A Painful Story.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7713, 5 December 1903, Page 7

A Painful Story.

A painful story \.is related by the Paris newspapers in, connection with the return from". Madagascar of an officer who" had been held prisoner by'the natives o f the island for several years, and whose wife, presuming that': her husband was dead, had. since.,married.'-'again. The officer in question, a lieutenant, belonged to the expedition commanded by General Duchesne in 1895, and in the course of an engagement he. was 'shot. Thinking that he had received a mortal anjury, gave his papers to his orderly arid sent a message to His wife and children, who ' were' residing at' Blida, where he had previously been in garrison.. After the engagement his body ' could ; not be found, and; it was supposed that he was dead,: and a report ' %o that effect was, made to his wife, who, hevertheies's, t tooksteps; to have several searches; made for her 'husband. Finally,' however, all hope was abandoned by the authorities; who drew up a certilicate attesting the. officer'sdeath. In ""1901 the widow re-* married another officer, living at; El Golca. A painful sensation vas! consequently caused when, a few .weeks since, information was- received through r the Minister of ■war that the missing officer had been rescued in the interior of Madagascar, where for eight years he had been kept a prisoner by ,a tribe of natives. He is now on his way home. He has been promoted to captain by the .military authorities and inscribed on the list for the Legion of Horiour, but ho is at present xtnaware of the complex m a trimonial situation which he has to • confront. The case, however,. is not an isolated one, and the precedent established by the iTrench" Courts is to annul the second marriage ..