WANTED – A GOOD SAMARITAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1032, 11 December 1891, Page 29

WANTED - A GOOD SAMARITAN.

A PROBATIONER’S STORY. At the Supreme Court on Tuesday a young woman named Martha Cole, who pleaded gailty some time ago to a charge of bigamy and was placed on probation for six months, was brought before the Chief Justice by Mr G. N. Beasley, gaoler at Wanganui, iu order to obtain bis Honor’s direction what should be done with her, as thß people with whom she bad been placed had refused to keep her any longer. The gaoler had elected to bring her to Wellington for this purpose, as the criminal sessions do not open in Wanganui until April. Mr Beasley said the people with whom the woman had

been placed (Mr and Mrs Gardiner) repre. seated that they could not keep her any longer on account of the bad language she used, and, besides, the head of the household was frequently away from home. The first month’s report that he received after placing her out spoke most favourably of her conduct. Then Mr Gardiner was taken ill with typhoid, and had to go to the hospital. After that they “fell out,” and had been "falling oat” ever since, and the prisoner complained of this constant quarrelling. At any rate, they said they could not keep her, and as there was no other place open he had had to bring the probationer to Wellington. Since she had been before the Court at Wanganui her lawful husband had instituted proceedings for divorce, and she bad been served with a citation. The woman complained that her husband bad treated her very harshly. One of the Visiting Justices who had seen her in the gaol on Saturday felt sure she oould injure nobody. The people with whom phe had resided perhaps did not show the tact they should have done, and the prisoner complained that they were continually throwing up in her face what she had been, and saving that if they had known of her anteoedmts they would not have taken her. All that, however, had been explained to them before they took her. They had, however, determined not to keep her, and had threatened t i turn her out.

His Honor asked if there was no one to take an interest in her. Mr Beasley replied, “No one at all.” Her soliuitor had tiied vainly. She had been placed as a last resource with the people he had referred to, because she refused to have aaything to o with her own relatives. Since her arrest she had stated there was a registry-keeper in Paimerßton North who would get her a situation. He (Beasley) was told she had written to a man of disreputable character at Palmerston North, who let lodgings to women of a certain class and traded upon th6m. But she now declared that she would not go back to her old life when she can get a situation. She had kept two situations at Christchurch for twelve months’ each. The man whom she had bigamously married was a Mr Murro, whom she met while working in a boarding house at Masterton. His Honor remarked that when the woman was placed on probation it was not very confidently expected tbat the trial would be a success, but it was done entirely in her own interests. It would not do for him now to let her go forthwith out of the Court with no means, and no one to take an Interest in her.

The gaoler said the woman had a little money, aud he could give her a little more to take her back to Palmerston, where she said a registry.keeper could get her a situa-* tion. His Honor (addressing the prisoner) said he was told she was disposed to do what she could towards leading a respectable life, and he was inclined, therefore, to let her go without further punishment. She had complained at Wanganui that she was married the first time against her will, and that this forced marriage had hung upon her, and waa very much the caure of her going wrong. Now, however, her busbaud had decided to take steps to sever that connection by divoroe, and then, if what she said was at all reliable, she had the opportunity of commencing a fresh life. The prisoner was then discharged.