MARRIED AT SEVENTEEN.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 2715, 7 August 1923, Page 8

MARRIED AT SEVENTEEN.

A FALSE declaration,

BOY ANT) GIRL MARRY,

"TO SAVE OUR NAMES.”

' In the Christchurch Police Court 'last week, before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., Edward Leslie Hills, who gave (his ago. as 17 years, was charged with making' a false declaration at Christchurch on April 2« for the purpose of procuring a registrar’s certificate unthe Marriage Act, 1908. ' Chief-Detective Cameron said Hills went to the' police and reported what he had done. Until then nothing was known of the offence. He had made a statement to Acting-Detective Newman, giving full particulars of the declaration. In his statement Hills said he was a carter. He was born at Lyttelton on November 15, 190 G, and his wife, whose maiden name was Dolores Ethylln \yrey Glastonbury, was IS years of age. She was born at Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England, on February 2S, 1905. They had kept company for some years, and he proposed marriage, in February last. He asked the girl’s mother to consent to the marriage. She gave the consent orally, but she would not witness the marriage because she would not bo a party to giving a false declaration. Accused was unable to obtain his parents’ consent to the marriage. Qn April 20, 1923, the marriage took place at the registry office, Christchurch. He made the declaration that he was 21 years of age, that his name was Edwa v d Lewis Hjll, and he was born at Denniston. He staled that his mother's name was Leah Cecelia Stacey, and gave his father’s name as Edward Hill, all these particulars being incorrect. He further stated that Charles Baghurst, who witnessed the marriage, knew the particulars were incorrect. Baghurst had since riiarried the mother of accused’s wife.

Acting-Detective., Newman f said when accused was making the statement he told him that he had been threatened by his people that they would give him in charge. Sooner than that should occur, Hills said, he preferred to go to the station personally. "When I made the declaration, it was done to save my name and also the girl’s, and it was the only honourable action open to me,” said Hills, when asked if he had anything to say. Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr K. who appeared for Hills, made" application for bail, but intimated that accused would have some difficulty in finding a bondsman. The Magistrate: I am not going to ask him to do so. His own recognisance will do. Counsel: I would also ask you to order the suppression of his name In the meantime. The Magistrate: No, neither for his own sake nor for his parents’ should it be done. It is a very serious matter when young people take the law Into their own hands and contract a marriage.