NO WEDDING BELLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 173, 25 July 1927, Page 8

NO WEDDING BELLS.

MARGARET'S DILEMMA.

A COMPACT NOT KEPT. GAOL INSTEAD OF CHURCH. Wedding bells ■will not ring out for Margaret Speakman (28), for at least another three months. A week or so ago, Margaret was before the Police Court on a charge which deemed her to be an idle and disorderly person with I insufficient lawful means of support.

Her counsel, Mr. R. A. Singer then stated that accused was leaving Auckland for Newcastle, via Sydney, for the purpose of getting married to her young man. She had the money for her boat fare. Accordingly Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., agreed with counsel that it would be in the interests of everybody if she was allowed to leave New Zealand. And so Margaret was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, provided she left for Sydney by last Friday's boat. The case was mentioned in court again this morning. Sub-Inspector Lewin said that inquiries had been made from the shipping office by the police. The woman had not left and had been seen about town. | "I have not seen her for a week," said Mr. Singer. "I understood that she was leaving on Friday last." A few days ago, added Mr. Lewin, the police matron went to Wellesley Street with accused to get the money to pay for her boat fare. Speakman said that a taxi driver had her £25 and asked the matron to wait a few minutes while she went and got it. Margaret did not return and that was the last thing seen of her. ° Accused was sentenced to throe months' imprisonment. As soon as the police see her, she will be collected and taken straight to prison to serve her term. Margaret's wedding will thus be further postponed.