BIGWOOD'S BLISS.

NZ Truth, Issue 173, 10 October 1908, Page 6

BIGWOOD'S BLISS.

PERCY THE PONY "GUN." His Marriage with Carrie Moore. A Shock to Saob Society. Some men, like Byron, have awakened some fine morning to find themselves famous, but it looks as if it was left to Percy P. Bigwood, described m Sydney and Melbourne, where he is comparatively unknown, as an. English sporting gentleman, to cover himself m. glory and to become quite romantic m one afternoon by marrying Miss Carrie Moore, an undoubtedly clever Australian-born actress and songstress, who might have claimed, but did not, that Europe was at her feet. Anyhow, Carrie Moore, now Mrs Percy P. Bigwood, is not going to loom too large m the columns of this society journal. The fact that she is Mrs Percy P v Bigwood has been quite sufficient to set New Zealand agog, and the best thing that "Truth'' can do is to give the happy pair its paternal-like blessing and trust that the marriage jvas made m Heaven and is not destinedXto be annulled m the Divorce Court. "Unfortunately, however, if the daily press cables are to be relied upon the bliss of the Bigwoods has got quite a bad bump at the . beginning. Mr Bigwood, being a sporting gent, would, were he m Wellington, appreciate "Truth's" .sportiveness whpu it declares that no '■ sooner was the barrier raised for the start m the Matrimonial Stakes, but "Biggy" was ' forced on to the rails.

A "SQUIB" CALLED JEALOUSY bored him, Breach of Promise, ridden by Writ, and even a motor-car crossed his track, though it is by no, means uncertain that the favorite will not romp home the easiest of winners. Now, m New Zealand, particularly m Wellington, there are quite a number of persons who lately have been decidedly inquisitive about the identity of the said Mr iJigwood, whose marriage to Carrie Moore, a oreaf-h ol promise case, and bother about a motorcar, lately the property of Lord Northcote, ex-Governor-General of Australia, has, . within the past week or two, been the subject of cabled news m the daily press. Now, to clear any existing doubt on the matter, the "Mr P. P. Bigwobd, a young English sporting "gentleman, who- was recently, settled m New Zealand," mentioned, is no less a distinguished person than "Biggy," the pony "gun,"- whose connection' with the Wellington Pony : and Galloway Club some time ago forced , this unrCgenerate and home journal to make reflections of a decidedly personal and pointed and painful nature. When any . Australian paper j says that uigwood was "recently settled m New Zealand," "Truth," with pardonable pride declares that it did settle him m New Zealand, but when any journal says "Biggy" . settled m New Zealand, we are prompted to loudly cry: "question," because we sadly fear that ere departing via - the Bluff, for Horse-. , tralia, Avith a bag of boodle and following , his pony Balgonie, Mr P.- P.' Bigwood, perhaps, inadvertently, omitted to even /•' SETTLE WITH HIS WASHER- , WOMAN, the mention of which small debt was made m these columns to signify to the said Bigwood what our journalistic intelligence deemed to be a remark of a purely personal nature. Sombre and sober as is usually the countenance of any of "Truth's" staff, should a smile .illuminate our collective chivs when we read Bigwood described as a young English sporting gent, the risibility may be pardoned by even our severest critics, but' that he should take as wife a celebrated Australian actress .wrings from us sighs and even tears, and softens our hard hearts at • the very thought of how snob society m Wellington antj ,the aristocracy of Miramar wete so sadly hoaxed, "had" or bamboozled by the impervious-hided Percy what time "he "settled" .here and ! introduced to the home of "mention it not m Gath," Mr Walter Blundeil | and the domiciles -of others a Mrs Bigwood, with three little Bigwoods who, if what we hear, is true, wcres cruelly and scandalously duped, deceived and ultimately deserteS by the dirty dog who, under the falsest of false pretences, has made such a name for himself m Sydney. When, however, Bigwood is represented as' being a young English sporting gentleman "Truth" can hardly reconcile that reputation with his alleged rascality m South Africa, and his clever, but shady, trickiness' m New Zealand m general, but his s wholesale swindling and. sharping ; m Wellington m particular. The history of his connection, with the unregistered ranks of New Zealand simply teems with the worst kind of rookery. He ruthlessly robbed pony punters, he cleverly beat bookmakers with their own weapons. In a word, so far as pony racing was concerned, Bigwood was deadly. If ever a man, from outward appearances, has just cause to seek the aid of "the Law to clear his character from' the foulest aspersions, Bigwood was .that 'man. In leading an onslaught against pony-racing "Truth! 1 singled out Bigwood for its lash, but that "smoodging," "kidding" adventurer stood ft without even a wince. He was a silent worker.

HE ROOKED RIGHT AND LEFT and practically left Wellington poking a lunar at the mugs who toojc him for a mug, and laughing, no doubt loudly, at snob Wellington society and the Miramar aristocracy,^ into whose ranks he sought and received admission, and upon- whom he even foisted > a bogus Mrs Bigwood and brats, though it must be mentioned one section of select society blackballed the bounder when it discovered that the ■ stylishly dressed- and "Englishified" Johnny had," as they thought, deserted his. wife, while he philandered and.- flirted and filled m time on an Australian holiday jaunt, with a prepossessing' but none too virtuous Christchurch barmaid. But Wellington society must have received a shock when it learned the truth, and "Truth," which.' doesn't give a damn for society or anybody eke,, can quite thoroughly ■' appreciate the action of the daily press of Wellington, particularly -the "Evening .Post," for not, m foot-notes to its cables, informing Wellington who Mr P. P. Bigwood is. Anyhow, who is Bigwood? ,■ It has heext suggested /to "Truth" that he is .the son of an Earl, One thing seems certain : He's an adveii-' turer. He might be the scion of nobility, he might be the son of an Earl, or a son of a Gun, but he is, at anyrate, a Gun himself, and though this paper is never prone to preach a namby-pamby morality, Bigwood's conduct towards the woman who gave birth to three children, of which Bigwood is the reputed father, is that of a cowardly cur. He deserted the woman m the most COWARDLY AND DIRTY-DOG MANNER, and that he is to be sued for breach of promise to marry, is not, at all events, surp'isin?:, though the technical justice of Ills woman's claim cannot, until her evidence is given, l.c staled by "Truth." Bigwood is apparently a bounder of bounders. With his "pony Balgonie he had a series of wins, but his .reputed inheritance of a fortune can only 15c accqpted with strong suspicion. 'Nevertheless, he seems '"fo have uone Hie limit m Australia, yvherc he was comparatively unknown, and no doubt there l;e has mixed m the best of society, ending wi'h a rather romantic marriage with Carrie Moore. Now, that "Truth" has told the public who this Mr Hi^wood is, and seeing that "Biirgy" is m for it by appearing as defendant m a breach-of-pro-miso suit, Ihe mhse::uent drvclopments should prove interesting, md "Tn:th," 'ns usual, can be re'icd u;on to give the; full strength of things when the proper moment arrives.

Tawhaki ran a good race m the Hastings S takes, but lie was never a w inner. He, Nautifotm anil Xylophone ran very wide at the home bend.