BACK FROM "DEAD"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23139, 10 September 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

BACK FROM "DEAD"

WOMAN MEETS HUSBAND STRANGE COURT STORY REMARKABLE LETTER READ Two years after she had married for the second time, a 31-year-old woman who was a brido at 16 met her "dead" husband in the street. This story was told to London magistrates when the woman, Mrs. Violet Mary lnnes, or Ingham, of Ipswich, appeared before them on a charge of obtaining £2 from the Admiralty by false pretences. Mr. Donald Barry, prosecuting, stated that in 1923 the woman married a man named lnnes, hut in 1926 they separated, and in 1932 she received a report of the death of a Corporal lnnes, which she believed referred to her husband. She was married again in 1935 to Marine Arthur Ingham, of Chatham. "You may imagine," said Mr. Barry, "it was something of a shock to her when, last September, she met her first husband lnnes entirely by chance." After that meeting, continued Mr. Barry, lnnes gave her a remarkable letter, which read: "This is to certify that I will take no action against Mrs. Ingham in her marriage to me.

"We mot for the first time for nine years, and L am satisfied she did her best to find me, but out of the above timo I have spent five years abroad." No Bigamy Case Mrs. Innes, it was stated, signed a form for the purpose of obtaining a marriage allowance from the Admiralty 011 tho grounds that she was the lawful wife of Ingham.

She told the Court that her first marriage was not a success, but she was now very happy. It was stated on her behalf that she was taking stops to obtain a divorce on the ground of desertion by Innes. When she remarried her present husband she would automatically become entitled to the Admiralty allowance.

It was pointed out that, in view of the. lapse of more than seven years no proceedings could bo brought against her for bigamy. The magistrates stated they would take the view that the offence was technical and dismiss the charge on payment of 15s costs.