WILSON'S WIVES.

NZ Truth, Issue 276, 8 October 1910, Page 8

WILSON'S WIVES.

CHEQUERED MARITAL CAREER. A Hubby with Two Wives and a Wife with Two Husbands. A COMPLICATED CASE.

It is said of the little city of Nelson that m it there are three more) women to every man, and the experiences of an elderly gentleman named Marmaduke Dove Wilson seem to prove the truth of this assertion. Away back m 1899 Wilson was living quietly tn Nelson with his wife and family ; hut his wile was delicate and weut the way of all flesh. Marniaduk« cast round for somebody to FILL THE VACANT CHAIR/ and his eye lighted on Mrs Minnie Jennens, a married lady whose husband hadn't honored her with his presence lor a, considerable, number of years. To make things m order, . a declaration was signed settdng out that the lady's husband, Thomas by name, had been away from her for at least seven years, which is as good sas being dead so far as the law is concerned. This declaration was signed on August 29, 1901, and the wedding took place m Wilson's house on the 11th of the next month. The ceremony was performed by .the Rev. J. S. Smalley, Wesley an, though at first there was soine difficulty m getting anybody to tie the knot. Wilson 'had taken the trouble to find out how he stood as regards Mrs Jennens' husband, and had been advised that if he should prove to be alive Wilson's marriage would he a nullity ; but in' 1909, after eight years ,of conjugal bliss, Thomas began to appear on the horizon of Marmaduke's marital .dream. First of all, Mrs Jennens received a letter from Wellington to' the effect that Thomas had been seen tfn Wellington standing ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY RING.. •This letter was shown to Marmadufce "who said : "Oh, dear, Minnie, I'm afraid I've put myself m a trap." Mrs Jennens . said : "Oh, don't take any notice of that," whereupon she put the letter m the fire. Being ask■ed why she did so she said : "You [don';t want my children to see it, do !you ?" Some time after this, Jennens pushed himself to the fore again, , ; this time by actually visiting. Nelson, being pointed out to Marmaduke by *Mrs Jennens while he (Jennens) was. 'staggering up a street much "under 'the infloonz." Thereafter, Marmaduke's stay m Nelson was short, and on September 4 of last year he made a shift to Dunedln. But, apparently, he had, got used to a wife, and couldn't be happy Without one. Anyhow, he advertised for one, and, as a result, was married on June 3 of this year to a widow named Harriet Louisa Waites at her house m NorthiJEast Valley. T,he course of Marmaiduke's domestic bliss seemed then to [have been put straight for good ; but : a month after the latest marital venture his wife was run over by a trap m George-street and killed. An inquest was held, and, arising out of the evidence given at it, the police saw fit to start proceedings against MarrnaduKe charging him with HAVING COMMITTED BIGAMY by his marriage with Mrs Waites, his other wife (Mrs Jennens) being alive at the time. The case came on before Magistrate Bartholomew on September 30. Mr Payne represented accused, and Sub-Inspector Phair prosecuted. The proceedings were watched with interest by two elderly dames who, it seems, were unsuccessful applicants when Mrs Waites found favor m Marmaduke's eyes. The chief evidence for the prosecution was given by William Robertson, a Dunedin resident, who is a son-in-law of Mrs Jennins, and he was put forward chiefly' to prove that Mrs Jennens was still alive—he had seen . her three weeks previously. The other evidence consisted mostly of marriage certificates knd the testimony of the clergyman who married Wilson and Mrs Waites. The parson said accused had

been married under the name of Mar- ' maduke Dove, and bad HAD TO PUT HIS MARK to the certificate. ■■ In the course of cross-examination, Mr Payne . r?ferr.ed to a telegram he had received from Mr Maginnlty, solicitor, Nelsoji', which stated that on* Btadßh&w, a J.R., was prepared to swear- that b* bad met Jennens' after the date of ibis wife's marriage to Wilson. Mr Payee tried hard to have this document ref eeived as evidence, hoping that prooi that Jennens was alive would knock the bottom out of the case against Wilson, but the S.M. declined to allow the telegram to be put m. Then Mr Payne tried to get the police to admit that m 1899 Jeiuiens had b*en convicted of KEEPING AN ILLICIT STILL ; but while the Sub-Inspector admitted that he had been present when v. certain Thomas Jennens was arrested near Reefton, he wasn't prepared to say that it was the same man. In asking for a dismissal, Mr Payne said, to his mind, the police hadn't proved that* Wilson's marriage to Mrs Jennens was a valid one— to do that they would have to prove that Jennens was dead when his wife married: Wilson. The. S.M. said he thought that the police had proved . all the necessary formalities. In his evidence, Wilson explainedthat; he- used both the names Doveand Wilson— one was the name of his step-father. Jennens, he said, stayed three .months' in Nelson^ but' was then; sent about his business by 'his broth-' er, who would have nothing to do with him. In cross-examination, Wil-' son admitted that before he left Nelson there had been some drymess be— tween himself and Mrs Jennens. When Mrs Jennens pointed out the drunken man as Jennens, Wilson didn't think she might be having a bit of fun with him— it was too serious a matter to joke 'about./ It wasn't true that he had left Mrs .Jennens because , /qf a' difference he had had with her or, because of his drunken habits.' It was' certainly tjrue that he had taken drink sometimes; but that was only . j TO DROWN HIS SORROWS when. Mrs Jermens. made a point of. nagging, Jennens forming the chief subject of conversation. .-. When he did' leave it wasn't \of his. : own accord— lie: was : put out of the house by a son of Mrs Jennehs, who also, knocked him about considerably. On coming to Dunedin he advertised for a wife — he found he wanted one after being used to one for so long. His whole marital position had been laid before the churoh m Nelson, of which he was a member. Evidence was also given by George Wilson and Sarah Thomas, son and daughter of accused, who spoke of the visit of Jennens to Nelson. To conclude the case, Mr Payne made another endeavor to get m the statement of Bradshaw. Counsel said the police had a STATEMENT SIGNED BY BRADSHAW, and it was their fluty to • put it m. If Bradshaw's statement was admitted, Wilson must be found innocent. The S.M. said that if it was proved that Jennens was alive when his wife got married that would be a complete answer to the charge ; but the. onus of proving this was on accused. . An adjournment of eight days was granted to enable Bradshaw's evidence to be taken on commission m Nelson.