DRAMA OF REAL LIFE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 248, 19 October 1908, Page 6

DRAMA OF REAL LIFE.

THE BIGWOOD-CARRIE MOORE MARRIAGE.

BREACH OF PROMISE

STORY OF A MOTOR-OAR.

Sydney folk have been provided recently with some choice morsels of gossip regarding the doings of Mr Percy Plantaganent Bigwood, Miss Carrie Moore, and Miss Ivy balym, and the papers to hand by the last Australian mail make interesting reading. Mr Bigwood is described as a "noticeably tall, youngish man, whose height suggests that he is thin. He is dark, fresh-eomplexioned, and clean shaven, with a pleasant conversational manner." Wellington citizens who come into contact wiprrnim will recollect Mr Bigwood as secretary of tho Miramar Galloway and Pony Racing Club. Prior to that he was sporting writer on a Christchurch paper. Last Easter he had a run of luck with his pony Balgownie, whose success at Miramar encouraged the owner to go to Australia, where the pony won the Wren Thousand. The ""sensational " marriage of Mr Biewood to Miss Carrie Moore, the well-known actress, was quickly followed by a sequel that created considerable stir, Mr Bigwood being served with a writ for £5000 for alleged breach of promise by Mr J.,J. Carroll, solicitor, acting on behalf of Miss Ivy Salvin.

WHAT MISS SALVIN SAID

Miss Salvin is still in the middle twenties, tall, slender, and attractive. She said to an interviewer: — "I first met Mr Bigwood about five years ago in England. We came to Australia in the same bo.at, and then and subsequently' Saw a- good deal of each other. We were together m New Zealand and in Melbourne. When Mr Bigwood left Melbourne recently it was with the understanding that'l should see him again shortly. That was why I came to. Sydney last week, though I returned { almost immediately on obtaining his assurance that he'would follow. Then I received a telegram announcing his marriage with Miss Moore, so I came Tip to Sydney as * soon: as possible. The news came as a great surprise to me, as Mr Bigwood at several different times promised to marry me."

MR BIGWOOD'S REPLY. "I have really little to slay," remarked Mr Bigwood, when the matter was mentioned to him, " some of this is new to me, some I have heard before. I have known Miss Salvin about three years; I met her.in England, and she is an English lady. It is quite true that we came out h^re on the1 same boat, and that we saw one another, as she spates, m New Zealand and Victoria. But it is not true that I ever proposed marriage to her. Most certainly I intend to fight the case; I have, placed it in the hands of my solicitor, Mr Arthur Decry. (Mr Decry, by,the way, married a well-known stage favourite, Miss Aggie Thome.) I liave seen the interview with Miss Salvin in the naper. I have no further comment to make on it. I shall liave plenty to say, I promise you, when the case comes on." /

TROUBLE OVER A MOTOR-CAR

Trouble arosß over a motor-car. Miss Salvin made an allegation that Mr Bigwood, about a month ago, bought with her money on her behalf liord Northcote's motor-car. The ,motor-car is a 10-h.p. Talbot, and the price paidj according to Miss Salvin, was 420 guineas. • After having taken out the writ mentioned at the Supreme Court, Mr Carroll, with Miss Salvin, at once proceeded to the motor garage where' the car was. As Mr Carroll and Miss Salvin arrived the chauffeur was just about to proceed to Billyard Avemie, where Mr and -Mrs Bigwood were staying. Mr Carroll immediately placed an embargo an the car/ and prevented it leaving the yard, it being bis intention to apply to the Equity Court for an injunction to restrain Mr Bigwood from further dealing with the car in the meantime. While this scene was being enacted at the garage Mr and Mrs Bigwood were waiting for the car at Billyal-d. Avenue, intending to go to the races. Mr Carroll arrived on the scene, and acquainted Mr Bigwood of what had been done, at the same time serving him with Miss Salvin's writ alleging breach of promise of marriage. It is understood that Mr Bigwood, upon ascertaining that the car would not be surrendered, took his wife to the races in a cab.

" THE CAR IS MINE."

The pressman was putting agues- ! tion to Mr Bigwood about- the motorcar when Mrs Bigwood came in. "Of course, we went down to the theatre in a motor-car, our own motor-car; there are plenty more," she remarked on hearing an inquiry about the viceregal 15,-hp.p. Talbot. "No, I haven't a motor-car just now," said Mr Bigwood, smiling, in reference to the conveyance that caused some trouble on the. previous Saturday, " but I intend to have a try for it to-morrow morning: Certainly the car is mine, as much as was the pony that won the Wren Thousand." The motor-car that carried the actress and her husband to and from the playhouse was therefore not the car of Saturday, as nine-tenths of the onlookers thought. " Oh, you reporters, they make you come here and ask questions, and you make us give answers,", said Mrs Bigwood, standing beside her husband, and linking her arm in his; then exclaiming that they were late for dinner, she gently urged him toward the door, so that a moment later he pleaded a similar excuse for closing the interview.

