McLEAN'S MISERY.

NZ Truth, Issue 215, 7 August 1909, Page 5

McLEAN'S MISERY.

ONE MAN: TWO WfVES.

A Bigamist Before the Beak.

His Wife Lived with Another Man.

Bigamy. . seems- to' -be a complaint to which the middle-aged are much addicted m the opinion of this paper, < and its 'opinion is further advanced' by the relation of the" facts of the' double-barrelled marriage of a" grey-headed buster called Willian MoLean, who faced Beak Kiddell on Wednesday morning last to answer " to a charge of haying gone through a- form- of marriage~ "with one Margaret Gallihawjk, haTing been previously married to one Elizabeth" McLean on July 8, ISB7William is aged about 48 years, and ■ looks more. The legitimate spouse of his bosom has ; long; passed her g»ic£ tflimateriie, and the unlawful: wife is, m the • words of some' illustrious' poet, whose name we don't know", "FAT, FAIR, AND FORTY." The accent is to be placed on the "fat and forty." The extenuating circumstances to be placed to wicked Willies credit side of the ledger is that the I beauteous partner of his joys and sorrows deserted his manly bosom some 12 years ago for the embraces of a- dago and Willie, after remaining good and virtuous for that' time, took unto his bosom the aforesaid Margaret Gallihawk, as the six-and-eigntpeiiny brigade would say. G-illihawk is a most peculiar • name and it ought to have had some significant warning', for Weak Willie. However, parsons like J. j. North and Dr. Gihb tell us that "fools rush m where angels fear to tread," and as regards the angels, this paper is putting its money on them every start m the "Rushing Stakes.! 1 Big Chief Demon Broberg held up Willies shortcomings to the Court, and Mr > Percy Jackson appeared for the accused. Archibald McLean, hash-tower keeperat Wanganui, said 1 , he knew prisoner and the woman McLean, now m Court. She was his sister. He was "present when his sister and accused were married at the Registrar's Office m Wellington 1 on July 7, 1887, and signed the- register. His sister's MAIDEN NAME WAS ALSO McLEAN. The marriage, as far as he knew, was never annulled. Margaret Gillihawk, Wife No. 2, stated that she resided at 11 Victoria-street, ' Wellington. A marriage was solemnised at the Dunedin Registrar's Oifice on March 12, 1903, between her and WilWc. The certified copy produced she could not see without her glasses, so it was read over to her by Clerk Holmes, and she admitted she and Willie were the parties referred to. At the time of the marriage she understood he was a single man. Constable Quayle stated that m consequence of a complaint received from the last witness, he interviewed accused' on June 3, 1909. Accused said he was aware that his first wife was alive at the time of his second marriage, but as he had been separated from her for 12 years and was a man of 'no education, he thought he was doing no harm. Detective Williams stated that on the 19 th of the present montli he arrested accused on warrant. Accused told him that when he married the second time he did not think anything would come of it, as he had not seen his first wife for ten years. He said he knew she was LIVING WITH ANOTHER MAN. either at Lower Hutt o& Petone. He did not 1 think it mattered, as his first wife married a Maori man after they had been separated. Accused had nothing to say when charged, and pleading guilty was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr Jackson asked that m view of the fact that accused had nffver been before the Court hefore and of his good character he be released on his own recognisances, and to come up for sentence. Accused, if necessary, would report himself every day to the police; Mr Riddell said he was not prepared to accede to the request-, but would admit him to bail, self m £25 and one surety of £25.