Organist Married Several Wives

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 21

Organist Married Several Wives

ONE IN WELLINGTON Fondness for whisky aud women was put forward at the Old Bailey as the principal reason leading to the downfall of Arthur Joseph Wicks, a grey haired, benevolent-looking man of 80. who pleaded guilty to fraud and bigamy. It was stated that Wicks started life with everything in his favour. His people were well-to-do, and he received an excellent education. Showing musical talent, he became an organist, occupying responsible positions where his skill was highly appreciated. first matrimonial venture was a somewhat tangled one. It took place in South Africa in 1890, but after he had returned to England he discovered that his wife had a husband living

when he married her. The death of the husband, however, enabled the couple to legalise their position. They were remarried at Hampstead in 1593. At this time Wicks was a well-to-do man. He settled £IOO a year on his wife for life and also made over to ner a house of furniture. In 1597 Wicks went to New Zealand, leaving his wife and three children in England. From that time he was lost to those he had left behind. For 20 years he cut himself adrift from them. He courted a New Zealand woman, and two years after he had reached that country he married her at Wellington. Two children were born of this marriage.

When war broke out he joined up with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, served in France, and was wounded. It was a weakness of Wicks that as soon as he had left one wife he started to find another. While on leave in London he made the ac quaintauce of Miss Dodson, and after a brief courtship he persuaded her to go through the form of marriage with him at Brondesbury. He went back to New Zealand for demobilisation and returned to his wife there. After only two mouths, however, he came back to London and settled down with Miss Dodson. Five children, including twins, were born of this marriage In 1921 the New Zealand wife ap plied for a divorce on the ground t desertion, and two years later this was made absolute. In 1925 Wicks gave himself up at Willesden tor bigamously marrying Miss Dodson The wife he put forward then was nis first wife, whom he married in 1893 He said nothing of the wife ami family he had in New Zealand at the time he married Miss Dodson. The consequence of this was that the Old

Bailey judge was deceived when the ! case came before him. JUDGE DECEIVED He advised Wicks to plead not guilty ; or the ground that he had not seen' or heard of his legal wife for seven : years or more. The jury adopted this view, and Wicks was acquitted. Even these experiences were not sufficient. Last April, after a lightning courtship if four days, he mar- . ried Miss Ella Fyfe, an attractive | waitress, whom he had met at East ' bourne. Wicks had told her he was a bachelor on the look-out for a wife. He had, he explained, been made chief engineer by the New Zealand Ship ping Company, and the firm always required their chief engineers to be married. He went through the form of marriage with Miss Fyfe at Eastbourne Register Office on April 11, and they came to an hotel in Russell Square. London. Here Wicks gave her a cheque for £SO to purchase good* for New Zealand She took the cheque to Barker's, and it proved to be worthless.—Miss Fyfe told the magistrate that he also borrowed a

; £3O ring which Ehe had, pawned - 1 for £S and failed to redeem it. On April 16, while they were re- , turning from her home in Bueking- ; hamshire. they went to Taplow ' Station. Wicks excused himself bv ! saying he must see a doctor, and that ; was the last she saw of him. BECAME ORGANIST After a brief spell as an accountant ■j iu 1918 A\ Icks became an organist ot 11 cinemas. A clever musician and au , accomplished player, he secured a i; cellent position in the West End. earning £9 and flu a week. For [(two years from the end of 1921 he • was engaged to play the organ at Pi-n----»j tonville Prison at £5 a month iu his ■ spare time. Then he borrowed £lO 1 1 from one of the officials and suddenly : i disappeared. Since then he had hail I to accept minor positions at theatre, • ! declaring that the coming of the ’ "talkies" had greatly reduced ala ' iueome. In his favour it should bo ~tated that Miss Dodson i Tilled him ’ as a good husband. ‘ Judge Gregory. K. I ', cutout 1 i j Wicks to IS months hard labour.