UNIQUE CASES OF BIGAMY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1931, Page 7

UNIQUE CASES OF BIGAMY

TWO HUSBANDS IN TEARS

HAPPY SOLUTION FOUND

LETTERS TO A PARAMOUR

WIFE ACTS AMANUENSIS

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 11

Two unique bigamy cases were heard at the Old Bailey. In the first Mrs. Raie McLellan was prosecuted for marrying another man while her first husband was alive. Her story was found to be a true and remarkable one.

An official of the South African Government posted her a form referring io her “laic husband,” who had not been seen since he went to Africa. She promptly remarried, but her first husband reappeared. After the judge had discharged the woman, “hot only without a stain on her character but with regret that she was the victim of the bungling of a Government department,” the trio ritet at luncheon. Both men wept, and the real hdS' band declared his intention to apply for a divorce and disappear. He bent a threepenny piece arid handed it over to his wife for luck, shook harids with the other man, and walked out.

The second case was equally remarkable. When William Chapman Was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonfnent for bigamy ft was revealed that his real wife wrote Chapman’s letters to tlie other woman because he was unable to read or write. These were in affectionate terms dictated by Chapman. One letter read in court proposed that the other woman phould live with the wife “while I am doing time.” The writer of the love letters exercised the privilege of not giving evidence agaifist her husband, thus the court was deprived of an interesting, cross-examination. “Amazing” was the j ridge’s drily comnr ent.