AMAZING CAREER OF A BIGAMIST

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2314, 5 December 1925, Page 15

AMAZING CAREER OF A BIGAMIST

THOUSAND WOMEN DUPED. LEDGER KEPT OE VICTIMS. [By Electric Cable-Copyright.] CAust. and N.Z, Cable Association.] LONDON, December 3. Astounding bigamy charges at the Leeds Assizes resulted in George Leslie being sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude. Using an Infinite variety of aliases, the prisoner duped at least a thousand women, usually posing as a lonely bachelor to lonely middleaged women. The police proved eleven bigamous marriages, but others wei'e known, though Leslie only married when there was no other means ot .getting the money. Leslie, the son of a Tipporary farmer, now a well-preserved, good-look-ing man of fifty-five, listened with a sardonic &mll e to the evidence of the victims. The police evidence was to Ihe effect that Leslie had made an average of at least £I2OO a year, for five years, including £2OOO from a wealthy widow., He became acquainted with the women through matrimonial agencies, and a publication called “Cupid’s Chronicle.” Eivo thousand letters from three hundred women wore found In one of Leslie’s lodgings. Not one of the wives gave information to the police. One cent Leslie a telegram warning him. Another, when taken to identify him on the' police j parade, throw her arms round his; neck, declaring that she would love him always. Leslie had a complete system of ledgers recording the vie-! tima by abbreviations, c.g., D. 0., to represent "Dearest One,” D.L., “Dari ing Love,” and so forth. When sentenced Leslie smiled and bowed to the Judge, and then to the wives near the witness-box.