SHUNNED HIS WIFE

Southland Times, Issue 18964, 11 June 1923, Page 6

SHUNNED HIS WIFE

HUSBAND’S CURIOUS ATTITUDE. DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS TAKEN. (Per United Press Association). AUCKLAND, June 9. Before Mr Justice Stringer, a divorce case possessing unusual features was brought by Mary Williams for the dissolution of her marriage with Walter Keith Williams, storekeeper, of Ohura. The ground of the petition was separation. The parties were married in 1898 and have a fairly large family. Some time before the Armistice, according to petitioner’s counsel, tiffs having occurred previously, the respondent expressed his intention of having nothing more to do with his wife. His method of carrying this into effect was to move to a bedroom of his own, he having furnished it himself, and to discontinue to pay the household accounts, telling his wife that he was simply a boarder in, her house, the house being her property, and he would pay her £3 a week for board and accommodation. Counsel characterised the respondent as not only a boarder, but also as a most ungracious one. He neither spoke to anyone in the house nor would he have his meals at the same time as the other members of the family. Apart from sleeping in the house and having his meals there he shunned the place like one possessed, and fitted his office up as a sittingroom and there spent all his spare time and evenings and there too\ntertained his friends. So ■ complete was the estrangement between the parties that some matters relating to property owned by the petitioner or given to her by respondent were adjiisted by correspondence between thesolicitor for the respondent at Ohura and Mrs Williams, who would send the letters on for the solicitors in Auckland to deal with. Counsel argued that separation had, in fact, taken place. His Honour said that as the case presented some peculiar features he would reserve his decision.