WOMAN GROSSLY DECEIVED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15930, 29 May 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN GROSSLY DECEIVED.

DOWNFALL OF A BIGAMIST. A Church Army worker who committed bigamy, deserted another girl on the eve of marriage, and ordered a quantity of goods from tradesmen on the strength of a plea that he was coming into some money, was sentenced at the Liverpool Assises to ten mouths' hard labour. Prisoner, a man of respectable appearance, and parentage, was James William Arthur George Harris, 44, clerk, and ho pleaded guilty to a charge of bigamy on September, 23,1914.

Mr. Chaloner Dowdall, for the prosetion said Harris was , married in Surrey in 1895, and lived with his wife for fourteen years. There were so-children, and he and his wife entered & number of situations as butler and couk respectively. In 1903 prisoner had £500 left him, and he invested it in an hotel. This venture did not succeed, so he went back into service, and eventually left his wife.' Pressed by debt ' he became acquainted with a ; domestic servant named Newton, and stayed with her at ah , hotel in Chichester. . He \ became engaged to the girl, but disappeared after tho banns were put up. , , \ The "Christmas before last he met a Manchester woman machinist named Newton, . but 'no relation •to the -"other girl. She met him at the Church Arm* Home, where he was engaged, and she allowed him to keep company with her. After » few months they became engaged, and as he represented himself as possessing means, they got married in Manchester last, September.- The honeymoon was spent at Southport, and they eventually went to live with the girl's people in Liverpool. Hero he alleged he was coming into money, and drove about in a taxicab ordering goods at shops and leaving them to be colled for. It was during the police investigation :of this matter that the present charge was formulated. Detective-inspector Moore said that -during the month's honeymoon at Southport, prisoner was only able to pay for one week's board and lodging, and* tho landlady had to keep him three weeks for nothing and pay his fare tack to Manchester. Whilst he was ordering goods at shops in Liverpool he quite deceived the woman. • . „ > 1

Lord Coleridge, in passing sentence, said prisoner had grossly deceived a perfectly honest woman, had taken a title he had no right to, and had obtained goods and money by fraud.