DESTITUTE BRIDE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9416, 10 April 1909, Page 7

DESTITUTE BRIDE.

The bride of a prisoner at Bow- ,, street Police Court, Duncan Moln-y tyre Johnson, was stated to be i - almost' destitute condition. The • man, who,is 41, is a wool traveller, of Melbourne,, and is charged on a •'.provisional .warrant,’ issued under the Fugitive Offenders’ Act, with forgery in Australia. Prisoner was arrested on board tho_ White Star line Suevio, which arrived at Plymouth from Australia on the previous Saturday. , waa , s “ bse : qnently transferred to the custody of Dete'btive-Sergeaut Savage, of Scotland Yard, who uow gave it in evidence that when be read the warrant Johnson replied, “I have got the ! monoy to pay thoui back, bufe I soppose it has gone too far now. ’ ’ ■ He had in his possession £309 and some odd shillings in cash, aud a cheque for £2 10s. On the- way to London he remarked, “I don’t know what made me do it. I have over £4OO a year of my own. I lost a lot | of money in a lawsuit, and on the spur of the moment I forged another man’s name for £IOO. I owe the . same firm £l6O. I hope they will let me pay it all hack. I was going to do so before I left Australia, but I wanted the . money for my honey- { moon. ’ r Accused said he had no questions to ask, hut he wanted his wife to have £SO, to take her back to Australia. ... ~ The Magistrate: What is the extent of the forgery? ~ Sergeant Savage; A hnndied pounds is specifically mentioned in v the cablegram, which also- says, “Defalcations are heavy.’’ The magistrate said that -in those circumstances he was afraid he could not make any order. • Prisoner: She is quite destitute. Sergeant Savage: I believe she received £5 from the Plymouth police, out of which she had to pay her fare to Loudon. As far *.as I know, she Has nothing else. She is present in court. . Mrs Johnson, who jWas wearing a linen costume and a straw hat, then went into the witness box. In to the magistrate, she said she had only what remained of the £5 referred to, and she was without _ any warm clothing. She had never been in England, before, and had no friends here. , . The magistrate ordered a week s remand, and said that in the meantime the lady could have a couple of sovereigns.