FOLICE COURT.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1179, 19 February 1884, Page 2

FOLICE COURT.

THIS DAY. (Before Messrs J. J. VValdcgrnve and G. VI. Suslson, J's.P.)

Thomas Symons was charged with having used threatening language to Louisa Syraons, whereby complainant was afraid of bodily injury, and prayed that accused be bound over m sureties to kee,j the peace. ■ « Mr Hankins appealed foi com* plaiuant, and Mr Perkins for defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Louisa Sytaons deposed — I am the wife of accused, and hold a pro* tectipn order against my husband. He forced himself back" to thehbusa after an absence of twelve months. On the 17th inst I waited on him, and remarked I was going to church, when he became like a madman, and said he wonld smash the lot; of us also using the words set out m the information. He never speaks a kind word, but is a bullying blackguard. Eighteen months ago he threatened me, aud does it every day. .•;!-' By Mr Perkins— l have been married twenty-five years. I brought £2000 to him to make our lives happy • my brother is trustee of the property, but I am the sole owner. Igo to church on Sunday mornings with my son and the other children. No one else was with me. On the day mentioned I did not go to. church, Mr Cobbe dines at my place/ and lives m my house, next door* Symons objects , ; to my ; . taking boarders, but it is nothing to do with : him. I have walkeddown the to^nwitH •Mr? Cobbe arm inan^. . ; ..l.was'..not going to church with him on the daj jin question. It .is riot'true ;: that ! dn a. certain day I was lying on the'sofa aod Symons was sitting; ' by m ! *bn© chair and Mr Cobbe' ia' another. Don't remember Symons going for i horses, or that after-he loft I said, " Mr Cobbe, my depr, come and sii; besidejme,'' nor did Symons put hia head m at the door' io Bear it:~ l IHe did not.jfind Cofybe .sitting by me. He did tell Cobbe that he did not like a man; sticking so close to his wife as he did to, me. He told him he did not want him .there,, but he had no right to do': this., iS/mona, did not have rlinnei: with us on Sunday, but had it afterwards. , In the afternoon I went out for a waljk' with my son and daughters. Symona had his tea with us on; Sunday evening, and the 1 row v occurred m the morning. He slept that night m the house. He walks about like a madman all night, and I woke up with him feeling my face. I have had no sleep for a month. After tea on Monday Grillespie came over with a warrant for his apprehension, which I had sworn to that day. Symons asked Gillespie what he was going to arrest him for; he was " awfully innocent." If; he is not bound over I shall have^d 1 sell all I have got and /leave; the town. I never threatened! to: Sjwefi^fhis life away or to poison him! The" row did not commence/throiigh : Mr Cobbe. Symons did order him out of the house one day. I got the protection order eight years ago. He: has lived with me since. He' hasnot struck me, except . once years ago, but has held hisJfisY&e^to me. I was not going to wait till I was struck. My daughter Julia was present /when he : tised , .the r words mentioned m the; information. I have hot tutored or instructed "he»" and^she will tell the truth; ,1 am not a " veteran "m the C6urt; !r and ob-i--ject to such a statement by jpu. THe other three daughters weje, there', 0 but they are little. If Sy^npns p^n* 1 not find sureties he will ha\e ; . to.! gq' ; to gaol. Once before I" laid >a? similar information against^him.'' -Hei found sureties then. 'My only reason^ for laying this'infdi^ationi^becauie' 1 I am afraid of my lifeV ' Iwffi ! n'6V : withdraw the information, even if he promises jbo ;turh oyferla^ne^'leaf7<Wswear the' fault is noVori'm^sideY^ I have not got a long^Qngue.^l.dpnot v nag," but am as quiet a womanas ' T there is about. - — ■ Julia Symons, daughter of last witness depbsedHßat < slieliheard her father make , use of , the language mentioned m the',informa^6a. ; 0! \ in .-•' • By Mr Perkms— l'am'dged^i^ ;'' have had no conversation witi! 'my J mother about this matter. She never asked me if I heard the^pr4s.usef|s ; .George J. ; Symons deposed that.oa,rthe day mentioned 'his 'motherfi-toldv him what had 'taken' pla'ee, and sufc- <? sequently his father, wanted to fight him. He is a thorough 1 :-i blackguard m his conduct about the house. i i By Mr Perkins— l could see when 1 1 came home that^ there hj&djt^n some unpleasantness. I : fam /not ; frightened for my own life, but; for my mother. I should expect tbalt'if he were bound the sureties wbuld prevent him doing any harinV " iM '" ; ' . A. E. T. Haultain, Clerk of Courts produced the record of the , courts fr6in which it appeared there -,wktft3 two convictions against accused for breach ofthepeacein 1879, aha 1 several subsequently. ;.■.■>• j .-. « r This concluded the case for the complainant. -..,,_ Accused was sworn and ' stated;- ----| that on the Sunday morning i : his j wife seemed to be all right, and everything was smooth. She toldhim to look after the dinner, and. he said he would. Shortly after. fcj§~ found that they were all going; _tp>' I church, and had let the fire go f .outi '"" besides neglecting to provide staffing ' for a sucking pig which was .to! W f cooked. One word brought on another, and he told his wife, to, go ~ on to Church with Cobbe, but she , would not go then. He denied hay- \ ing naid he would put her in/her grave, but had told >er thaishejwaa enough to drive any man t» 'his* grave. : She had not,been Ijlcjejih^, same woman since he came back this time, but had only spoken ; to Jf him with a scoff or sneer. , They had not suoceeded m getting him -.t^drinky.r this time, and hence the present proceedings. He had never at any time even when drunk, lifted; his^and <to her. She had got the} -whole , family under her. She had got a 'piano, and the man referred to it,, f and took her down theisteeefe.ai^maSru He had done nothing, and 'was neve? 0 ' more astonished m his life than when he saw the warrant for his arrest T 7" Constable aiUespie 1 deposed thaft H i }^ a 9£P,°site- ■> SympiisJ ' honse«ii femce accused 'was Bi6k-th'ii r time^liffo had. not been drinking biift-hMibeeiiti m constant work at 8s per day. When sober he is a very quiet man*

Told him I would only employ him .on condition that he did not drink. They ai*e always " nagging " at one another, but I have never known anything else occur. Went over to the house on Sunday evening when Symons told him of the row. Took no notice of it, as these " family jars" were common, Do not think the man would do her any harm. He is quiet and is a good hardworking man. To Mr Hankins — I believe complainant is to blame and drives the man to it by her constant ''nagging." He is well spoken of by his mates and has kept himself steady and sober. It is only when he takes drink that he becomes disorderly. The Bench decided to dismiss the case and expressed an opinion that her proper course would have been to apply for a protection order. Mr Hankins stated that she]hadalready one, and he asked that the implied reflection upon him be withdrawn. The Bench agreed to this,. and also itatedthat they ba'l decided todismiss the <Sase to enable accused to persevere m his career of reformation. 3V Highland was charged with com- *" mitting a breach of the Vagrant Act by being without lawful visible means of •upport. lie pleaded gnilty. Constable Gillespie sta.ed that he had received a number i>f complaints about accused forcing himself into people's houses. He had also bejjged money; off -several, arid had obtained a mca! at one of the hotels without paying for it* Sentenced to one month's hard labor £a Wansunui Gaol. v :