A MOCK MARRIAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14150, 27 August 1909, Page 6

A MOCK MARRIAGE.

"BRIDE'S" STRANGE STORY. DENIED BY THE "BRIDEGROOM." A CLAIM FOR WAGES. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRKSPOXDKI'JT.] GiSBORNEf Thursday. An action for the recovery of £45 for wages as a domestic servant, took a remarkable development in the course of hearing at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon. The plaintiff, Elsie Lindergreen, the newly-married wife of William Lindergreen, butcher, sued Nathaniel Burgess, boardinghouse-keeper, for the amount stated, and in her evidence deposed that she arrived in the Dominion from New South Wales in May last. She stayed two days at the defendant's boardinghouse, at Wellington, and subsequently went to the Wellington Hospital as a nurse. A few days later defen- | dant offered her a position as housekeeper I at £1 per week, and she started work with him on May 28, continuing there till I March 6. The defendant sold his busi- ! ness to come to Gisborne, and she went to board for a fortnight, then coming to Gisborne with him. She had asked for wages, both in Wellington and Gisborne, and defendant one day gave her £10, but he asked for the loan of it back next day, and that was all she saw of it. She had £15 when she came to Wellington, and she lived on it, together with £7 from her sister. Defendant had given her nothing, had not paid for her clothes, and had not given her one present. She came to Gisborne as Mrs. Burgess, under the impression that sho was married to him. She went through a marriage ceremony with defendant at Derby House (defendant's boardinghouse) at Wellington, the ceremony being performed by a man introduced to her as "Dr. Henry." No witnesses were present, and she did not know they were a necessity, never having seen a wedding before in her life. Tho " ceremony" took place on the Wednesday week after her engagement as housemaid. Burgess called her upstairs, and she went up. She bid the "doctor" good morning, and Burgess said to her that they would got married. She made no reply, but simply looked at them. The "doctor" said he would marry them, and placed them side by side, taking a prayer book from his pocket. He told them to answer the questions put to them, and she found afterwards, by looking at a book, that it was the marriage ceremony. ' They both signed a blue paper that was handed to Burgess by the "doctor." Plaintiff fixed the date of the ceremony as about June 10, mentioning that " Dr. Henry" came up one day and said he would marry them, but it was postponed for a week. " Dr. Henry" boarded at Derby House for about three weeks after the ceremony, and left owing two weeks' board. After the ceremony she assumed the name of Burgess, but at defendant's own request nothing was said about it until after they got away from Wellington, as he had only been divorced a fortnight. They were living together as man and wife. Arriving at Gisborne, to take over the Dominion Hotel, she went under the name of Mrs. Burgess. On March 6 she found that the ceremony was not genuine, and subsequently she married Lindergreen. The defendant Burgess, in his evidence, denied plaintiffs story as to the mock marriage. He stated that she came to him first as a hoarder, and subsequently, after she had been to the hospital, returned to live with him- When they came to Gisborne she assumed his name, living as his wife until March. As his wife, she was supplied with clothing and money. When she wanted money he told her to help herself at the till. Ho gave her £25 in Wellington when staying at a boardingbouse, also several other sums here and in Wellington. There was no mock marriage ceremony, no papers were signed, and plaintiff's story was false. When he sold out of Derby House he saw he was doing wrong, and gave her £25 to remain in Wellington, and separate. She offered the money back, and began crying and humbugging, because he was leaving her, and that was why she came to Gisborne. At this stage the case was adjourned until Saturday morning for legal argument.