MISS SALVIN WINS,

Several conferences took place between the parties arid their solicitors, and the breach of promise action was definitely settled out of Court. At first both parties meant to fight it out. Mr Bigwood, however, intends to return to England en business as soon' as his wife's engage.ment with Mr Jv C. Williamson expires, and accordingly Miss Salvin's solicitor, Mr J. 'Jy^arroll, received a telephone message last Thursday asking whether an interview could be arranged between Miss Salvin and Mr Bigwood at Mr Carroll's office on Friday morning. Miss Salvin assented, and at this meeting an agreement was arrived at acceptable to both parties. As to its exact terms they and their solicitors are reticent, but it is known at least that Miss Salvin is to receive about £1800, and, in addition, the much-talked-of motor-car.

The affairs, adds a Sydney contemporary, was an excellent advertisement—not that, it needed any—for "The Merry Widow," in which Miss Carrie Moore acted as vivaciously as over at both holiday matinee i,id' evening performances to overflowing

stallation carried out on their possessions, Ocean and Pleasant Islands.

COMMONWEALTH FAVOURABLE.

The promoters of the scheme are meeting with every encouragement, and by the end of the year it is anticipated that a start will be made with active preparations for installing the service. The company is to maintain communication, and for so doing is asking the various Governments controlling the places to be benefited to support the service. It is understood that the Fijian authorities have proposed to pay a large sum for the installation of the service on the principal islands under their jurisdiction. Other islands have agreed to co-operate with the company, but nothing has yet been decided with regard to the two most important centres, Australia und New Zealand, without which the Scheme would be incomplete. The matter has been considered by the Government of the ' Commonwealth, and it is an open secret that the proposal has been favourably received. The question will be placed before the Fed,eral Parliament before it closes, and should the scheme be approved of, and New Zealand be willing, no time will be lost in getting on "with the work of linking up the scattered groups.

IN TIME OF WAR

It has been decided to make Suva the headquarters in the Pacific, and from there the messages will be flashed on to Australia and New Zealand. In the Pacific the scheme is being strongly supported, as it is well known that there is little chance of a cable service between the scattered islands being installed. Traders recognise the necessity of a faster means of communication than they now possessy ;a.nd once the system is started it will not be long before every island of importance is connected. In addition to the scheme proving most valuable from a commercial point'Of view, it_ will be of considerable- assistance to meteorologists in forebasting the weather, as daily reports can be sent from the outlying parts, giving warning of sudden changes, which will enable traders and , others to prepare for the hurricanes which, prove so disastrous in the islands. Then, again, it rs claimed that the system will prove of valuable assistance in the matter of defence, as with stations scattered all over the Pacific, a hostile fleet will have little chance of getting close to Australia without being seen.

VALUE TO SHIPPING

Another important feature of the scheme is its value to the shipping industry. With radio stations scattered about the Pacific Ocean and on the Australian and New Zealand coasts, the shipping companies will be able to instal apparatus on their boats, and thus be (able to maintain communication constantly with the shore. In fact, negotiations have been carried on between the Union Steamship Company and the Pacific Islands Radio Telegraphic Company with regard to the installation of the service on their liners, and it is understood that directly the island scheme is settled, all the New Zealand and island boats will be fitted with aparatus. This would prove of considerable convenience to shipping people, besides being a safeguard against such accidents as might easily befal a vessel drifting about disabled, as the Hawea did last month.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS

Interviewed by a New Zealand Times representative regarding the scheme, SirfJoseph Ward said New. Zealand was' favourable to tile link-ing-up of the Pacific Islands by a system of wireless telegraphy. We traded with a number of the islands, and it would be a great advantage to the travelling public to establish it on steamers, whilst the advantages generally arising from it were quite recognised. The. proposals submitted by the company,,, however, did not cover all that the New Zealand Government required. In addition to the Pacific Islands, they wanted to have the Auckland Islands and the Chatham Islands connected, and the present offer did t not include these, islands.

There could be no doubt, said the Prime Minister, that we were approaching the time for the establishment of a system of wireless telegraphy between New Zealand and ihe outlying islands.