Sheffield Independent – Wednesday 29 August 1917
Denaby Don Juan
Finds Happiness in Making “A Bit of Love.”
The story of a married man’s flirtations was told at the Doncaster Police Court yesterday, when Matilda Wall, of Denaby charged her husband, Wilfrid Wall, miner, who is well known as a pianist, with persistent cruelty.
They were married in 1909 and there are two children. The ill-treatment, alleged the wife, commenced soon after the birth of the first child, when she found some letters from a girl at Keighley to her husband.
He said it was only friendship. Later, when she taxed him about going out with the girl, he struck her and knocked her down. Afterwards she heard he was courting girt at Swinton, and the father of the girl came to see her.
A week ago she found some letters in his drawer from married woman, the wife of a soldier who was at the front. Defendant sometimes never came home at night.
Evidence was given by a Swinton father, who said that defendant had been courting his daughter and visiting the house. When heard defendant was a married man and taxed him with it, defendant replied “Nothing of the sort.”
A young married woman, the wife of a soldier, admitted corresponding with defendant in friendship. She had not walked out with him. She had invited him to go to York. She knew he was a married man.
The defendant complained that he was misjudged about the Keighley affair. So far the Swinton affair was concerned it was partly his fault. He had not been first going with one and then another, though he had he said made a bit of love to two. He had found happiness in it, and that was the only thing he had done it for. He did not find happiness at home.
The Clerk: Do you think this sort of life you have been reading is likely to promote happiness at home?
The Bench granted a separation order with 20 s a week maintenance. The wife expressed a wish that the defendant should have the custody of the children. The defendant was further ordered to pay the costs.