The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-10 00:00:00

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.

Fn. 8.
(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
THWATTLS r. 111WAITVL

(Continued from Saturday's Express.)
Mr. Kerslake, Q.C., for the defence, denied that his client
had ever treated the petitioner with harshness. She had vo-
luntarily abdicated ber position as mistral' of the house,'and
the respondent had, therefore, been obliged to give his eiders
directly to her somata. The learned counsel ridiculed the
idea that she had not a sufficient wardrobe, rod read to the
court the following list of articles which had been sent after
her to Mr. Welsh's, and which she had not herself pretended
to deny that she had received, viz.:-15 dream of all
kinds, it bonnets, 23 slips, 2 elcsko, 1 apron, 4 pairs boots, 1
pair goloshes, 5 mantles, 2 falls. 1 bustle—(• laugh)-2
skirts, 5 wreaths, 4 boas, 19 ties (silk and velvet), 1 hag. 10
palm el kid gloves, 1 feather, 2 pairs of silk hose, 1 grain
slip, 1 feather faa, 10 scarves, 4 *Aube, 2 had dresses, 2
veos, 1 lace "flyaway," 3 pairs of slippers,l4 pairs of sleeves,
18 collars (worked. U.), 9 waist.banda, 2 visite., 10 shawls
(large and small), 5 dreasioglowns, 5 bodices, 1 ast, 1 pin, 2
hair-brushes, 3 pairs of stays, 6 pain of summer &swam,
7 pairs of winter hose, 3 flannel slips,. 6 nttiresies, 2
apes, 3 ennolinee—(aughter)-3 uupicied 1 false
hair, 6 pairs of drawers, 3 pairs of black wontedihoot, 6
pain cotton ditto, 6 pairs summer ditto, 38 pooket.handker-
chids, 2 night-caps, 1 sitting-up cap. 1 pair of gilt hairpins,
a brooch, and 2 large boxes of miscellaneous articles. It wan
true Miss Welsh said that some days afterwards she had
made a list which differed from this in some respects ; but
it in great measure confirmed it, though it stated that some
of the things were old, and added the perfectly immaterial
note that others hail been presents. The learned counsel
then called
Mr. Thwaitea, the respondent, who said that when he
married the petitioner he had • business es a dentist, at
Bristol, which yielded him 300/. or 100€. a year. He denied
that he had kicked his wife in bed. She once told him to
got up to the child, and, being half asleep, be made • move-
ment of impatience and accidentally touched her with his
knee, but she made very little of it at the time. Had Dever
struck her while his son Willie was at the breast.
Es-
membered showing her in 1856 two 101. notes and three or
four sovereigns, which he said he hail been able to save to-
wards George's education. She seemed pleased. Had met
her that day ou bee return home from the country. Did
not lire pistols that night, but did go into her room at two
in the morning. Had bees told by the nurse that Mrs.
Thweitee had ordered two of the children to be placed in
her bed, so that wituess might not sleep with her that night.
Was highly excited about it. Went out fors walk, but re-
turned at eleven. Remained in the drawing-room reading
or writing till two. Theo went up to her, and tried to
take the child from her side to put him into another bed.
There was a struggle, and witness ultimately left the
child with her. Did not kick her or pinch bar,
or pull her hair, or pull her out of the bed. Boxed her ears
iu 1856 for calling him • liar ; lint remained on friendly
terms with her at that time. Remembered once taking •
letter from her which she was writing. She shut the lid of
her desk down upon his hand, begin did not Alike her •
stunning or stinging blow on the head, or any blow at all.
Once at supper she had called him a liar, and he touched
her face with the mustard spoon, which he happened to have
in his hand. She was always irritating him, and be had
once intended to destroy his life. He fired a pistol is •
dresser in his work-room ; his wife then came rushing down,
and he said, "Thank God. Pinny, I have not deem it.
He had taken her teeth out simply bemuse they required
Lobe extracted. Her gums were to der after that. Took
chloroform to a great extent, owing to worry of mind. Was
in debt when he married. Four days after the wedding the
petitioner expressed • strong desire to have a diamond ring.
Mused to let her have one, because be could sot at'
fond it. After her father's death she bought one with
money which he hod left her for mourning. Was
exoesiively annoyed at her for doing so, but she excused hen
self on the ground that her sister had also bought • ring
like hers. It cost 13/. After that she made a list of moort
leg which would have cornet° 33/. Told her he could sot
let her have the articles. The day after she came down to
him and said, "Hear what I have got to my. Unless yea
give me 30/. for mourning only, I will expo you to all the
world, and that will ruin you." Made her sot the slightest
niply. She repeated the same threat on the day following.
Altar that she refused to take her meals with witness, awl
oo•fiaed handl to her bed-room. They did not speak et
all for three seethe. In November, 1860 she CAHN *ma
sad " You than hear me speak—l will tell yea maw
thing. Merely said, "Now Manny deer, don't •
Shenplied, "Dear, indeed ! dear, indeed! " Thea sin

