AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 34

AUCKLAND.

The Auckland branch of the Educational Institute has remitted to the annual conference a motion that the Education Department be asked to pay travelling expenses incurred if teachers are transferred Irom one district to another. The Peaos Association has passed a resolution disapproving of the celebration of the Trafalgar centenary as an act of discourtesy towards two friendly -nations. They protest against the use which is mad© of celeIbrations to promulgate mistaken and pernicious political principles. Two Chinese were on Friday fined in the taaximum penalty (£SO each)' by Mr Dyer, S.M., on a charge of having opium in their possession. Two other Chinese were fined £10 each,' having been found smoking opium. The Crown Solicitor stated that the police had raided the place, which was 'a regular opium den, m€n crawling through (the oeiling to a manhole to hide while smokSng. f One of the accused said be,'could not stop smoking opium, and the magistrate advised' him to keep out of New Zealand. ' A- charge of bigamy was preferred' against a Norfolk Islander named Ernest Wilson 'at Auckland last week. Chief Detective iMarsack stated that on July 7,,-J.904-,.accused married' a woman named "Meldrum. ,He . lived "with her for, a short time,' and then * she left him. Eleven months,' afterwards-.he. ■' Jnarried :a -woman named Jones. _When r ..arrested accused. $aidv." Oh, I thought niy first , wife was dead. L,-. am willing to -go - back and . live with- her.." . Humphrey '•JLyons, registrar gf marriages at Auckland. 'gave evidence, and produced a certificate of the marriage of .Ernest" Wilson «to .Agnes JMeldrurri. ■ Annie" "Keiller Jones sai&Vshe first ■ met accused at $Ioui& BoskuT about seven years ago. In June -last accused proposed to. her, and' they were -"married on June 6. He said his first wife was dead. •David M'Clune, adjutant in the Salvation *Army, said he* married accused and the former witness on June 6 last. When for"■nially charged, the -accused handed in a statement- - In this he- stated that he , thought the law was the same here as an Biis country. He did not think he was doing anything -wrong. ' He thought the fact of his wife' leaving him and refusing «o live with him entitled him to marry It further stated that, he had a farm -with his second wife, and 'toad' made a comfortable home. If he were /convicted he and.. she. would lose everything. He asked, the magistrate to deal Slightly with him. "He pleaded Not •guilty," and was committed to the Supreme iCourt for "trial. Mr Kettle,3 .M., had to deal 1 with an .unusual' separation order application at 'Auckland on the 26th ult. May Ford -applied' for X a summary separation order against her husband, Alfred L; Ford, -but although the husband did .not" oppose this, fcis worship would not "grant the application r owing to peculiar circumstances. Mrs Ford said- she had been married since 1901, but fcad only lived with her husband -seven -months. He did -not keep her, and* oh one. occasion threatened to tear the-Vcloth.es off flier -back if she did' not give, him ' money she had earned.- She had ;been-- living with ■ ar.otEer>' man Tjeoause' Her ■husband would " fcot leave her alone: -Mr „ 'Kettle (to 'the 'witness) : *' If "a married "wotoan asks for separation "she has to.'" come "to" court with , clean hands." ' Witness: " He> has not' clean fcands^ -His - Worship : - ''That . may. , be," , *.ib'ut "thVprovisions "of "this act are only intended to be used by respectable married ..women who cannot live with their husbands iecause they are treated Cruelly." - Ford tola the magistrate that his wife had- lived with the ■ other man for two years, and would not leave to go to a home which he SFord) made for her in the King Country. His 'Worship suggested that Ford should undertake to keep the peace towards his wife for 12\ months, and defendant' coneented to this course being taken. Mrs ITord's application for separation was dis- . missed. ' ( % ' A peculiar story was. disclosed at a meeting .of -the creditors of R. K. Davis, accu'ntant, who failed in Auckland 19 years ago with - practically no assets, a-nd debts . amrounting to-over £10/000. " The debtor re-iiiaiajd-Vari undischarged bankrupt. Two ' yaars ago Mr Gerard, the official assignee, ivas "approached by lawyers, and asked to accept ■ £150 from the' friends of the bankrupt, in Sydney to obtain, his discharge. Mr Gerard became suspicious, and insti- . tuted inquiries, which resulted in a windfall beyond his fondest expectations. It , was ascertained that the bankrupt had' inherited ""a reversionary interest worth about £2400. " .-A -Sidney' man who advanced- Davis money .iiad;, secured an- assignment,- but Mr Gerard .'got -idie assignment 'removed. -.. The .creditors "decided "" io "instruct their"; London^fsqlicitbrs,' Vto sell the equity of 'interest, and -so 'avoid' •a , delay- in the" settlement. \ -Signor Biagato, .yiticulturist, hasujustified his claim to be able to. produce ripe hot- ' nouse grapes in September. Ripe "grapes ■from^his experimental vinery at Birkenhead - rere marketed last Saturday-