A STRANGE STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 225, 20 September 1905, Page 5

A STRANGE STORY.

A SAILORS "WIFE.' SHORT SENTENCE FOR PERJURY. (By Telegrapn.—Press Aesociatten-i DtTNEDIN, this day. i A strange story was told by Wm. CarI veth, who came up for sentence at the Supreme Court to-day on a charge of perjury. He said fcis age was 75, but i the police guessed it at 5<L He said be j came to the colony in a. gun-boat in 184S, and met a woman on whose ac- ! count he perjured himself, she then being about iG. They lived together for about twelve months, whea his boat was ordered away. He next saw her in Sydney. Born in America, he claimed to be a British subject, but when the Civil War was raging he took part !in it. Returning to the colony in 186:5 !he met the woman in Nelson, and again '■ they lived together for two years. Then Ihe went to China. When he returned jhe went to Oamaru. and there married, but his wife died. The woman he had previously lived with waa then living with another man. and the latter on his deaxh-bed asked Carveth to look after her. He agreed to do so. and he had looked after her. When she fell sick some time ago he was asked why he did not get the old age pension for her, and she applied. The magistrate asked Carwth why he did apply himself, ana he replied that there were enough loafing on the Government. He was entitled to fhe pension and he took it (that is. he swore the woman was his wife to enable her to get it)and that was all he had. He had been 40 years in the British Kavy, and had never been brought up for anything except speaking disrespectfully at Simons Bay of the Erake of Edinburgh, -when the Duke took the throne of SaxeCoburg Gotha. Mr Justice WiTEams said it -was not a case for probation, nor was it a ease for a long sentence. Accused was sentenced to four months' imprisonment.