SINGULAR CASE OF PERJURY.

Evening Star, Issue 4035, 1 February 1876, Page 3

SINGULAR CASE OF PERJURY.

At Patea last week Thomas Sole was .charged on . the following information “That he did on the 11th day of January, 1876, falsely, wilfully, wickedly, and corruptly commit wilful and corrupt perjury, in a declaration made before James Hirst, registrar of births, deaths, and marriages for the district of . Patea; that he, the said Thomas Sole, did' falsely state the name of Elizabeth Sole to be Elizabeth Baldwin, and further did state that the said Elizabeth Baldwin, was a spinster, and that the said Elizabeth Sole was of the age of twenty-one years, such statements being false and untrue, and being an indictable offence.” We take from the ‘ Mail ’• the evidence that was given in support of the charge Janies Hirst deposed as follows: lam Registra- of Births, Deaths, and .Marriages for the Patea District. On M outlay, the 10th January, defendant now before the Court came to me, accompanied by a female, and asked for a marriage license. On inquiry I found that the couple had not been three clear days in the district, therefore I could not grant a license till the following day. On the following day, Tuesday, the 11th; they again calne to me and then signed the notice, of marriage. Both came, but prisoner signed the notice of marriage. It was No 77 addre sed to the Re;isti ar of Marriages for the district of Patea, running as follows:—“I hereby give you notice that a marriage is intended to be held within three calendar months, between me and the other party named and described, that is to say, Thomas Sole, bachelor, farmer, aged twenty-five years, dwe.ling place Hawera, length ,of residence three days, place where marriage to be solemnised, Registrar’s office, Patea*’ Tfce next name given by him was, “Elizabeth Baldwin,, spinster, domestic, , aged ( twenty-one years,” with the same' term 'and place of residence. This was signed by prisoner and the truth of tjhe above particulars declared to be in the usual form. In addition prisoner also declared in the usual form , that there was no impedi,ment to his marriage. In consequence of the j e declarations I issued the usual certificate gnd ma-ried the par ties, in the usual manner, m tt.e pr sence of-two witnesses. I produce the hook in which the female signed her name as Elizabeth Baldwin. The witnesses Were Mr J. C. Brand hj *nd Mm James Hirst. A short time afterwards, ahon*'' a quarter of an hour after, I was told puiilicly that I had married the widow of John Sole to his brother. Two or three other people told me tbe sirm thing dur ng the day 1 reported the c -seto the Registrar-General, and received instructions to prosecute. I may state that'the female wa* present the whole tine and concurr,d in all that the prisoner said. The Magistrate; It seems to me that she mould have been arrested too.

■ Examination resiuned : I also telegraphed to the Registrar of New Plymouth, requesting him to send down certificates of birth and marriage. In reply I receive. I the-doeumenta i reduced, bv which I fiiid that John Sole anti Louisa Fliza beth Baldwin were'married on the 26th August, 187 by the Rev John Dumbell, at New' Ply mouth. Next by a certified copy of a document produced that on July Ist, 1857, Louis ■, Llizabet. Baldwin was, bom. This is Signed, and I put both documents if Thi« glows her age to bo under 21 ‘, J al-.o “pfa m my hand a letter from the Reoifttrar Which he stSttat

polled by my duty to take these proceedings, having known the prisoner’s family for twenty Jung j. ne Magistrate repeated his opinion that she should have been arrested as welL Walter Bayley, laborer, said—l am a laborer residing in Carlyle. I know the prisoner and the female he was supposed to be married to. I know John Sole or Old, to whom she was married, the brother of the accused, whose widow she now is.l saw the parties on the 10th. Tam aware th«t she was Prisoner did not ask me to go down and witness the wedding. 'The prisoner was committed 7 for trial, and admitted to bail.