Yorkshire Evening Post – Friday 27 June 1919
Ex-Officer’s Letter to His Wife.
Bitter Taunts and a Story Of Another Woman.
An extraordinary letter was read Batley Police Court, to-day, in a case in which Mrs. Annie Nicholls, wife of a demobilised officer whose address was given as Sandy Mount, Doncaster Road, and who did not appear, was granted a maintenance order for 25s weekly.
It was stated that the defendant when he went to France in July, 1917, nominated his son, then 3 ½ years old, as next-of-kin, writing to his wife to say he had finished with her.
When wounded, he wrote to his wife from hospital, “If you decide to make things up, don’t come and see here, I am far too ill for that.” In subsequent convalescent and regimental leaves he never went to his wife.
He had written her the following letter:—
“I may well tell you now that I hate the very sight of you. I abhor your name. Had you wished to have buried the hatchet you would have written before now. I take it that you wish to be free. Well, please, do please take the only course left for you. Get free from me. I will tell you straight I love another. Yes—a woman who believes, in me, and I tell you truthfully that I have told her all my past.
“Now, taking into mind that I love a good and true girl, and that you were quite ready to forsake me in my hour of need, and also having and realised that the fact of your refusing to live with me practically puts the finishing touch on matters. I must ask you to take matter to Court. If you do not I shall stop your allowance —not the children’s — and in such a way enforce you to go to Court — and prove your accusations. The alternative of going to Court is for you to away front Batley Carr or the surrounding district, and come and live with me under the conditions laid down previously. Your husband in name only.—lt. Nicholls.”
The magistrates’ clerk read a letter from defendant, written from Kilnhurst, Rotherham, in which he wrote:
“I beg to make the following statements:
(1) l am quite willing to go back to my wife and right her;
(2) I have written three letters within the last week asking her she will forget the past and let us start again;
(3)I am asked appear before you. I am present worth 2 ½ d., and I have not the least idea where I can raise money wherewith to pay the fare to Batlev ;
(4) I am quite willing to live with wile either Batley Carr or anywhere else. If she had answered any of my letters I could have been Batley now.”
The wife, in her evidence, said her letters were headed ” Mrs Nicholls, —Madam.” Since the trouble arose her husband had shown no affection towards her. In one letter he addressed her by her maiden name, and told her to go to hell as far he was concerned.
In reply to the Chairman, on the point her husband’s willingness to take her back. Mrs. Nicholls said talked of doing so now he had nothing. Formerly, when she was anxious to resume their life together, he would not do so. She was living her parents’ house.