AN AUCKLAND ROMANCE,

Dunstan Times, Issue 1252, 26 February 1886, Page 3

AN AUCKLAND ROMANCE,

ADVENTURES OF A MAN IN } SEARCH OF A WIFE. 1 {Auckland * Stag’ of January 30th.) petec’i es Twohey and Hughes arrested * v* woman named Mary Ann Smith, with a * Bomber of alia** a, and a man named K. H. j Keenan on a charge of being concerned m the robbery of L 65 from a settler in Hokianga, named F. Smallwood. The circum- ! stances attending the case contain sufficient J incidents for the plot of a three-volume novel, and give a strange insight into the i * seamy side of Auckland life, Smallwood is j ] a respectable looking man, about 45 years ‘ of age and for some y an past he has sue* 1 ■cessfully farmed I 0 acres of la"d at Hoki- 1 anga, about eleven miles from Herd’s j tMut. Some time ago he received 1-501) ' from some friends at a distance, and resolved on using this capital for the purpose | * of embaikmg in the orange cnbure; in j 1 connection with this project he j uirneyed 1 < to Auckland about a tor;night ago, and i ' bringing bis 1500 with him. Being well ' aware of the pittfalls of the city, he at once ! banked 1.275, and made some purchases at ; Messrs Wingate, Burn", and Co.’s, and at Nfr. Buckland’s. leaving him with about j LIOO in cash in his pocket. Having con- 1 eluded his business, ha decided upon taking unto himself a wife. Instead, however, of proceeding to a matrimonial agency, he ' tna. ht the advice of Keenan, who is an expressman, and whose wife keeps the Red : Linn Boarding house. Victoria street West, The, expressman off.red to “fixup” his friend matrimonially. His intentions we-e apparently bona fide as he, without any delay, introduced Swatlwood to his niece, a sweat yonog thing of 25 'Uinraors named Lizzie. Smallwood at once took a fancy to the young woman, and being an ardent wooer, in the course of a day or two after the introduction he had induced the blushing L zrie to heoome the partner of his jovs and sorrows. Towards the end of last week the lietrothal was ratified, and it was arranged that the marriage should take placv on Monday or Tuesday Smallwood measured his fairone’s finger ana purchased a wedding-ting and a keeper at Mr H. G. Payne’s. He also procured a marriage license. On Saturday he took l/zzie and gome of Keenan’s female relations to the Onebunga races treating them right royally. Returning from “ Sleepy Hollow,’’ the ladies had * quarrel, which so disgusted Pm dlwood that he called them “a lot of Ki kehny cats,’’ and there and then broke off the engagement. Again the invaluable Keenan manned the breach and swore to. ihe flokianga man that, 'though he could not many L’zzie, he would not ho defeated in hia matrimonial pi< jeot He knew ot a nice respectable widow named Mary Ann Smith, who earned her 'living _ m the humble though not altogether dishonest profession of washing clothes. She was rather good lo king, and being 35 years of age, and " chockful of sens*,” wou'd altogether be a more suitable he ! pmeet for a middleaged country settler than h:s youthful and vivacious niece. It was on tho Monday that Keenan made this offer to his friend, and has (he reader has already been made aware that Smallwood is a man who acts with promptitude, he will not be surprised to learn that Smallwood at once decided to see the lady. Keenan promised to see Mrs Smith, an.) late in the day (Monday) he informed. Smallwood that he had interviewed tne lady, and she was willing to mart him at a comer in'Hobson street at 5 Uffe-jock that afternoon. Smallwood flew on the wings 6 f expectant love to the trysting place, but tbe lady did not turn up. He reproached Keenan, whereupon that worthy arranged a second meeting on the following morning, and the lady came. With Smallwood, at least, it was a cake of Jove at first sight, and the buxom Mrs Smith was apparently attracted by the mature charms of her admirer. “Happy is the wooing, that’s not long in the doing," sayi; t(ie old rong, and though tbe happiness is this particular instance is questionable,* the'wooipg was decidedly expeditions. The Ascription of tender love scenes is sitmewhat out of our line, so it most suffice to say . that .-the twain speedily came, to* an understanding, and decided to get married right away. Smallwood took the rings Ki

