HEARTLESS FRAUD

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 52, 2 March 1934, Page 8

HEARTLESS FRAUD

BIGAMIST SENTENCED

NEW ZEALAND GIRL VICTIM

(Received March 2, 3. p.m.) LONDON, March-1. /'You are guilty of a most heartless fraud," said the Judge, in sentencing Edward "Ward to ten.months' hard labour for bigamy. It was revealed that since ho had been living -with Miss Vauticr, she had advanced him £70. The story of a bigamous marriage in Adelaide was told in the Leeds Police Court on January 17, when' Edward vv^ard, aged 33, a musician, was charged with bigamy and with arrears in .his wife's maintenance-. The prosecution requested the suppression of the name of the bigamous wife, as " a single wonian, 24, belonging to a highly respected Wellington, New Zealand, family, known iri London social circles." The Magistrate said that he did not think the gir! deserved tho suppression of her name. The prosecution then said that it was Nancy; Russell Vautier, formerly of Wellington, and now of Twickenham Park. It was alleged that Ward, after deserting his wife, went to Australia and met Vautier on the liner from Sydney going to Colombo, where- she was to, bo married. Ward induced her to marry him at Adelaide. Tho police arrested Ward yesterday for failing to pay £9S arrears in maintenance to his wife whom he married at Leeds in. 1926, and'w;ho in October, 1932, was granted £3 a week on the grounds of desertion. Miss "Vautier gave evidence that when Ward first proposed, she thought he was joking.' She lent him £30 at Melbourne. He again proposed after leaving Melbourne. She lent him. £20 to buy clothes. Ward was committed for trial on tho charge- of bigamy, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment in connection with the maintenance charge.