EXTRAORDINARY BIGAMY CASE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 600, 17 October 1873, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY BIGAMY CASE.

At the Central Criminal Court, I.ondon, on the 9th of July, Reuben Alleuder Bersen, 30, was indicted for feloniously marrying Ellen Sarah Boulton, bis wife, Emily Gi.mbier Kidd, being alive. The facts of the case, as proved in evidence, lay in a very small compass: the surrounding ciicums ances were of a most extraordinary mtuie. The Rev. Jackson Smy the, Presbyterian ministei at Armagh, said he knew the defendenr, in 1870 as Bersen Ruet-en Alleuder. He came to Armagh as assistant mister in the Royal School there was living at. Armagh a Justice of the Peace named Joseph Ki Id, and the prisoner was married to the daughter of that gentleman, in 1871, by him, in his church. The Rev A. diaries Price, Vicar of St. James’s, Ciapham, proved that the prisoner in the name of Reuben Allender Bersen, and and Emily Sarah Boulton, the daughter ol a retirtd naval officer, were married by him i n the 20th of February, 1873. This was tie case for the irosecuton, and the ju y, without hesitation, found the prisoner guiliy. Mr. Poland said ihat, as the prisoner had been convicted on the charge of felony, he would not proceed with the indictment charging him with endeavoring to commit perjury for,the purpose of breaking tloivu the bigamy case. Mr. Williams said be thought it light to give the Cunt a brief histoiy of the prisoner, so far as it is known, and lie must suy that it unfolded a career of the most uumi igated profl gacy It appeared that he was an Austrian by birtli, and in 1809 he was assistant master at a college at Fidelity, of which a gentleman named 1 'ox was principal. The prisoner proposed to Miss Cox, but Ins antecedents Coming to her father’s know ledge, he-was sent away, an ihe went to Oxford. He stayed a short time there, and among his papers was a suiiinii ns in bastauly lor the maintenance 1,1 a child of which he was alleg'd to be the father ; and his lettcis showed that he was engaged to a girl named Litzie. In Oxford, he proposed u> marry a young la.iy of the .name of Allen, and to 1870 he went to Armagh, and represented himself to be a person of numerous qualifications; and he (ike learned counsel) was bound to say that iipieseuialion was eonect. He formed a Geiman class, which was attended ly Miss Kidd, and he succeeded in inducing her io many him. He left he l- in J line, a* ter treating her most biutally, and went tu Iniblin, wnere lie caused a ivenisemeuts to be inserted in the “ Irish Times” and other papers, with a view to matrimony. Tne gin Morgan he scducnl and left, alter living with her three weeks. He went to ■tbb.altel, and on his return lie advetsed in the “ Matrimonial News, and by that means he became acquainted with Miss B. and married her in Frbruaiy, IsTJ. The prisoner represented that he w..s acquainted with General Fraugini, and he arranged a meeting between the general .a .d .dr. Boulton. As the general could lut speak English and Mr Boulton could nos speak Spanish, the prisoner acted us the i.derpre er, and be represented to General Frangini that he was obtaining with Miss Boulton a fortune of 800.'., and tu Mr. Boulton that he had got the.app. iiumeiii ol BUIW a year as principal of the tol Cge in the Brazi.s. Tne learned ■counsel added that ti.e prisoner took up with a Geimau lady, and hi ought her to England. Mr. Palmer remarked that lbovuldicc seemed to have deprived the prisoner ol his uudeislanding. With regaid to th ■ statements made by his learneel friend, he said the girl Morgan voluntarily left her grandfa.tier’s house, and certainly Miss B.adieu's conduct was at least in tiscreut. Mr. Williams said the correspondence showed that pris ncr was engaged wish thirty young women at the same time. H s lordship sentenced him to live years’ penal servitude.