had purchased for Lizzie to Mr Payne's for , -th* purpcwrol getting them enlarged to crace of hi* Mary Anne, and then took his inamorta to osvsral shops in Queen street and. purchased her under■‘otcthtng sud ’iithor necessaries. The sweet communion. of* new-born affection, togather, with these purchases, delayed the loving cm pie' till late in the afternoon ; indeed, until itavas too late for .Smallwood to obtain a license. En passmt, we may megticn thatjt was. bit intention to endeavour to get the license he had obtained for Lizzie altered (or Mary Anne. In the even,iu'gObaking tegaled her at an eating hou-e, he conducted her to a respectable hotel in,-Hob*!!n street, and with knightly courtesy offered to engage a suite of moms for her for tfag night, he himself proposinv to sleep elsewhere. “No. Robert, said the lady, ‘ I’ve got yon, and I don’t mean to love sight of yon. Yon must come and pass the night with roe ” Smallwood is a stickler for conventionalities, and it wss with sums -qualms of conscience that he agreed to anticipate the jays of matrimony if only-for dne night. Man is bnt human, a.nd he and the, lady took'* snmptnonsly furnished apartment under the names of Mranff- Mr*' Smallwood. In the morning Smallwood w-i np betimes, and leaving Mrs Smith in bed he went off to the jewellers for; the’purpose of getting the rings. On the dressing table ha left hi* pocket book containing some L 65, the hulk -of which waa in LIO note*. We should mention that some time before he rose from bed his companion. proceeded to a window overlooking Hobson street, and apparently male signs to someone outside. To this circumstance, however, be attached no importune'"; although a minute later he observed Keenan across, the way. But to take up the thread of our narrative. On return ing to the hotel, pour Smallwood’s feelings were harrowed np by finding that hit lady lovnhal departed without leaving a line to say where, and worse than all, the pocket Iwk bail also disappeared. Thoroughly die ilinsioned as to the character of his fair one he at .once gave information to ihe police, and the matter was placed in the hands of Detective Tsrohey, Up. to this time there was nothing to connect Keenan with thdisappearance of the-money. Detective Twohey hunted high snd low for the woman Smith for three days without sneers*. Not a clue could he obtained as to her whrabout*. Last night, however, information was obtained that she was stopping in a cottage off Cook street, and thither at about ten o’clock hied Detectives i'wohsy and Hughes, accompanied by the prosecutor. Smallwood. On approaching the house they could hear the voice* of Smith and Keenan, proceeding apparently from the bedroom. The house was in darkness,, Twohey knocked at the door, but did not. disclose bis identity. There was no response from the inmates, and after waiting' some time Twohey borrowed a key fro n an adjoining house, and with it opened the frontdoor. Detective Hughes was pos'frl at the hack to prevent egress in that quarter.’ No sooner had Twohey opened the door than Keenan attempted to escape by the back, when, he was arrested by Detective Hughes. ..Smith was also arretted, and after an unsuccessful search for ths missing money, the two prisoners wore conveyed to the police station, and the serious charge of larceny entered against them. PBISOHBRSBBfOBBTHI COUgT. Many Ann Smith, alias Ronnald, alias K«rr, alias McWilliams, alias McPetcr, alias Percbog, alias Miller, waa charged in conjunction with Robert Henry Keenan at the police court to-day with stealing L 65, the property of Francis Smallwood, from the City Hotel, on the 27tb inst. Sergeant Pratt said He was not prepared to go on with the charge at present. Although 'he off nee waa committed on the 27th inst,, they were looking for the female prisonnr till ear'y ■ h<s morning. He asked for a remand till Friday next Mr Napier, wh i appeared for the prisoner, consented, but aaked that bail be allowed. The male de fendant, hj • said, was the proprietor of tV Red Lion Boarding-house, and was also the owner of a number of cabs. The female prisoner was a servant in his house. Ser i gesnt Pratt (eared that ths grantin ' of hail would tend to defeat the enda of justice, an 1 if bai l were accepted he hoped it would he of a substantial character. The Bench ; Has any of the money been recovered ! Sergeant Pratt replied i” the negative and proceeded to say that the male accused had banked a sum of-about L4O since the com mission of ths alleged robbery, and th rs was reason to believe that this formed part of the p-oceeds. Mr Napier replied that Keenan was accustomed to bank sums of money frequently. Ser eant Pratt: Tha circumstantial evidence against the priso ner* is very" clear, yonr Worship*. Bail was allowed, the accused in L2OT, and two sureties of I.IOU each, and the case stood adjourned till next Friday.