PECULIAR BIGAMY CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 106, 14 May 1901, Page 3

PECULIAR BIGAMY CASE.

SECOND JURY DISAGREE. I I’y Telegraph—Press Association.) Wellington, last night. At the Supreme Court to-night the second trial of Michael Brennan, on a charge of bigamy, was concluded, the jury failing to agree after five hours' deliberation. The ease will he mentioned tomorrow by counsel for the Crown.

The accused, Michael Brennan, is a man of middle ago. He was charged thaton November 1900, lie went through a form of marriage with Agnes Wright, knowing her to he then married, and that her husband was living in Central Otago. ft appeared that Mr and Mrs Wright had lived together in Australia and Dunedin. They did not get on amicably, and the wife came to Wellington. Here she lodged in the same house as Brennan. The two were also members of the same Hood Templar Bodge. Mrs Wright had her child with her during, 1900. .About a dozen letters of a remarkable character were sent to Mr Wright. As Mrs Wright is partially paralysed the letters were said to have been written by Brennan. The writer, it is stated, did not sign his true name, but used that of “ A. ('. Metlrogor," which was the name taken by Mr and Mrs Wright on the voyage from Melbourne, where they were married, to Dunedin. In most of the letters requests were nuido for money for the support of Mrs Wright and her child. These appeals, which wore occasionally hacked up by threats, were not disregarded. At any rate Mr Wright sent his wife money in small sums at intervals. The substance of threats was that the writer was connected with a society for the protection of women and children. The counsel for the defence, in his address to the jury, asked who could bo harmed if the accused were acquitted. Mr Wright could go on with .lie divorce proceedings, which had been mentioned during trial. Mrs Wright 'would give him every faeil il v. i