BOUCICAULT AND HIS FIRST WIFE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7718, 15 April 1887, Page 3

BOUCICAULT AND HIS FIRST WIFE.

A London correspondent writing to an American paper says :— Much interest is felt here in the taking of evidences in New York in the suit of Allies llobortson against i)ion lioucicault, to establish her marriage, with him. Sympathy here in almost, if not entirely, with Mrs lioueicaull. "When Uoucicajilt was hore last year he was made sensible of the loss of his friends in a most humiliating way, Several times he was given tho direct cut. All tliis was brought about by an .affidavit' that ho made when 1 he was sued for a divorce by his first wife and; after he had been 'married in Australja, to the offixt that Jus was never

married to. Agnes thus stigmatising all Ins children as illegitimate. It may help to a proper understanding of the case to know that before Mr Boucicault made his affidavit declaring that he was never married to Agnes Robertson, he made one here in London directly to the contrary. In July, 1880, Mrs Boucicaulfc had some furniture ,oii store here, of which Boucicfl.ul(i • Ranted to gain possession. To do so he took advantage of the then. existing law of England, which permitted a husband to have control of his wife's property, and in proceedings that he instituted he made an affidavit before J. Bivney Brown, Commissioner and Administrator of Oaths^ Lincoln's Inn Fields, saying, "I Was married to my wife, Agnes ! Robertson Boucicault, by her then name of Agnes Robertson, in July, 1885, in the city of New York, according to the laws in force in the State of New York." I quote those words from the affidavit which is now on file here in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice; Mr Boucicault left here veify suddenly for America last aiMmri, aha it how appears that the 'cause was the finding of tins affidavit, which is now for the first timemad'e public. . A threat Wik triage, it is said, to have him arrested for perjury, and it is thought that he will never daveto return to England as long as these two contradictory affidavits stand against him. The affidavit of 18S0 served its purpose, for under it he was allowed to take possession of his wife's furniture.