A THOROUGH SCOUNDREL.

Western Star, Issue 840, 3 May 1884, Page 4

A THOROUGH SCOUNDREL.

At "Wellington on. Thursday the unprincipled conduct of a would-be bridegroom formed the subject of pretty general conversation. He was a clerk' with great expectations, and the bride expectant the daughter of a settler. He had represented to her family that, in addition to the irrome from his appointment, he was possessed of considerable landed properly ;n London, an,d that £II,OOO had been left to him as a legacy. The wedding was fixed to take place on Wide slay at the house of the bride’s parents. At nine o’clock that morning the bridegroom is said to have explained to the young lady and her parents that immediately after tho wedding he intended that , they should leave for Loudon, en route for "England, to see about his “ property,” and he requested his intended father-in-law to endorse a bill for £4OO to provide the necessary funds. But this the latter declined to do. _ Every preparation, however, for the journey was made by the young lady’s parents, her boxes being carefully packed wit a every requisite for a long voyaee. The maxi also explained that he had arranged for a clergyman at the hour named, and had,secured passages by the Wanaka leaving for.the South that afternoon. He actually got labels, and addressed the lady’s boxes for the projected voyage, A sumptuous wedding breakfast was duly provided, and the guests arrived at the house, but when the appointed hour came there was no appearance of the clergyman or the bridegroom. .When bait-past 10 arrived' and still no. sign of these indispensable adjuncts was visible, the suspicions of some of the young lady s friends became aroused, and they proceeded to make investigations. On enquiring at the office where the man bad.been employed, they found that the onlv information to be gleaned was that he" bad been dismissed from his appointment, and on going to the shipping office they found that no tickets bad been taken out as alleged, and the party at once broke up.