A Runaway Match.

Hastings Standard, Issue 175, 19 November 1896, Page 4

A Runaway Match.

A recent runaway marriage resulted in a conspiracy trial, which was heard before Mr .Justice A'Heckett; in the Criminal Court recently. The accused were Joan Wat-on Smith and thecontracling paxtii Alfred Terry ;ind Gladys Terry, »-'■ Richardson. They were charged with having conspired to induce the He v. H. Angus, Presbyterian minister, to celebrate the marriage, Gladys Terry being under 21 years of age and not having the written consent of her mother, Caiherine Richardson. Mr \Yal.-h, U-C-, prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr A. E. .Tones defended Smith and the young wife. Mr Walsh, in opening the case for the Crown, said that on 12th nit. Gladys Richardson left her mother's home at Napier-street, Fitzroy. as if nothing unusual was going to happen. She did not return that night, but was married to the prisoner, Alfred Terry, at Holt's Matrimonial Agency, -loan Watson Smith was present, and told the c'er.u r vman that she was the girl's guardian, and that she had been appointed by the father to give consent, whereas in truth the father had been deceased for I I years. J.etween ••'>m the accused managed to induce the clorgvman to celebrate the marriage, which remained good notwithstanding the fraud practised. James Holt, matrimonial agent, gave evidence that he was the husband of Annie Holt, and carried on business in Queen-street. He remembered the accused calling at his office. The Hew R. Angus was present, and asked accused, Mrs Smith, whether she was the guardian of the bride, who is ly years of age. She said she was the guardian appointed by the father, and she signed a consent as guardian. Mr Jcuies : You have a good deal of experience in this business, Mr Holt ? —About eleven years. You make most of your money in introducing couples. What is the mo*t you ever got for that'? The witness : Am I obliged to an-wer that question, your Honor? Mr Jones : Yon need not answer unless you like. Did you ever get £IOO f Mr Justice A'Beckett : Don't tell the witness he need not answer and then immediately afterwards ask him : the question. (Laughter). Y.)u don't marry many now? —I don't marry any. (Laughter). Well, your employe, your factotum j —this Rev. Mr Angus—does. Robert Angus said he was a PresI bytetian minister, and bad been a I

clergyman for Ho years. 110 had been ec; bra ting marriages here from a year or two after his arrival in the colony, about 17 y« c.r:j ago. Ho was at- Holt s Matrimonial Agency on the evening of 18th August last and raw the accused there. Mrs Smith told him she was the guardian appointed by the bride's father. Mr Walsh : Did you hear any person ask any other person what his other name was?—l am reallyina fog. I don't know what the drift is. (Laughter.) You have nothing to do with the "drift."—l thought I was being asked about the prisoner. You were not being asked about the prisoner. I thought I spoke loud enough ! —So you did, sir ; so you did. (Laughter.) Mr -Tones : Ho you remember swearing in the police court that you had never seen a certificate authorising you to celebrate marriages ?—lt is very likely I said so; for it would have been true. Did yon ever see a certificate? — Yes; hero is one now. I saw the chief business clerk of the denomination, and I got this (producing a document). What is that you have got in your hand ? Witness (holding the paper firmly) : It is a certificate, and I was told not to give it to you. (Laughter.) Mr. Justice A'Beckett: I don't think you need be afraid of handing in the certificate. Witness : Here it is, sir. Mr. Jones : It purports to be a copy of a document.—lt is an authorised document. Have you celebrated all the marriages at this .'.hop—this factory I might call it—during the last three months ?—Yes. We have all kinds there. You get so much a week, whether you perform any marriages or not ?—• That is so. By the bye you are not likely to get a church, are you ?—Perhaps not. And you have already been censured by your church ?—I have not. " Well, I can toll you that you are going to be. censured over this business. Mr Walsh : That is a most improper statement to make. Mr Jones : Very well, I apologise ; not to you, Mr Angus, but to the Court. Ilow much do you get a week ? —Jt comes to about 25s per week. Dili the boy and girl know what tliev were doing ? V> as the girl quite composed ?—She knew very well what she was doing.

They are quite composed, naturally, when "they come before a nice benevolent looking gentleman like yoursef? --Usually tliey are. A groat deal depends on the person behind the desk. (Laughter.) If a clergyman is composed when preaching to a congregation the congregation is composed. (Laughter.) You have not done any preaching for some time ?-- Something more than three months ago. You were not in your last- place long ? Witness (indignantly) : You need not not try to belittle the work I do, sir. If I had the chance to belittle you T could do it with a vengeance. (Laughter.) You had better not try ?—I can and will. Nature made you a man, but you have become a woman. (Loud laughter.) Very well. If I came before you as a woman would you marry me to a man?— You have the figure of a man, but the soul of a woman. (Loud laughter.) After Smith and Alfred Terry had made statements, counsel addressed the jury. Mr Justice A'Beckett, in summing up, said that while the jury might be disposed to sympathise with the accused, they should not forget their duty to society and the obligation of their oaths. Any verdict of guilty returned must necessarily include two at least of the prisoners. The jury, after about an hour's retirement, found all the accused not guilty, and they were discharged.