BIGAMY AND DESERTION. A Heartless Dunedin Man in Melbourne.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 104, 30 May 1885, Page 6

BIGAMY AND DESERTION. A Heartless Dunedin Man in Melbourne.

A heartless case of wifo desertion and subsequent bigamy was heard lately at the Melbourne Police Court, oocupying the Bench the greater part of the Jay. The accused was Joseph Francis Kinggate, formerly of Dunedin, New Zealand, and lately of Mary-street, Richmond, where he was arrested on the 7th ult. On the 10th January, 1882, he married a girl named Norah Smith, who was then chambermaid in the Union Hotel, kept by William Clarke Armstrong, Dunedin. The latter attended the wedding, and signed his name in the book of the registrar. Some time afterwards Kinggate brought his wife and one child to Melbourne, and took lodgings in a house in Rokebystreet, Coliingwood. Here it was observed by Mrs Kinggate's sister, who went to stay with them, that the married pair did not appear to live very happily together. On more than one occasion Kinggate told his wife and her Bister that he would destroy the marriage certificate and seek another wife. Some time last year Kinggate and his wife and child were living at Footscray, and whilst there he became acquainted with a girl named Johanna Fredrica Mehrten, who was employed as a servant at the Station Hotel. To this girl, who was about 20 years of age, he introduced himself as a single man, and to prevent her knowledge that he was already married, he removed nis wife to Hotham. Then he gave out his intention to proceed to Sydney, telling his wife that he would shortly after his arrival send for her. He gave her on his departure the sum of ss, saying it was all he had ; and, although the unfortunate woman was approaching her confinement, Kinggate left her without any means of support whatever, and proceeded secretly to Footscray. For several months, Mrs Kinggate could get no tidings of her husband's whereabouts. As she was totally destitute, the neighbours gave her some little assistance to help her along, and inquiries were set on foot to ascertain what had become of her husband. It was then discovered that he had gone through the form of marriage with Johanna Mehrten before the Presbyterian clergyman at Richmond, where he was living with this girl as man and wife. When arrested on a charge of deserting his wife, he had the effrontery to deny his former marriage, foolishly believing that in the absence of the certificate it could not be proved. The police authorities sent to Dußedin, and brought over Charles C. Arm- ! strong, tho hotel keeper, who was present at the marriage. A copy of the registrar's certificate was also produced; andhisinjured wife, although in very ill health, and scarcely able to stand, gave her evidence to prove the marriage which the prisoner repudiated. The Rev. Andrew Hardy, Charlotte Smith (sister of the prisoner's wife), Mary Jane Reid,and Isabel Gertrude Graham (the two laet-named being witnesses of the second marriage), were also examined. The prisoner, in themostimpudentway, sought to damage the charactor of his second wife, and likewise her sister, a respectable domestic servant, by putting a series of abominable questions j and he sought also to add to the injury he had already inflicted on his own wife. He was committed for trial on both charges.