abusing witness mod also the servants, whom she called
"harlots" and " kept women." Once while the children
were at dinner she same up sad been &being Na She
said, "Willie dear, I'll help you to applinsues."Asher object
was only to &buoy witness, he told her to leave the
room. She refused to go. Tried to fame her out,
but did nut summed. In the struggle she might have
touched the clock outside the door. Os the occasion spoken
to by witness's sou she bad burst into the room while he
was talking to him. Took up some clean water and
threatened to throw it is her face, but put it down without
doing so, and left the room. She followed him, and he
tiMd to put her oat. Dared say that her arms were bruised.
H. own hands sere scratched. Took up the water a second
time, and again put it down. At last be threw it in her
We, saying, • Well, if you will, you must ; and if that
wait do, I'll give you a bucket-full, for I won't be insulted
in my workroom." Nothing had been said about dirty linen
as that occasion ; but there had been tome talk about it as
the evening before. Did not oall up the servants, but they
bed come up bearing the noise. Mrs. Thwintes kept the
house till after she took to ben room ; but at last she sent
down a list of things, with • message that if he did not sup-
ply them she would go to law. After that witness
managed the home himself. Her conduct was
constantly abusive ; but witness never sanctioned any
rudeness on the part of the servants towards her.
Never sent her hard and gristly pieces of meat for the pur-
pose of annoying her. She had exactly what the net of the
family had, and that without dint. For months she had
a pound and a half or two pounds of beef every day to make
beef tea with. She had also jelly regularly for a mouth or
six weeks while she was ill. Till 1858 she had es allowance
of 361. ayes: for clothes. After that a friend of his asked
her if in his wesmtcimumetances she would take 201. She
said she would not have less than 80/. Up to 1868 wit.
ness's position bad been improving, but it bad then began to
fall off, and2ol, was more than he could afford. In 1888
she sent him word that she had been obliged to borrow •
warm cloak, whereas she had at that time the very same
cloak, to the best of his belief, as she had wore in the murk
Never tilled her a bad woman except once, when she said
she would take her little daughter, who was ill, and urea
her to the magistrates. Did tell the laundress, Tovey, that
the petitioner must be out of her senses ; but had
been informed at the moment that she had allowed
his son George to cut the banisters. The ilist
of clothes sent after her to Mr. Welsh's was made out with
the aid of the two servants. It was& menet list; and though
some of the things were worn these was ea ample ward-
robe for a person in petitioner's condition. Sent her every-
thing that belonged to her, except • locket which he kept
for his daughter. Witness's practice bad seriously dimin-
ished t and after his wife left he gave up his house and
went into lodgings. Had never threatened to poison her ;
or said that he had a subtle poison which would destroy
life without leaving a trace. She never said that she locked
her room because he had so threatened her. Her room was
never locked with witness's consent.
At the close of the witnees's examination in chief the
court adjourned.

9