Wife Selling.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 16 June 1904, Page 5

Wife Selling.

At Leeds Assizes in 1895, a man was tried for bigamy. Me admittei that he had married a woman while his first wife was alive, but he pleaded that as he bad sold her was entitled to marry again. She was a young woman and unruly ; even though he constantly gave her good hidings SHE TROUBLED HIM, and tiring of her he sold her to a soldier for 3s 6d. She went quite willingly, and had married her purchaser. Again, at Leeds Assizes three years ago, another bigamist offered the same defence. On his arrest he stated —" When I married her I knew I had a wife living, but I sold her for 505." More recently at Stockport an elderly m»n told the magistrates that he thought he was entitled to marry again as be had sold bis first, wife to a chim-ney-sweep for eighteen-pence. In each case it will be noted that the purchase money is small. This is not due to a low valuation of the woman, but a nominal sum is agreed upon to make the bargain an actual one. The legal doctrine of " value received " is so far understood by the vulgar mind. The sale, indeed, is the . 7008 man's divorce. His honesty in the "matter is shown by his retention of the children of the marriage, and his maintenance of them. Ina case at Doncaster in 1896 the purchaser, instead of paying cash, agreed to take over the vendor's four children with the wife. This was the document which figured later in the Police Court —<• New Oonisboro', March 28, 1896, —I, Enoch Childs, is quite willing to take your wife and children as mine, that is your wife, Helen Tart, and Sarah, John, Henry, and Eliza.— Signed, Ellen Tart, Enoch Childs."