ALLEGED BETRAYAL OF SERVANT GIRLS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 58

ALLEGED BETRAYAL OF SERVANT GIRLS.

• Frederick Hall: 30, described as a commercial traveller, of Clarence street, Islington, was charged, on remanci, at Clerkenwell Roiice Court, London, on December 1 with feloniously intermarryino’ Mary Ann Dormer, ms wife Marion Hall, being then alive. The prisoner was further charged with stealing £ll from Mary Ann Dormer. Mr Rowe, who prosecuted on behaif of the Treasury, unfolded a sensational story. The facts showed that- the ptisoner practised a very heartless and cruel system of deception and pillage upon servant girls and other women ny a similar position of Life, inis mocie of procedure was to advertise in newspapers as a mechanic who desired matrimony, me stated that he was 30 years of age, earning good wages, and that he wished to correspond with a domestic servant with some small means. The replies were to be sent to the office of the newspaper in which the advertisement was inserted, and addressed to a number. Answers would be sent to the advertisements, anct meetings would be arranged. He would at first borrow small sums of money from them, and afterwards go through a form of marriage with them at a registra r’s office. It. seemed that he then went about with them to various pans of the country, and, having got from them all the _ money they had, would pledge their jewellery and trinkets. That was followed by desertion, his invariable excuse for leaving them being that ho was about to seek employment. Having deserted one girl, he would at once "proceed to practise Ins deception on another girl. Ho had, iu fact, been intriguing with two girls at the same time, living with one while lie was deceiving another. Mr Rowe said it had only that morning come to bis knowledge'that when the prisoner commenced tins „ vs Lem of fraud lie was a married mar./ In 3894 ho married a young; woman named Selina Hill, at Leeds’. He lived with her in that town until November 8. He first became acquainted with Mary Beale, a widow, whom bo married in. the name of John King at the - Registry Office, Cheltenham, on January G- tone liad a house and furnitures but he sold up her property, stating that he was an enginefitter and had to go to Birmingham to see a person connected with a railway. They journeyed to London together, and ho deserted her at Liverpool street Railway Station. When she got back to her lodgings, however, she discover-

eel that her box had been broken open and her property stolen. On January 10, four days alter he married -Mary Beale, the prisoner married Marion Jennings, a housemaid, at St. James's L h urch, Giiedtenham, assuming the name of Frederick Hall. He lived with this veung woman oft’- and on up to tne time* of his arrest. On September fi, last the prisoner married Agnes Lane, a domestic servant, at the Registry Office. Ki n gst o n-o n-Tii ame , assuming the name ’ of" Hegi nald Wilson. The prisoner cruel!v deserted her on October 2 at Dover. * On October IS the prisoner contracted another marriage with Fin'.-. -Ynr Dormer, a laundress, at tne negxstrv Office, Reading, assuming the name of' Bam Wilson. • fie deserted her in London 'on November 5. _ There was ample evidence, said Mr fix owe, to convict the prisoner of bigamy over and ove- a vain, but they had reason to think there were further marriages between him and other girls. Marien Jennings stated that answered an advertisement in an evening paper by the prisoner. She met ■•Had. at' Bav's Hill road, Lueuenham, last November. He said he was very pmused to se Q her, and stated that ne was an engine-fitter on the Michaud Railway, eaTiiing fios weekly. On January m they were married and he • bom cw eel that day 12s bd Horn her. ahey wentto Gloucester, and afterwards canto to lJ °Agnes Lane, cf 1, Richmond Villas, High road, Leyton, said she _ was a, domestic servant. On September 9 last she saw an advertisement- as ioUow ; -. “Superior working man, 29, God, vv-ne-> to correspond with a superior domestm or others, with about same capital, with a- view to’speedy marriage. Agents-ig-nor°d.” She answereci that mttei, ami received two letters front the pmoner in the name cf Wilson, asking, her to meethim. Finally, a- meeting was arranged at- St. Paul’s Cathedral on beptemoer op. On September 24 she gave notice c-f marriage at the 11-egis traps Umce, Kingston-on-Thames, and two uavs mer she met the prisoner by appointment •*t Wimbledon Railway Station, and tee prisoner accompanied her to tne nome of her mistress m Launceston loaJ, Wimbledon. She there gave him Fan towards providing a home, and vi ; t‘ she saw him off at the railway station he borrowed- her watch. On Sepyemoei •>7 she met the prisoner at Railway Station, and they were nwmea that day at the Registrars ottce. Alter the ceremonv she accompanied cue pnsoner to Herne Bay. -uey then went to Dover. On October 2 the prisoner tom her he would have to go to London. He gent her back to Heine Lay, ana she saw no mere of him. Mary Ann Dormer, of 4, South \ iew avenue. Cavers ham, a laundress, said she answered a matrimonial advertisement- in September. Hie prisoner corresponded with her in the name ot Wilson, 9 Kert-siett- road, Seven Sisters road. He wrote as follows :—- Dear Miss Dormer, - Thanks very much for your letter. I shall be very pleased to meet you. 1 must ted you i wish to get married at once. 4he reason is that I am a cabinetmaker, ana my firm are going to mako me a toreman, on the condition that I get married directly. If I came to Reading, and you thought we would suit eacn other, would you risk the marriage? Particulars of myself are—29 years of age, dark, medium height, total abstainer, wages £2 10s weekly. I can assure you if we agreed to each other, 1 would do my utmost to make your life a happy one for my sole aim in life is to be liappv. Will you let me know by return post what you think, so that 1 cou i arrange to meet you ? —Yours tiulv , Reg. TV iison. She finally met him, and on .October 18 she went through the form of marriage with him. On November 5 she. was riding with the prisoner in a cab in Pentonville road, when ho stop poet the vehicle, and sent her to buy some cigarettes. She started on the eirand, out turned back with a view to a.suing tho prisoner to make the purchase himself, but he had disappeared. She; waited an hour for him, and did not see him again until he was in custody. She had advanced the prisoner about £ll. He had from her a watch and chain,, which ho said he had pledged. The accused was further remanded.