MAN THOUGHT DEAD CAUSES TROUBLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1278, 29 May 1930, Page 2

MAN THOUGHT DEAD CAUSES TROUBLE

RETURNED AFTER THIRTY YEARS TO FIND WIFE MARRIED AGAIN

REAL ENOCH AREiEN IN NEW ETERNAL TRIANGLE

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) An astounding variation of the eternal triangle theme was staged m the Christchurch Supreme Court recently. Thirty years ago Mrs. Annie Louisa Thiele received evidence that her husband was dead. She re-married, but this union was an unhappy one, and ended m separation. Then from the dead Thiele returned, and a peace which she* was enjoying after a life of trouble was rudely shattered. The thought that she had illegally married her second husband inspired m Mrs. Thiele fear and despair, and after a few months, m which she experienced the gnawing agony of suspense, her second husbaad had fiis marriage to her nullified.

IN one of the most remarkable cases which have ever been heard m a court of law m New Zealand, an account of Mrs. Thiele's matrimonial misfortunes was told. Walter Vincent Thiele and Mrs. Thiele were married about 1898, and for twelve years there was nothing to mar the peace of their life together. Then, for some reason which has not been disclosed-, Thiele was compelled to leave Christchurch, and his wife did not know where he disappeared to. Later she learned that medals belonging to him had been forwarded to his relatives from the * Boer War, and she, as did others of his relatives, concluded that he was dead. As the years v sped on without bringing any message of him, any doubts which Mrs. Thiele may have entertained as to his death were allayed. Still m the prime of life, and believing herself a widow, it is only natural that her thoughts again should turn to matrimony. £1 WEEKLY FOR SUPPORT She met Alexander John Barber, and m him she saw a man whom . she thought could bring peace and contentment into her life. She wished to marry him, but before taking this step she obtained legal advice on her position regarding Thiele. The lawyer whom she consulted, and who is now dead, assured her that she was a free woman, and that there was nothing to prevent her re-marrying. Barber was also aware that she had been previously married, and was familiar with all the circumstances of that union. In 1915, fifteen years after Thiele had left .Christchurch, Barber and Mrs. Thiele were married, but it was an unhappy match. After the couple had lived, together for six or seven years she obtained a separation from Barber on the grounds of his failure to . maintain her. He was ordered to pay £1 a week for her support. She now began to enjoy a contentment which she had not known for a score of years, and for about a decade there was nothing to mar the peace and happiness of her existence. „- Then came the alarming news that Thiele had not been killed at the Boer War, and was still alive. How great a shock this knowledge was to her can easily be imagined. The realisation that she, a respectable -woman at whom the finger of scandal had never previously pointed, had illegally married Barber, almost drove her to distraction. She imagined that she had brought a terrible disgrace on herself and on her family, and was afraid of what the public would think of her. Her friends — including Thiele's relations, who had always been kind and sympathetic to her — pointed gut that she had been sinned against rather than that she had sinned, and that no one would blame, her for what she had done. Still, she felt her position acutely. A decent woman, she dreaded the publicity which the ' disclosures of her marriage to Barber would bring to her. The thought of that publicity was revolting to her.. In the midst of all her sorrow there was one bright gleam of joy. The

thought that she and Barber had no children upon whom would fall the stigma of her unfortunate marriage glistened like a pearl among pebbles, and fortified 3ier m her troubles. The dreaded disclosure^of her position eventually came when Barber met Thiele m Christchurch, and the latter admitted his identity, j Barber consulted a solicitor, and towards the end of last year papers were filed m which he applied to have his marriage nullified on the grounds that his wife had been previously married. When the case was brought before Mr. Justice Adams m the Christchurch Supreme Court a few days ago, Mrs. Thiele was too ill to attend. She was represented by Mr. C. S. Thomas, who explained the unhappy circumstances of her marriage. I Barber, for whom Mr. R, A. Cuthbert appeared, is a driver employed by the carrying firm of J. M. Hey wood and Co. Ltd. In his evidence he said that he and Mrs. Thiele went through a form of marriage on August 7, 1915. He admitted that he had known of her previous marriage,' and of the circumstances surrounding Thiele. j He said that he 'had met Thiele m) Christchurch m December last, and learned his identity. Frederick Thiele, a brother of Walter Vincent Thiele, said that his brother had left Christchurch . a little before the Boer War, and he had not heard of him until two or three years ago. Then, to his surprise, he received a letter from him, sent from Melbourne. His brother later returned to New Zealand and stayed with him for a week or two. No defence was offered, and Barber's application was granted. A decree absolute was made. What Barber would have done had he been living happily with Mrs. Thiele when he heard that her husband was still alive, is cause for conjecture. Mrs. Thiele believes that if Thiele and Barber had not met that the disclosure -would nevervhave been made. Thiele had heard that she had re-married, and he did not intend to make any trouble about it. SHE WANTS TO FORGET When seen by a "Truth" reporter, Mrs. Thiele would not speak much about the troubles which have been her lot since Thiele left Christchurch. She showed vindictiveness to neither Thiele nor Barber and preferred that the past be allowed to rest. All she now desired is that the public will quickly forget her misfortune. She told "Truth" that after Thiele had returned from the dead she saw him- once on the street m Christchurch, but did not speak to him. That was the only occasion on which she had seen him since he left her 30 years before. She believes that he stayed m Christchurch for about a week, and then went away again. Where he has gone she does not know, nor does she know where he has been during the thirty years when she thought him de£d. ' She deplored his return to Christchurch after all these years, to cause her cup of trouble to fill to overflowing. However, though Thiele is alive, she wishes to regard the past as dead and is looking forward to peace once more.