MUCH MARRIED MAN

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 4 December 1925, Page 5

MUCH MARRIED MAN

MANY WOMEN DUPED.

REVENUE-EARNING AFFAIRS EXTRA OR DT NA R Y BIG AMY CASE. BY CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received Dec. 4, 10.45 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 3. Astounding bigamy charges were heard at the Leeds Assizes, and resisted in George Leslie being sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude. Using an infinite variety of aliases, he duped at least on e thousand women, usually posing as .a' lonely bachelor to 'onely middle-aged women. The police proved eleven bigamous marriages, but others were known, though in these cases Leslie had only married when he found there were*no other means of getting the money. He is the son of a Tipperary farmer, now a we'l-preserved goodlooking man of fifty-five. He listened with a sardonic smile to the evidence of his victims.

The police evidence showed Lesile had made an average of at least £I2OO per annum for the last five years, including £2OOO from a wealthy widow. He became acquainted with the women through matrimonial agencies and a publication called “Cupid’s Chronicle.” Five thousand letters from three hundred women were found in one of Leslie's lodgings. Not one of the wives gave information to the police. One sent Leslie a telegram of warning, and another, when taken to identify him at the police parade, threw her arms around his neck declaring, “I will love him always.”

Leslie had a complete system of ledgers, recording his victims, using abbreviations, such as “D. 0.” to represent “Dearest one.” “D.L.” for ‘‘Darling ’ove,” etc. When sentenced, Leslie smiled and bowed to the judge, and then to his wives, who stood near the witness-box. —A. and N.Z. Asn.