TRACKING A HUSBAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3006, 25 October 1911, Page 33

TRACKING A HUSBAND.

SOUTH AFRICAN WIFE'S SEARCH.

A 16,000 MILES CHASE

What appears to be one of the most remarkable cases of wife desertion that have come under the notice of the Sydney police in recent years is at present occupying their attention (says the Sun).® The victim, an Englishwoman from Johannesburg, South Africa, has arrived in Sydney after travelling 16,000 miles in search of her husband? 1 , who, the local police say, is in New York.

The story of the quest for a missing man is one that discloses many hardships, and the unfortunate woman, with her four-year-old son, has at last come to the end of her financial tether, and is almosjt broken down in health.

Inspector Childs, to whom the lady appealed for police assistance : ,ome months ago, before leaving for New Zealand, has the matter again in band. Through his kindness the deserted woman has been placed in the care of the Charity Organisation Society, 18 Elizabeth street. Nurse Llewellyn, of this institution, has brought the matter before her committee, with the result that monetary assistance has been allowed.

Seen this morning, the lady unfolded a remarkable story of how she has eked out an existence, with her young son, travelling from place to place. In order to pay her way she has from time to time had to pawn articles of jewellery and accept from friends small gifts of money. The jewellery is now gone, and the loan offices can see her no more, while her remaining possessions are only wearing apparel and her wedding-ring. " Yes," she said, " during the at 18 months, since my husband left me, i have hunted high and low in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and at last have —through the kindness of Inspector Childs and Detective M'Mahon, of the Auckland police—been informed that he reached Suva last year. He left Fiji, returned to Sydney, travelled to Colombo, which he is supposed to have left for New York, via England. His address in New York is at present unknown, but I am in hopes of tracing him. My nusband left Johannesburg on April 20 last year. He was a well-known figure in society in the South African city, and was a prominent member of the Stock Exchange. He speculated heavily in Rand mines, but the crash came, and he left.

"On the day of the.departure my husband, whose father was at one time manager of one of the J. B. Robinson banks in Capetown, he informed me that he was on his way to Buluwayo, where he intended opening ,up several mines. I saw him off at the Johannesburg station, and he kissed both myself and my son good-bye. He said he would write me in a few days. I have not heard from him since that day, 18 months ago. I afterwards found out that he had taken a ticket for Capetown." .He departed .in the Buluwayo train, but left it, at Fourteen Streams, 300 miles from Johannesburg, and joined the train for the ~ Cape. "Not having heard from himy ind being forced to sell up my home^-.'"l journeyed 2000 miles from Johannesburg tQ Buluwayo, to find that my husband had hot been near the place-; Information was given me by in Capetown and his name on the passenger list of the Corinthic, which left Capetown for New Zealand in April last "year, told me he had left for this part oi the world. , •■'::,;-:]

"I left Buluwayo for Johannesburg. Being very -short of -money; If/and my son had to journey to the Cape,; of 1300 miles, in a Kaffir trucKv I'll never forget the trip. A Kaffir truck,-aa you can imagine, is not the most, comfortable of railway accommodation, and for two nights and a day we had to put up with the inconvenience. -■■/ "When I reached Capetown I was compelled to obtain some money on a ring [ possessed. Determined to track my husband, I left by the Arawa. On arriving at Hobart I disembarked, and left for Launceston, where I boarded the Loongana for Melbourne. I had an idea that I might be able to trace my husband in the Victorian capital, but was unsuccessful. The police in Victoria gave ma little -satisfaction, and it was not till I reached Sydney and : saw Inspector Childs that anything definite was done for me. Photographs were taken off one I had in my possession, and distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand. " It was in Auckland, where I arrived from Sydney, that I heard the first news" of the doings of my husband in Australasia". He arrived in Aucklandln July, 1910, and put up at one of the leading hotels. As a bridge and poker player he was first-class, and could sing splendidly. It was not long before he was one of the shining lights of Auckland society. He spent money freely, and was looked upon as a diamond king from Africa. He tired of Auckland life, however, and, Detective M'Mahon informed me, sailed for Samoa, and eventually was traced to Colombo, and later on stated to be in New York. " While in New Zealand, I lived as b est I could by doing needlework, but the clihiate so affected my health and that of my son that I came back to Australia five weeks ago on the Wimmera."