NEPHEW AND AUNT.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 3, 3 January 1920, Page 15

NEPHEW AND AUNT.

ILLEGAL MARRIAGE SEQUEL. i The marriage of a woman with her dead '' msband's brother's son led to Margaret ' inn Griffiths, aged 40, and John Griffiths, lged 27, being indicted at the Liverpool isslzcs on a charge of making a false state-:. nent for the purpose of procuring a mar- j, riage Ucense. i' For the defence it was stated that the! biusband of the woman died while ln the j army. In 191S John Griffiths lived at her | house, and In March, 1319, a child was born.' When Griffiths was demobilised last April, to hide the woman's shame, and not know- i ing there was anything prohibitive in this \ marriage, they were married. ! There were some anomalies In this matter of marriage relationship," said -Mr. Rice Jones, "and it waa not wildly improbable they would not (know they could not marry." | Mr. Justice Avory said he was going to! accept the statement that neither of them knew that they were within the prohibited degree of affinity in marriage, but If they had taken the slightest trouble (to inquire they could have ascertained that they were . not allowed by law to marry. J With regard to the fact that the prisoners j had given false ages to the registrar, his I Lordship said this giving of ages wan not a mere formality, but for the purpose ot identity, and when wrong figures were given might lead to difficulties. ■ Each' prisoner was sentenced to one month ln the second division. j