A MISSING BRIDEGROOM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 8

A MISSING BRIDEGROOM

WEDDING PARTY CANCELLED REMARKABLE LOSS OF MEMORY (Pee United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 25. Seventy guests waited in vain for the bridegroom at a wedding at St. John’s Church, Te Puke, on Wednesday morning. After an hour and a-half they dispersed and the wedding breakfast was cancelled in the meantime. The bridegroom had suffered a loss of memory and had made his way to Auckland, where he is now staying with relatives prior to his return. His recollection of events did not return to him until this morning. In the meantime search parties, fearing for his safety, scoured the Te Puke district. The bridegroom is Mr J. Bennett, a well-known footballer at To Puke. When seen to-day at the home of his brother-in-law he said he was feeling fit and well although his mind was a blank as to his experiences and movements between Tuesday morning and this morning. Although he had since learned that he called on relatives at Waihi and he had been in Auckland since Thursday he could recall nothing of it On Tuesday morning he boarded a train at Paengaroa, where he was employed as a farm hand and where his bride’s home is, to go to Te Puke. After that he remembered nothing. He had since learned, he stated, that the postmaster at Te Puke saw him at 10 o’clock on Tuesday night at Te Puke. He had then told the/ postmaster that he had been to Tauranga and back. • Displaying a pair of shoes that were cut with stones, worn and mud-stained, he said he evidently had been tramping over rough country. He had no railway tickets and had no idea how he had reached Auckland. ,

“ A remarkable thing,” said his brother-in-law, “is that he'has been with us since Thursday evening and we did not know the wedding was to be held last Wednesday, and so we had no cause to be surprised that he should be here. He has accompanied us to the pictures, and although he seemed to be rather quiet we did not suspect that anything was wrong.”