MAN OF MANY MARRIAGES SUES HIS BROTHERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18787, 17 June 1929, Page 9

MAN OF MANY MARRIAGES SUES HIS BROTHERS.

“ if THEY DON’T WANT TO ASSIST ME, I WOULD RATHER STARVE.”

In the Magistrate’s Court this morning Patrick Owen Cunneen sued his brothers, George, Thomas, Edward, James and William, for maintenance for himself and his family. Mr Jones, maintenance officer, conducted the complainant’s case, Mr Booker appeared for Thomas Cunneen, and Mr Malley for the other four defendant brothers. In the witness box, the complainant said that he was unable to support his wife and family, and that his brothers were in a position to help him. Mr Jones: llow,many times have you been married?—Three. “How many children have you?”— “Seven. Four at home and three in an orphanage.” Witness said that he suffered acutely from neuritis. He could not do heavy work of any sort whatever. “Why do you not get work in the country?” asked Mr Malley. “It’s no use talking like that,” said complainant. “I can’t get a job in my state of health. And if I was well enough to get a country job it wouldn’t keep my wife and family. A farmer won’t pay more than about £2.” Complainant admitted getting £2OO in compensation for a broken leg, but said that was sixteen years ago. His wife had not been able to assist him He had had no permanent work, but at various odd jobs he had sometimes managed to average about £2 10s a week. “Can your brothers help?” asked Mr Jones. “Yes,” he replied. “They always used to go out and work while I was made to stay at home and do all the dirty work and get nothing for it. Some of them are farmers. I worked for them from when I was fifteen to when I was twenty-seven, and got nothing. I had to go out and work on threshing mills to earn money to buy clothes.” “Why didn't you take proceedings to get wages?” “I thought I was going to benefit from a will, but I found I was left right out of it.” Mr Malley: You say you have been married three times? “Yes, what about it? It wouldn’t matter to them (the brothers) if I had been married a dozen times.” “How many children did your first marriage result in?—“None.” “Your second?”—“Three.” “Your third wife had a child previous to her marriage with you?”—“Yes.” “Plow many more children did you have by her?”—“What if I have had a dozen? It ” “Answer the question,” said the Magistrate. “Three,” said the witness. Mr Malley: You just came and sued your brothers without a word to them? Witness: No. I went to see Tom, but he told me that if I didn’t get off his place he would get the police to come and put me out. If they won’t help me, I have nothing left to do. I’d a sight sooner starve!” Stern rebukes met the naughty word, and the witness left the stand. Mr Malley applied for an adjournment to enable him to find out from the doctor just what the state of Cunneen’s health was. “This man has been a trouble to his family all his life,” said counsel, “and his brothers want to be sure that he is not able to work.” Mr Malley's application was complied with.