THE CASUAL BIGAMIST.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 302, 18 December 1912, Page 8

THE CASUAL BIGAMIST.

ONE MAN'S MISCHIEF. (From Our Special Correspondent) LONDON, November 8. Thomas Morris, variously described as a "'gentleman," "of no occupation," and '"an Australian," appeared in the dock at Bow Street a few days ago to answer a charge of Digamy. The case for the prosecution was that Morris did in the year of grace 1908 go through a form of marriage with Miss Xollie Careless at Singapore, and then, after having lived for a time with her in England, left her to pine along whilst he went out to Australia, and, returning to the Old Country, took to wife at Leicester in August last one Florence Mary Copeland. Morris, when arrested, apparently did not trouble to deny these things.

contenting himself with declaring that | his marriage with Hiss Careless was not legal, inasmuch as he had previously led to the altar a Miss Laker at Portsmouth in 1897. As Morris' age is now said to be 36, this marriage—if it ever took place;—must be classed as a very youthful indiscretion, and as the feminine party thereto cannot be found, the prosecutors seek only to prove the two later ceremonies. At Bow Street Miss Coprland gave evidence that she made Morris' acquaintance whilst travelling from Australia to England on board tbe steamship Orsova in June of this year. He told her he was going to Penang to take up an appointment on a rubber estate, and asked her if she would marry him when he returned to England in two years' time. .She said she would, and he left the ship at Colombo. In August she received a letter from Morris, asking her to meet him in London. She did so, and he accompanied her to Leicester, where she introduced him to her friends. They wore married on August 24. They lived together until the end of September, when she received a letter from a sister of Miss Careless, advising her to have nothing more to do with Morris, as he had been previously married. Morris admitted that this was "partly tnm.' . Shortly afterwards he received a telegram, asking him to meet the sender at Barnet Station. Miss Copeland accompanied him there, and saw Miss Careless. After some conversation, Morris said to the latter: "You have done all you can; you bad better send for "the police." Miss Careless replied: ''You know I shall not do that." Morris then explained to Miss Careless that she was not his legal wife, as he had been previously married to Miss Laker at Portsmouth. The upshot of Morris' appearance at Bow Street was that he stands remanded for committal to the Central Criminal Court, and will be tried at what Londoners still persist in calling "the Old Bailey" next month.