CHARGE OF BIGAMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 7

CHARGE OF BIGAMY.

SOME STRANGE FACTS.

ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. At the Police Court on Saturday, before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., a middle-aged man named Albert Ernest Trail was charged with, having committed bigamy at Coromandel on July 16, 1903. The prosecution was conducted by Chief-Detective Marsack, while Mr. J. R. Lundon appeared for the defence.

Chief-Detective Marsack, in opening, said that Trail was first married on March 4, 1890, but subsequently he separated from his wife, and in 1903 met another woman, named Curwin, at Coromandel, and married her.

Eleanor Kelly, wife of Michael Kelly, of East-street, Newton, in her evidence, said that the accused married her sister in March, 1890. Some time after tlhe marriage they'separated—that was about 14 years ago. Six years later witness met, the accused and 'his two children at the Captain Cook Hotel.

In reply to Mr. Lundon, witness said that accused had reared the children up till about two months ago. His meeting with witness at the Captain Cook Hotel was an accidental one. Accused promised her a photo, of. the children on the condition that she did not give it to their mother.

Mr. Lundon : Did the accused not ask you where your sister was, and did vou not reply "I don't know" Witness : No.

In reply to a further question bv Mr. Lundon, witness said that, her sister had been living away from Auckland for the past 14 years, but during that time she had made visite to this.city. Chief-Detective Mansack'then went into the witness-box. He stated that he charged the accused with the oresent offence on November 27. and the" latter replied : " I thought there would be something like this," afterwards adding, "I do not call this bigamy: she has been away from me for 10 or 11 years." Witness then showed the accused the second marriage certificate, and he remarked, That is all right Ido not deny it." Accused also said that before he married Miss Curwm (his second wife) he was informed that his first wife was dead. Further, that he had interviewed a solicitor at Coromandel in regard to the matter, and had been informed that it would be ail right. John Hutley, a resident of Houhora", «iid he had known accused all his life! lra.il was living with his wife at Houhora 14 years ago, and thev separated. Subsequently his wife went to live with witness, and she had since borne him five children.

Ethel Ellen Curwin, who married the ij t- ( - <>l ' t>m «nd*l» said that Trail k J, • r- her after her carriage that should his first wife turn up nothing would happen to her. b ii?f. Da ! k * d ., to " P lcad ' t,he arched replied guilty, ' and, reserving his defence,, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed