BIGAMY CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 245, 16 October 1929, Page 12

BIGAMY CHARGE.

MAORI SENT TOR TRIAL 1 TWO WOMEN GIVE EVIDENCE. ] (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. -'•''•••James Wiwi Norton, a Maori, was toiclay committed for trial on a charge, that havings on February 23, 1909, marvied. Annie McDonald at Blenheim he went : through'a ceremony? of marriage with Isabella Nicc.ll Welsh, of Cluistchurch, thereby committing bigamy. • • In evidence /Annie" Norton, said, accused was her husband.;; They had been mar-; ried at Blenheim- in 1909. -They had lived together for about a year, when Norton left her. There had been one child of the marriage. She had not seen her" liusband between* 1914" aM' _ Isabella Nicoll Welsh said that m 1922 she had met Norton in Djinedin. bhe had gdne . through > a form of marriage with him in the registrar's office .at Christchurch in 1923. They had then lived at Temuka for three or four years. There were two ? children. v She had visited/ Kaikoura, 'where:; she heard that ;Norton had been married before. Sue had spoken to Norton about the matter arid he had - said that lie believed Mrs. Norton.was dead. She was dead, to him. !.• Detective-Se.rgeant O'Brien _ said accused had made a' statement which he would not'.sign. In the statement he said lie thought, that if lie" had - lived apart from his wife for seven, years he would be able to-marry-again. Accused was allowed bail.