ONLY A WORKROOM LARK.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11696, 22 July 1890, Page 2

ONLY A WORKROOM LARK.

BIGAMY AT ALBURY. CONSEQUENCES OF A MATRIMONIAL ADVERTISEMENT. A case possessing some remarkable features was heard at Albury Police Court last week, when I*rederiek Edward French, a young man, was charged with bigamy. Evidonoe -was given by Mr Jsmes Mitchell, painter, that accused was married at No. 6, Union-street, South Melbourne, to Ma (Mitchell's) daughter on December 17th, 1879. The parties lived together for five years, and .threa obildren were born of the marriage. Accused then became involved financially and was declared insolvent, and soon afterwards he ran away with another woman. The wife applied for a divorce, which was refused for want of sufficient evidence, but the Court ordered a judicial separation. Mary Ann King, dressmaker, residing at North Melbourne.deposed, that eighteen months ago she was employed as forewomanlin a large drapery establishment in Melbourne, when she inserted an advertisement in a Melbourne paper stating that she wished lo correspond with an eligible man, with a view to matrimony. She received 32 replies, and she selected accused from his photograph. An appointment was arranged and accused showed her a roll of notes and wanted to be married without loss of time. She protested, Baying that the insertion of the advertisement was only a "workroom lark." Accused,, however, continued to pay addresses/and marriage was arranged, but in consequence of the opposition displayed by her parents it was decided that the ceremony should take place at Albury. Accordingly she and accused came to Albury on August 26th, 1888, and were married by the Rev. G. Is. Taylor, "We'sleyah minister, accused, before the ceremony, representing himself as a widower. The pair returned to Melbourne, and seven months afterwards she learned that accused had iS. wife living, and she then ordered him out of the house. Shortly afterwards she came to Albury and laid information against accused for bigamy. The witness was subjected to a severe cross-examina-tion, the justification being that she was aware before marrying, accused that he had a wife living. She admitted that since the issue of the warrant she had lived with accused in Hobarfc, Coburg, and other places, and tnat Bhe wrote letters to him offering to leave with him for America. These letters, she said, were written at the instigation of Detective Whitney, who wished to apjrehend accused. On the completion of her evidence tho witness went into hysterics, and had to bo carried out of the court. Accused was committed for trial to the Circuit Court to be held on October 1.