WEDDING DENIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 113, 14 May 1936, Page 5

WEDDING DENIED.

MARRIED OR SINGLE ? NATURALISATION CASE. UNUSUAL EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HASTINGS, this day. A plea oi not guilty was entered by Frano Markovina when charged at the Hastings Magistrate's Court yesterday with falsely declaring, when applying for a certificate of naturalisation, that he was unmarried and had been born in Belgium. Maria Yurakovich. of Auckland, said she was a full sister to accused. She said she was born in Lumbardi, Dalrnatia. Prior to coming to New Zealand, about nine or ten years ago, they had all lived together 111 Lumbardi. Witness assisted her brother to come to Xew Zealand. To Mr. K. ,T. W. Hallett, who appeared for accused, witness said that after her brother came to Xew Zealand he met with two serious accidents, in one of which lie injured his head. Mr. Hallett: Do you know whether the accidents had any eifeot 011 his memory ? Witness: Before it happened we were the best of friends and always together. Afterward lie would not recognise me as his sister. Until yesterday 1 have l.ot spoken to him for about seven years I have received letters from liim addressing- me as "Dear Friend." Malin Pavlinovieh, Catholic niissioner and Yugoslavian Commissioner of Immigration at Auckland, produced a marriage license between accused and one Mara Batislie. The wedding took place at Zronova, in Yugoslavia, 011 June (i, l!)2(i. Witness said he knew accused personally and know he was a Yugoslav. Ante Markovina, of Auckland, a cousin of accused, sad lie was present at accused's wedding. To Mr. Hallett, witness said some compulsion wits used to get accused to marry before he came to Xew Zealand. Accused was very young at the time of his marriage. Constable D. A. Bowick said that in a statement accused said he was born in Belgium in 1008, and was a single man. Mr. Hallett pointed out that there was 110 evidence as to where accused was born, and for that reason the information should be amended, as there was nothing to contradict accused's statement that he was born in Belgium. The magistrate agreed to this submission, and the information was amended. A plea of not guilty was entered and accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.