AH UNUSUAL APPLICATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 51

AH UNUSUAL APPLICATION

HUSBAND SELLS HIS WIFE. AUCKLAND, February 9. A case, said to be unusual in New Zealand law anr.al3, was heard by Mr E. C. Outten, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, when an application for an order was sought by a young married woman against Rangipouri Marumaru, described as first-grade licensed interpreter, who did not appear. Counsel for complainant staled that both complainant and her husband were white people. The husband was engaged by de-‘ fendant at £6 per week to work on his farm at Rata, near Marton, and was given a house on the property. The husband made constant reference to being in love with a woman in England, and frequently urged his wife to go to defendant, so that ho could go to the other woman. About August, 1920, the two men met at the cottage, spending several hours settling the terms of an extraordinary transaction —namely, that tho husband should depart and leave the wife to defendant, in consideration of the payment of a large sum of money, believed to be £4OO. The husband left, but about 2 o’clock on the fourth morning after departure returned, entering the cottage through a window, tho Maori and the woman having meanwhile lived as husband and wife. The husband stated that it was no good to him, as the cheques had proved to be valueless. The two men spent the remainder of the night in conversation, in the kitchen, complainant passing the time crying in bed. The husband resumed his former relationship with his wife. In May, 1921, a child was born, which it was obvious was a half-caste. After complainant had given evidence on the lines of counsel’s statement, the magistrate adjourned the case for a fortnight to allow the husband to be notified of the proceedings.