A HEARTLESS BIGAMIST.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 17

A HEARTLESS BIGAMIST.

ENGLISH BETLE.R. AND HIGHLAND LASS. Infatuated with a pretty Highland girl, au English butler named Slade left hUi wife ami children in straitened circumstances. Posing as a single man, he won the heart of the luverncss-shire girl, and married her. Together the couple crosseJ the Border, and for a time all went well. With dramatic suddenness the police appeared, and Slade was arrc*tod for bigamy, while his poor victim was prostrated with ehame and distress.

The whole pitiful story was related at Inverness Sheriff Court. It seems that the accused went North with his master, and posed as a single man. lie became infatuated with a honnle Highland lassie, who also became fond of the swect-tongned Englishman.

After going South, Slade left his eltuation, and made his \vav tv L*ondc>n. There he called on his wife, who, with her ciilKl, wus in s-tniitened ctrcnmetmiccs. He gave a ltttle monetary assistance, but told his wife that he waa going to Canada.

After leaving London, Slade hi«l to the North, and spent a few days among the nUls with the Highland girl. The marriage was duly hurried, and took pWce in an hotel In Inverness. The unsuspecting parents of the young lady celebrated the event with Highland custom, and Sladc and his bride left for the South, lie was able to get a place In an English county family near London, and his young wife u>ol; up the duties of cook.

All went ■well for six months until a Highland policeman, acting on Information. was sent to arrest Slade. He readily admitted his guilt, to the consternation of hie young bride, who became prostrated. The rroeurator-Fiscal said the cirrumstnnces were extremely bad, :is not only did Slade behave Dadly to his wife, who was an excellent woman, nn,i who had married her, but he brutally duped the innocent maiden. Thanks to the |w*op!e whom she was now with, she was stilj kept on when they learned of the way in which she had been deceived. An agent sai.l that Slade intended carrying his young bride to Canada, but Fate had decreed otherwise

Sheriff Grant said Sladc had not done his duty to his lawful wife, and he had acted badly to an Innocent Hlghla-nd mnirten. He would hare to go to prle>n for twelve months.