CHARGE OF BIGAMY

MAN ADMITS GUILT

Meeting a young woman one day and marrying her the next led to the appearance in the Magistrate's Court yesterday of Walter Clyde Sutherland, alias I'carce, on a charge of bigamy. Sutherland, who pleaded guilty, wa.s committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. .Mr. E. Page, S.M., was on the Bench. Frances Minnie Anuiss suid that the accused was married to her daughter, Ellen lilizabeth Keblcr Auniss, on ISth August, 11121. The couple lived together until Christmas, l!)2n, when they parted. There were three children of the marriage Hvinsr. The witness's daughter went to Australia about, three years ago, and was now living in Now South Wales. To the witness's knowledge the marriage between her daughter and the accused had not been dissolved. Zillah Irene Boustvidge, a shop assistant, aged '23, said she first met the accused on 10th December, ID2B. She knew him under the name of Walter Clyde Pearce. On tlie following day she went through a form of marriage with him at the Registrar's Oilice in Wellington. Witness thought she was the accused's legal wife. She lived with him up to December of last year. There were no children by the marriage. Constable Fell said that on 7th February he questioned the accused regarding thr> two marriages, and showed him the marriage certificates. The accused said he was the man referred to in each one. He said his real name was Pearce, but he had been going under the name of Sutherland since he was three years of age. The accused said that as far as he knew his first wife was still alive, although he had not seen her since about the end of 1U27. The first marriage had not been dissolved. Witness said the accused told a straight-, forward story about the whole matter! j