AN ARISTOCRATIC SCANDAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1083, 2 March 1883, Page 3

AN ARISTOCRATIC SCANDAL.

{Evening Star Correspondent.) Wellington, February 20th. The details qf an interesting case, .which is expected shortly to engage the attention of an English Court of law, and in which the chief actors include the descendant of an English peer, a quondam circus equestrienne, ami a commoner, who for the past two or three years has been resident in Wellington, are published by the P st. They oozed out in a somewhat peculiar manner. Some months ago “ a party by the name of Johnstone’’—the name of course is a fictitious one—desired an acquaintance of his in this city to do him a favour. The favour was by no means difficult of performance, being neither a request to back a bill nor the application for the loan of a small sum for a few days. It was Simply a request on the part of •‘Johnstone” that Ins friend would endeavour to obtain certain information regarding the whereabouts and recent history of a woman named Kate Walsh Brown, then believed to be living in England, for the purpose i f identifying the woman Brown. “Johnstone - ’ informed his friend that she was married to George Manley Browne about the year 1861, and that her husband subsequently became convicted of the embezzlement of several thousand pounds that had been entrusted to him for investment, and underwent a sentence of sevni years’ imprisonment What “Johnstone” wished to ascertain was whether this woman, on her husband falling into trouble, became a member of the unfortunate class, and afterwards the mistress of a circus rider. Failing to per o ive the object for which this information was desired, and recognising moreover that when “Johnstone ” preferred the request he was slightly under the influence of drink, his friend paid no heed to the subject beyond contracting a formal promise that he would endeavour to ascertain the desired information, and, in order to satisfy: “Johnstone ” on this head, entering a few notes in his pocket-buok ; - Months passed by, and the subject had been entirely forgotten, whm the friend referred to (a gentleman occupying a public appointment in this city) became aware a few days ago of the sudden dis ppearance of “John- i stone” from the place. Inquiry revealed the cause. It transpired that the woman ! Browne was in reality “Johnstone's” wife, and that after completing his sentence for embezzlement in Loudon he went nut to Australia, and afterwards came to Wellington. Being an expert in figures and of considerable natural ability, he succeeded in finding employment «san accountant and book-keeper, and at one time was employed in toe Civil Service, though his dissipated habits occasionally led him into | trouble. Meanwhile his wife, who is | described as a woman possessing unusual personal attractions, made the acquaintance ; of a circus-rioer in Liverpool, and accompanied him on his travels, eventually adopting “ the spangles and saw-dust ” profession as a means of livelihood. After a short time she excited the admiration of a member of the aristocracy, the motto of ■whose ancestor is “Et decus el pr Hum m i," and he ultimately matte her hia b ide This step naturally aroused the indignation of his relatives, who considered the family escutcheon had been stained by a mesaillance ; and inquiries into the woman’s antecedents revea'cd the discovery that things were not as they should be ; that her husband was still alive, though in a distant Colony ; and that, in fact, she was a bigamist The Scotland Yard authorities wire at once communicated with, and the missing husband was traceil to Melbourne and afterwardf to Wellington, where he was living under an assumed name which it is not necessary to state. Quite recently a special detective arrived here from England. “Johnstone” is now on his way back to the Old Countrv, where he will doubtless he called upon to give evidence against hia wife—evitlence that will doub'less be sufficient for the nobleman’s friends, as well as to consign the bigamist to durance vile.