December 1928, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT.

Monday,. December. 3: ■ (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) . ' i MAINTENANCE. John Archer, who was proceeded against on a charge of-.disobedience of a maintenance order in. respect of his wife, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, to ,be released on- payment of the’ arrears (112). Earland James Patterson was proceeded against by. his. wife on a complaint for separation, ..maintenance, add guardianship orders in respect of herself and her t vo children, on the grounds of •persistent cruelty, habitual drunkeouess, and failure to maintain:—Mr C. M, Barnett appeared,for the complainant, and Mr C. J. li. White for the defendant.—Mr Barnett, in outlining the ' case, said that although the,.parties' bad been married only six years, there had been fieyeral'rupturcs between them as, a result of the defendant’s 'habits. There were; two children, and there _ appeared to be little• hope of a reconciliation, as the defendant, despite repeated promises, had gone back to his old. way of living.—Evidence of the- defendant’s conduct towards .her was given by the complainant, who 'stated that he-had- made it impossible for. her to live with -him on account of his drinking heavily and his love, of; racing. 1 He had- a, violent, temper, arid on one occasion, when she. objected to. his giving one of the children beer, he struck her. He had also ill-used her on several other occasions, and when he had drink he was ill the habit'; of theratening to do’ away with himselfoss-examined ' by Mr White, wittier said she was. not aware that she'had. made’her husband completely “ fed up ” by attending too much to .church matters, and. he had, never had cause to complain of a, man named White, .a> member of the church, staying - till; all' hours of the night at their house, discussing religious matters with, • her.—Daniel Stewart, father of the complainant, told of several attempts be'had made to effect a reconciliation between his daughter and the defendant, whom he characterised' as being somewhat “queer ” at times, and much addicted to drink. —Oscar Edwin. White, in evidence, stated that he had visited the defendant’s ■ house' on several occasions on business. Eventually the defendant became annoyed with him, and s.dd that he (witness) was encouraging the complainant to take too much interest in the. church and. the Bible school. The complainant attended the Bible school on an average ■of two nights a week, and ■witness frequently went back to her home afterwards' to discuss biblical matters with her.- He had; seen the defendant under the- influence of liquor.—Simeon George "Griffiths gave evidence that he had heard the ■ defendant admit having ill-treated his wife.—ln evidence the'defendant denied that he had ■ failed to maintain’lais wife, that he had ill-treated her, or that be dyank to excess, and stated that, ever since they had been, mar-ried-he had given her air his wages. The principal causes of the trouble were his mother-in-law who was always ■ iuterfer’ing, and the fact that liis wife 1 neglected her home in favour of the church ander John Hamilton, police 'constable at .Green Island, .said he had never seen anything about the defendant to suggest that, he was an habitual inebriate.—The magistrate said that the-evidence for : the complainant had; utterly failed to substantiate the-allegations of cruelty and inebriacy . against the defendant. He would not, therefore; grant an order for separation, and would.' hold the matter oyer - for ’ a - week to allow the parties -to discuss the question of the - 'maintenance of the children. ■