The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-20
70 HOME OR TO THE REEF.
ANTOINE MELLo ORDERED TO HIS
FIRESIDE.
He Must Live with Theresa or With
Jailor Henry-The Husbands and
Wives Law.

Judge Wilcox restablished a once hap
py home this morning. He didn't sue
ceed in reconciling the young couple
who had made the home, nor in even
partially smoothing over the discords
that have arisen between them, but he
reunited finem just the same. Antoine
Mello was arrested on complaint of
Theresa Mello for desertion, and though
after two hours of tedious court pro-
.ceedings the couple could agree no bet
ter than at the beginning, the judge de-
cided. that they must live together
again.
IL order you to return to your wife" T"
said the Judge to MellO after deciding
that Mello had left his wife without due
cause, land to live with her. If you are
too poor to provide a good home, bad
one will do, and she must share your
lot If you only make ten cents a week,
give her five of it. Marriage contracts
are not made to be violated by sudden
desertions whenever husband or wife
gets mad and it is the duty of both
husband and wife to bear with one an
other and try to get along In harmony
Incidentally the judge remarked be-
fore giving his decision that the nus
bands and wives law was a disgrace
and a blot on the statutes of Hawaii
Mr.. and Mrs. Mello sat at opposite
sides of the court room and glared at
one another while the judge told the
husband to return to his WIFE, Mrs.
Mello is a very handsome young Portu-
guese woman. Mello is young Portu-
! guese who is in hard luc'- as he SAID,
being out ofA job and looking for work
on a water front that is decidedly dead
| just now.
The young wife testified that she had
been deserted by Mello without any rea-
son, and there were hints that Mello
| had fallen a victim to the charms OF
another woman, though no testimony
was introduced to support the claim
Mello said he had been over-persuad-
ed to marry the pretty young girl. Her
mother and father had bothered him for
long time. Finally he had given in,
because they promised to pay for his
! wedding suit and shoes and hat and
various other necessities, all of which
cost $50, which amount, the dignlned
mother-in-law testified, was still owing
Judge Wilcox suspected the mother
in-law from the first and asked sundry
questions about the advice she mao
been in the habit of handing out to the
youthful couple, and it developed tina,
| one of the causes of domestic lnhaT-
mony was the fact that Mello did MOI
want to live near the mother-in-laW
home.
When Mello took the stand he begar
the story of his life from the time he
landed in Hawaii, and he would have
been talking yet had not the judge
stopped him with few pointed ques-
tions. These developed the fact that he
had got mad" and left his happy home
and the judge decided that this was moi
enough evidence that there was valio
reason for desertion.
The law says that judges must try tC
effect a reconciliation, in deserttor
cases, or order the parties to live to-
gether again, and the judge took this
way out of a dilemma.
After he had been ordered to return
to his better half Mello left the court
with the young woman.
There were various evidences of lacl
of harmony between the couple as the!
left the building and it rmains to bt
seen whether Wilcox's reconciliation
will work or not If it, doesn't, MellC
may be up for desertion again. In tina
case. it was intimated, the court will
have to send him to the reef for thirt!
days. Mello has been given the alter
native of returning to his pretty younl
wife, or taking turn on the reef.