This action is brought by the plaintiff against her husband to procure a separation on the ground of his cruel and inhuman treatment.
It appears from the papers submitted upon this appeal that the plaintiff, in November, 1899, commenced an action against this defendant in the Supreme Court, based upon the ground that the defendant had abandoned the plaintiff, his home and children; and had refused and neglected to provide for her and their support and maintenance, or to contribute thereto in any manner. The venue ■of such action was laid in the county of Kings. The defendant ■answered by admitting most of the allegations of the complaint, ■except as to the amount of his income, but interposed a separate and ■distinct defense, averring-conduct on the part of the plaintiff which justified him in leaving her and from further contributing to her support. A trial was had in the county of Kings, which resulted in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff. From this judgment the ■defendant appealed to the Appellate Division in the second department, and after argument that court reversed the judgment, holding that the evidence fully and completely established the defendant’s defense of justification, and that the defendant was under no legal obligation to contribute to the support of the plaintiff, and as the defendant had offered to support and care for the children of the marriage, the judgment was wholly reversed, without conditions respecting their support and maintenance. Upon motion' in that •case the court had made an order awarding to the plaintiff therein the sum of $100 as counsel fee and alimony at the rate of $20 per
We are of the opinion that the order for counsel fee ought not to be sustained, and that the amount of alimony awarded should be reduced to the sum of fifteen dollars per week for the support of the children only. We think that evidence of bad faith upon the part of the plaintiff sufficiently appears to justify this conclusion It is evident that upon the trial which was had in Kings county the relations between these parties, their differences and the grounds
Van Brunt, P. J., O’Brien, Ingraham and McLaughlin, JJ., concurred.
Order modified as directed in opinion, and as modified affirmed, without costs.
