The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1892-06-10 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BRUTAL HUSBAND IN  THE GARW.  A TERRIBLE TALE OF SUFFERING.  At Bridgend Police-court on Saturday—Mr. R.  W. Llewellyn presiding—Evan Jones, carpenter, of Blaengarw, was charged under remand with an aggravated assault on his wife, Elizabeth, on the 29th of May. Complainant, a quiet looking woman of apparently delicate health, who still bore a bruised eye, was accommodated with a chair in the witness-box.--Mr T. J. Hughes appeared for the prosecution, and applied for a judicial separation.—Complainant, in the evidence given before Mr C. P. Davis on the 31st May, said they had been married 20 years. Defendant was a carpenter, but had not followed his trade for the last five years. About l 0 years before he suddenly deserted her and enlisted. He remained away for eight years, and all she received from him during that time to maintain herself and two children was an allowance of 3d a day. She supported herself and family by keeping lodgers and by the help she received from her son, a boy of over 16. In the knit two years the defendant had only contributed 18s tower ds their support. About two or three years ago she had occasion to summon her husband, and he absconded and stayed away for a month. Six months ago she summoned him for peace sureties; he had thrown a knife at her and threatened to shoot her. He failed to find bail and underwent nine weeks' imprisonment. On coming out he behaved pretty well for a few days, but had become very disagreeable, and complained that she sent him to gaol for nothing. He often struck her, and she was now suffering from a gathering in the head, the result of a blow he had given her. Police-constable Hurford took him away, and he returned about a week ago. On the previous Saturday night he came borne about ten o'clock under the influence of drink and threatened to kill her. She was alarmed and slept in a bed-room by herself, fastening the door. About four o'clock in the morning when she was fast asleep defendant burst open the door, rushed up to the bed, and struck her with his fist in the face. She screamed, and he ran out: He returned the same evening and tried to get in, and threatened to shoot her. She was afraid of her life of him.—Police-constable Hurford, Blaengarw, said he had known the parties for some time. Complainant bore a good reputation, and was a steady, quiet, hard-working woman. Prisoner did odd jobs about publichouses. On the 7th May he was called to the house at about eleven o'clock at night. Defendant was drunk, and was using very foul language towards his wife. The mob threatened defendant, and on witness's advice he went away by the backdoor of the house. On a subsequent occasion he saw complainant, whose eye was bloodshot, and she made complaints of defendant having badly treated her.—By defendant: He bore a character for drunkenness and laziness about the place.— Thomas Price, lodging with the complainant at 19, Blaengarw-road, Blaengarw, said one Sunday morning about three weeks or a month ago he noticed complainant with a black eye, and she made a statement to him about it. The previous Saturday night defendant was threatening his wife. Afterwards he heard defendant mutter to himself in his bed-room that he would murder his wife in the morning. About four o'clock he heard loud sere iming, and on going out on the landing he found complainant crying; her eye was bloodshot and swollen. Defendant rushed out of his bed-room downstairs, and witness went down and succeeded in quieting him. Defendant was not there at breakfast-time. He returned at about eight o'clock in the evening, and kept knocking at the back-door for admission for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. He called upon witness to open the door, but he refused, saying he had no authority to do so. Complainant's nerves appeared to be in a very shattered condition all the week, and if defendant went on as he did he believed she would be in danger of her life.—Defendant said he didn't know it was so early when he got up. His wife refused to come to his bed-room, and blackguarded and swore at him, and he struck her with his open hand.—Defendant was sent to gaol for two months, and the Bench granted a judicial separation, and made a maintenance order upon defendant for 7s a week.