MOCK WEDDING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1012, 30 December 1910, Page 3

MOCK WEDDING.

WEALTHY GIRL'S OFFER TO BIGAMIST. WAITING TO JIARIIY HIM. A case possessing, as counsel remarked, some very exceptional features, the recital of which included tho ctor.s- of a bigamous marriage as well as a mock wedding, was heard by Air. Justice Banl;es at the Somerset Assizes, Taunton, last month. Tho prisoner, a tall, well-dressed young man named Percy Lester Haggard, an engineer, aged hventy-six, described as "of superior education and social position," was indicted at the instance of the Public Prosecutor for having, at Holy Trinity Church, Partington, on May 4 last, contracted a "bigamous marriage with Mary Coles Jlaidment, a woman possessed of considerable means, and living at Butleigh, Somerset, his former wife, Gertrude Geraldine, ~to whom he was married on August 20, 1594, being then alive. To this charge tho accused pleaded guilty, but ho denied a second indictment- . charging liim with having, by certain falrc representations, procured Annie Baulch, a young'woman of good character, to live with him.

'Village Girl's "Grand Marriage." The prisoner, it was stated, separated from his. first wife and went to America, where' he remained for twenty months. On his return she obtained a maintenance order of 30s. a week against him, and they continued to live apart. In the early part of List vear he became a guest at the Phoenix Hotel, Praed Street, Paddington, where Miss Baulch, a tall, young woman, was engaged as mother s help and assisted in. waiting. He pressed her to marry him, posing, it was alleged, as a single man. . Miss Baulch,- it was continued, for some time refused, but ultimately consented to wed him, and by his arrangement the ceremony took place at a house at Neasden, which he said was a registry office. It was alleged that this, cercmony was of a bogus character, but.Miss Baulch could not identify tho house where it took place. The honeymoon was spent at the Cccoa Tree Hotel, Pinner, and the couple afterwards stayed at Guildford and Birmingham. • „ |

Early this year they went to But' leigh, the girl's home, .where her father is a carter. Her parents, it was added, thought she had made a fraud marriage, as she had written to say that .she "was marrying a nephew of Mr. Rider Haggard, the novelist. 1 Tlie prisoner denied to the Judge that ho had stated this. At Bntleigh the prisoner became acquainted with Miss Maidment, from whom he borrowed £200, and whom he subseouently married r.t Pad:lin?ton. Miss Baulcii was ■ left behind at Bntleigh, where she gave birth to a daughter. ','A Despicable Man, 1 ' The prisoner, cave evidence on his own behalf. He. denied the story of the bogus marriage, and said Miss Baulch agreed'to live with him. > . The jury found "the prisoner pnilty. His counscl, .Mr. Weather]-. the wellknown song writer, . said - Miss Maidment desired him. .to,, state . that she found the! prisoner ,a'verv.'kind and affectionate man while she lived with him. and while ho had. been in priso?) awaiting his trial she had written io liim no fewer than .140,.' lstt'ys. I-Ifr earnest desire was to .marry him when he came out of prison, his first wife having now obtained a divorce. She further'''stated that shn:Ea,ve; him the £200 on account of the affection she bore him, and that ho refused to take £500 which she offered him. : . The-Judge said no one could havelistened to this story, even as told by the prisoner himself, without feelings of the deepest-indignation.- The prisoner was*a most despicable man, and he (the Judge) did not seo one redeeming feature in his-conduct. ' ■" Tlio prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months' liard labour in the case .of Miss Baulch, and one. month's hard labour in the, bigamy case, the terms to run - concurrently. ...' '. .