ALLEGED BIGAMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19098, 17 August 1925, Page 7

ALLEGED BIGAMY.

WOMAN'S THREE MARRIAGES. BELIEF IN THEIR LEGALITY. ACCUSED SENT UP FOR TRIAL. [BX TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI. Saturday. A woman, Queenie Harrison, otherwise known as Queenie .Murcott, also Queenie Burkit, was chargwl with bigamy, it being alleged that on November 9, 1909, she married Theod.,.ious James Harrison at Stratford, on October 3, 1918, went through a form of marriage with Alfred Bottridge at Manaia, and on September 20, 19x6, went through a form of marriage with Joseph John Crewe at Auckland. Evidence was given as to tho performance of the ceremony at Stratford by the Rev. B. Metson, of Napier. Joseph John Crewe, of Gladstone, an elderly man, said that in 1916 ho resided at Auckland. On September 20 in that year he was marriod at tho registrar's office, Auckland, to the accused, the name given on that occasion being Queenie Alice Burkit. They Lived together for about twelve months. Witness went to Whakatane to a situation and wrote to accused to como there and join him, but she did not respond. He had not seen her again until that morning. The witnesses to his marriago were strangers to him. Detective Revell stated that accused made a statement, in the course of which she said she was born' in Nelson and was 34 years of age. When very young he.* people shifted to Stratford and at 15 years of ago sho went to work as a domestic servant on a farm. She married Harrison at the age of 18. They went to live at Elthain. There wero two children of the marriage. Believed Herself Divorced. After two years sho shifted to Matiere, in the King Country. She alleged that whilo there her husband was cruel to her and she decided to leave him. She went to Auckland in 1913, where she worked as a domestic servant. She went to Taumarunui for a while, and while there her husband had divorce papers served on her. Accused then went to Wanga nui, where a third child was ■ born. Sho read in an Auckland paper that her husband had obtained a divorce and she was then under the impression that she was free from him. In 1922 she heard that Harrison had been cruel to the two child ron, so sho decided to go to Ohakuno and soo them. She met Harrison in tho street and he told her ho had been married again, but his wifo had cleared out. She stayed with him for two weeks. A letter arrived for her, addressed Mrs. Bettridgo, and .Harrison would not give it to her. She alleged that he knocked her about, so she left him and lived for about a month with a friend at Ohakune..

The statement continued that, from 1913 to 1916, she worked at Wanganui and Auckland. In 1016 she met a woman who introduced her to Joseph Crewe. Tho latter said his age was 45. They became friendly and she told him sho was a divorced woman with three children, Crewo asked her to marry him, but she. kept putting him off, as she thought he was too old. She was told that he had plenty of money and would make a good match for her. After she had been drinking with him for several days she went to a registrar's office at Auckland and married him. She was under the influence of liquor at the time. Crewo supplied the information to the registrar. She married Crewo under the name of Burkit. Sho did not know this until tho following day. when sho examined the marriage certificate. She drew Crewe's attention to it, and he said it was all right. They lived at North Auckland for several months. Sho found Crewo did not have enough money to keep them, so sho left him and went to work and never saw him again till that day. Told Bettridge tho Position. In 1917 sho went to Trentham Camp and then joined the hospitail (Hiliip Mahono, to which sho was attached for 18 month.s After discharge she went to Hawera. While working there she met Bettridgo, who asked her to marry him. She explained that sho had been divorced from Harrison and that she had gone through a form of marriage with Crewo while she was under tho influence of liquor. Tho position was fully explained to Bettridge. Sho also eudeavoured to find trace of Crewe, but could not do so. Her friends then advised her that, as she had not heard from Crewe for so long, and as sho had not been married under her proper name to Crewe, the marriago was not legal. Bettridgo advised her that there was nothing to provent her marrying him. Sho then married him in October, 1918, at Manaia. They lived at Makawhai and Rongotea for about three years and then went to Hawera and went share-milking for nearly 12 months. She left, Bettridgo and wont to Ohakuno to her first husband and later returned to Hawera. There she was served with divorce papers from Bettridge. When she married Crewe she firmly behoved Harrison had divorced her. She would never have married Crewo had she been in her sober senses. . Alfred Bettridge, farmer, of Kahua, said that on October 3,-1918, ho went through a form of marriage with accused nt Manaia. She then gave tho namo of Queenio Alice Burkit. They lived together until November, 1922, when accused left him. Witness went to Ohakune and found that sho had returned to. her first husband. In 1923 ho took divorce proceedings against her at New Plymouth and obtained a divorce. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed to tho Supreme Court for trial.