Dagnall v. Dagnall
Dagnall v. Dagnall
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
*299 This is an action for alimony. The issues of law and fact were referred to a referee who found against the plaintiff. The plaintiff appealed to the Court of Common Pleas. In that Court the report was affirmed and from that judgment this appeal is taken. There are twenty-one exceptions. The appellant discusses in argument four questions, one of law and three questions of fact, as follows :
“It is respectfully submitted his Plonor, the Circuit Judge, rested his view of the law upon the case of Hair v. Hair, 31 S. C. Eq. (10 Rich. Eq.) 163, overlooking the modification as contained in Levin v. Levin, 68 S. C. 125, 46 S. E. 945. The preponderance of the testimony shows :
1. That either the wife was driven away by the defendant in September, 1913, or leaving to visit a sick child the defendant was guilty of conduct unbecoming a husband that has prevented her return to him and has not provided a way for her return. He is guilty of desertion.
2. He is guilty of sevitia, by requiring of her such servitude that it tends to destroy her life or health, he does not furnish her with suitable food or sufficient clothing, he heaps upon her repeatedly cursing and abusive language which she cannot endure, and charges of spoliation of his papers.
3. He has been guilty of indecencies in the family circle, such as drunken sprees, mad fits, such as breaking up the furniture and throwing the dishes out'of the kitchen'win•dow.”
“If a wife voluntarily leaves her husband’s home, as a condition of obtaining even temporary alimony and suit money, she must assume the burden of showing prima facie that her husband has inflicted on her such physical violence *300 or personal indignity as would make her living with him as wife intolerable.”
It is undisputed that Mrs. Dagnall le-ft her husband’s home contrary to his wishes and in spite of his protest. The appellant’s insuperable difficulty is found in the facts of the case.
The plaintiff testified that once she applied to him for some money and he replied, “I caused him to spend all his money on me and he had to go back without shoes, and I felt mighty bad about it, and told him I would do without ‘postum’ until he could buy him some shoes.” The evidence of the truth of his statement must have been easily accessible, and if untrue, her remorse was unnecessary.
Some of this record (typewritten) is almost unreadable, but as best we can make it out the record only tends to show that on one occasion Mr. Dagnall came home under the influence of whiskey and on that occasion he broke up some furniture and cursed, but does not show that he, even then, *302 offered his wife any personal violence or cursed and abused her.
This disposes of the third specification and the judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Reference
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- Dagnall v. Dagnall.
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- Syllabus
- Husband and Wipe. Alimony. Sevitia. Appeal and Error. 1. Husband and Wipe—Alimony.—On an application for alimony and suit money by a wife who has voluntarily left her.husband, the burden is upon her to show prima facie that he has inflicted on her such physical violence or personal indignity as would make her living with him as wife intolerable. Gordon v. Gordon, 91 S. C. 245, 74 S. E. 360, followed. 2. Appeal and Error—Review—Sevitia.-—A finding of absence of sevitia affirmed, where the preponderance of evidence fails to show personal violence, cruelty or abuse on part of a husband toward his wife.