Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 06 April 1894

A Denaby Husband and Wife
A Strange Case

Charles Johnson, collier, Denaby, was charged with deserting his wife at Denaby. He pleaded not guilty.

Selina Johnson, the complainant, said she now lived at Parkgate. She last lived with the defendant at Denaby about six weeks ago. She did not know the exact date. On a Sunday night about half-past eleven she had undressed herself when the defendant commenced to quarrel with her. He was in a nasty mood and would not listen to her. He nearly threw her down the stairs and then turned her out in the street naked, calling her a lot of foul names at the same time. She went to a neighbour’s, and got some clothes, and the following day she went to South Kirby. The defendant, after he had got rid of her, went upstairs and got into bed with the woman lodger. She did not think it right that a woman of her age, 45 next birthday, should be served like that by a young man who was only 35.

Cross-examined by the defendant, witness said she had charged the defendant with deserting her. He had never refused to maintain her because she had not asked him. She was afraid to go near him. She did not know that he had kept his home on for her. She believed he had sold it up. She admitted that he had since seen her in Rotherham; that was when she came to take out the summons against him. It was true that he saw her in a public-house, but she was not in bad company. She did not know the character of the woman he saw her with. It was true she went home with the woman, but she was obliged to go home with somebody.

Complainant called no witnesses, but the defendant called Mrs. Bennett, a neighbour. She saw the complainant the day after she was supposed to have been turned out. She was then outside her husband’s door, and she sent a boy into the house to fetch her purse, and when she got it she said, referring to her husband, “—— him, I will never live with him again.”

Mrs. Bradshaw, another neighbour, corroborated, and said she knew for a fact that the defendant had kept his home on if the complainant had wanted to come back.

Witness lived next door to defendant, and she did not see the complainant turned out.

Another witness having corroborated, the defendant said his wife went away of her own accord. He did not know where she was until recently, although it was nine weeks ago and not six since she went away. He had not refused to maintain her because she had never applied to him to do so.

The Bench said there was evidently no desertion, and dismissed the case.