GAOL ENDS ROMANCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2143, 28 December 1920, Page 14 (Supplement)

GAOL ENDS ROMANCE.

MAORI OFFICER AND WIDOW. Through his efforts to help an old lover, described as formerly a woman of wealth, a Maori ex-officer has been landed in gaol, says the "Daily Chronicle." ' Modna Holbert, who came from New Zealand in 1914, and served as an officer for five years with the Imperial troops, called at a, house in Dartmouth Road, (Jrieklewood. He inquired for a servant, Mrs Randall, who, the occupier said, had absconded the previous night with £IOO worth of jewellery. Holbert was detained, and, when questioned with regard to Mrs Randall, it was ascertained that the reference by means" of which she had obtained the situation had been given to her by Holbert. He admitted to the poliee that the reference was false, and added: "I wanted to give the woman a chance." Holbert told the Willesden magistrate that, training at Bournemouth, before going to France, he met Mrs Randall. He then knew her as Mrs Hill, and believed her to be a widow. She was a woman of means, keeping a large establishment, a carriage and several servants, and she took a great interest in him, finally proposing marriage, which he declined. Soon afterwards, said Holbert, her husband turned up nad instituted divorce proceedings, citing him as corespondent. The woman's life being thus ruined, declared accuscsQ, he tried to do his best for her. He wrote to the house at Cricklewood because she wrote telling him she was in financial trouble and desired to see him. Holbert pleaded that he was a man of education and good family. He was married about a month ago, and was on the point of taking his wife back to New Zealand. On a charge of acting as a suspected person he was sentenced to two months' hard labour, and for giving a false I reference was fined £2O.