Denaby Couple to Try Again

The quarrels of a Denaby couple led to the appearance at Doncaster on Wednesday of John William Morte, miner, on a summons of having been persistently cruel to his wife, Catherine, 66 Balby Street, Denaby.

The wife said she lived with her husband at 78 Blythe Street, Denaby Main up to 30 November, when she left him because of his cruelty.

They were married on November 20, 1922, and there was one child, aged two. She complained that her husband was always getting into debt. It was a “monthly occurrence” for him to strike her – she could not count the number of black eyes he had given her. She had to leave him because she was “frightened to death”.

When he came home on November 13 he was drunk, and gave her £3, including 10 s she had lent him. He also struck her with his fist. “His debts caused most of the trouble” she added, “I think he ought to have told me about them before I married him.”

The magistrates Clerk, (Mr EW Pettifer): They ought not to go cause trouble now you know about them.

Witness added she was a widow when she married the defendant, and had two children by a first husband, both living with her.

The husband said there have been faults on both sides. He had tried to do his best to make things comfortable, and he was quite willing to have his wife back. He tried to keep the debts away from her and pay them out of his own pocket money, but instead of giving him a bit of encouragement she had given him the opposite. With regard to the Friday in which she left him, he wasn’t drunk although he had called at the club. His wife and his sister-in-law were already in the house moving furniture. She never let him have a bit of peace.

The Chairman said the magistrates were going to give them a month to get over their differences, and in the meantime, the husband would have to pay 20s and week for the maintenance of his wife and child.

The case was adjourned for one month.