NOT GUILTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1926, Page 9

NOT GUILTY.

MATRIMONIAL "QUADRANGLE." j

STRANGE BIGAMY CASE. THOUGHT SHE WAS FREE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WA3TGANUI, this day. An unusual case occupied the attention of the Supreme Court yesterday when Queenies Willahelmina Alice Harrison, otherwise known as Queenie Willahelmina Murcotx and Queenie Alice Burkit, was charged that, having on November 9, 190&, married Theodorous James Harrison at Stratford, she went through a form of marriage on October 3, 1918, with Alfred Bettridge at Manaia, thereby committing bigamy. She was also charged with going through a form of marriage with Joseph John Crewe at Auckland on September 20, 1916. Evidence was given by Alfred Bettridge, farmer, of Kahua, who said that he went through the form of marriage with accused at Manaia. She then gave the name of Queenie Alice Burkit. They lived together until Xovember, 192 - 2, when accused left him. Witness went to Ohakune and found that she had returned to her first husband. In 1923 he took divorce proceedings asainst her at New Plymouth and obtained a divorce. He knew nothing about Crewe until twelvev months after the marriage. They lived three years together after they were married. He knew that she had been divorced before he married her, but he did not know that she had gone through the form of marriage with Crewe. Joseph John Crewe, of Gladstone, said that in 1916 he resided at Auckland. On September 20. 1916, he was married at the registrar's office at Auckland to accused. The name given on that occasion was Queenie Alice Burkit. They lived together for about twelve months. Witness went to Whakatane to a situation and wrote to accused to come there and join him, but she did not respond. He had only known her for 24 hours before marrying her. Statement by Accused. Detective Revell stated that accused made a statement, in which she said ehe was born in Nelson and was 43 years of ago. She married Harrison at the age of 18 years at Stratford. She left him. in 1913, and went to Auckland, where ehe worked aa a domestic. She read in an Auckland paper that her husband. had obtained his divorce and she was then under the impression that she was free from him. In 1916 she met a woman, who introduced her to Joseph Crewe. They became friendly and 3he told him she was a divorced woman with three children. Crewe asked her to marry him, but she kept putting (him off as she thought he was too old. After she had been drinking with him for several days she went to the registrar's office at Auckland and married him. She was under the influence of liquor at the time. She married him under the name of Burkit. She did not know this until the following day when ehe examined the marriage certificate. She found Crewe did not have enough money to keep them so she left him and went to work and never saw him again until that day. She went to Hawera in 1918 and ■while working there she met Bettridge, who asked her to marry him. She explained that she had been divorced from Harrison *nd that she had gone through the form of marriage with Crewe while she was under the influence of liquor. Bettridge advised her that there was nothing to prevent her marrying him and ehe did so in October, 1918, at Manaia. They lived at Makawhai and Rongotea for about three years and then went sharemilking for nearly twelve months. She then left Bettridge. She then went to Ohakune to her first husband and later returned to Ha-w-era. There she wae eerved ■with divorce papers from Bettridge. When she married Crewe she firmly believed that Harrison had divorced her. She would never have married Crewe had she been in her sober senses. (By Telegraph.—**ress Association.) WANGANUI, this day. In the bigamy charge against Queenie Harrison, in which three husbands figured, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.