MATRIMONIAL DIFFICULTIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16505, 5 August 1919, Page 2

MATRIMONIAL DIFFICULTIES.

OF A RAVELLING JUGGLER. BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, August 5. Domestic troubles of the Great Henri French, juggler, trick cyclist, and one man showman, were the subject of a case at the JMiagistrate’s Court today. when French was sued by his wile, Elsie French, for .separation, maintenance, and guardianship orders. Mrs. French' said her husband had met with considerable success as a showman iu the smaller towns, sometimes receiving as much as £lO to £2O for a night’s show; and on occasions upwards of £2O per week on the vaudeville stage. However, in June last her faith in him received a rude shock for she discovered that he had for some time past been contributing to the support of two illegitimate children; moreover she alleged that her husband had treated her cruelly, even threatening to take her life and that of her child, and she therefore left her husband and the caravan life and came to "Wellington to her people. She was alraid tier husband would carry out Ills threat to leave New Zealand, and so lea\e noi and'her child destitute, especially as it was possible that divorce proceedings would be instil ulcd. Mr. H. O'Leary, for the delcncc, said ill a I the husband had no desire to evade his responsibilities towards his wife, but it was submitted that no olfeuco had been established to justify Iho granting ol the application. The husband’s savings were certainly not intended to be used to enabje him to skip at short notice to Australia. America. Paris, or anywhere else. The, husband, a voluble Frenchman, had much to say about the great expense of keeping the show going, the cost of chaff and oats, the running expenses. all manner of repairs and wages (for since his wife had left him ho had engaged throe assistants) cut the takings " down to a more skeleton. His plant, horses, caravans and paraphernalia ho valued at £4OO at the most, and lie mentioned MO.s per week as the maximum Mini which he could contribute towards the support of his wife and child. Certainly he could earn .good money on the vaudeville stage, but he could not: obtain anything like permanent employment in that direction. He admitted quite cheerfully that, he had responsibilities outside his legitimate family circle. “My wile says 1 haf threaten'to take her life,’’ he langhctl : “novaire haf I done so. 1 think ect is hoepnotist.” The magistrate said he did not consider that persistent cruelty had been proved, but the order would he made on the grounds that the defendant had failed to support his wife. French would be, required to pay £2 Ids pm" week towards the maintenance ol Ins wife and child, and to deposit a sum of Coo as a security for compliance with the order.