SWORE TO THE WRONG HUSBAND.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 167, 14 July 1908, Page 6

SWORE TO THE WRONG HUSBAND.

At Derby recently a young greengrocer, Robert Charles Richer, was charged with being £129 m arrears on a maintenance order obtained by his wife, Minnie Ellis. Richer -was arrested on the sworn statement of Minnie Ellis, who alleged that he married her at Derby m August, 1902, and that after he had deserted her m May, 1903, she obtained an order for the payment of 10s a week, but had never seen him since. She had been positive he was her husband, and her mother and sister were equally positive, identifying him by his features and mannerisms, but particularly by his broken nose. A man named Ironmonger swore Richer was the same man who had worked with him fourteen months m the _>»me butcher's shop. The defendant flatly denied all the allegations against him, and said he had never been married at all, and had never seen the complainant before m his life. Mrs Ellis, m. answer to Mr Clifford (who defended), said that she had since seen her husband's parents, and had learnecj from them that he liad gone to Canada with another woman, and had been there since the order was made against him. She added that the defendant was the most perfect " double " of her husband, and that she was now convinced she. had made a mistake.

!Mr H. Fitzherbert Wright said he took Richer into his employ m 1903 as coachman, and he made the most particular inquiries into his character. He had previously been m the service of the Earl of Bradford. With regard to his broken nose, Mr Wright said that was done by a horse m his stables last December. A man named Lane, who had known Martin Henry Ellis all his life, and had gone to school with him, said he could see no real resemblance between the two men. The defendant was discharged. The magistrates expressed their sympathy with him, and congratulated him upon the manner m which he had borne himself m very trying circumstances.