A STRANGE CASE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16711, 22 April 1925, Page 10

A STRANGE CASE.

QUESTION OF IDENTITY. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The case, against John William Hope, aged 33, for default of £53 15s in respect of an order for the maintenance of his wife in England was continued in the Police Court. The defence was a denial of identity. Thu maintenance oliiccr said the accused was sentenced: to six months’ imprisonment' last year for a breach of an order obtained against one John William Hope in England in 1921. Mr. Sullivan, for the accused, said Hope had been allegedly identified by a photograph from England. : The Magistrate, Mr. Poynton, said it was too late to raise that question now. A year ago lu» was sentenced and lie was 'then satisfied he was the man mentioned in the order. Accused entered the witness box and .said ho was married at Bolton registry ;office in July, 1923, and sailed for New Zealand in the next month. Ho had not been married before. Two- months after his wife received a letter from a sister, in which a previous marriage was hinted at, A cablegram was sent denying that there lmd been a marriage in 1916. He assumed the name of Lane, after bis discharge from Mount Eden because of the difficulty in obtaining employment. He had. always been aware of tlie likeness to the man Hope. 1 The Magistrate: You ask the Court to believe you two men of the samp name and similar appearance and age worked at the same place as electrical wiremen, also that your fathers followed identical occupations? The coincidence Is too remarkable. Edith Alice Hope, wife of (ho accused, said she did not know the man in the English photograph with the strange woman. Two photographers gave evidence that they were of opinion that the accused was not the man. The Magistrate said that there was so much public interest in the case lie would give- a written judgment.