NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1922, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

“(HI’SY QUEEN” BRIDE TORONTO, -March 7. Mr Justice Latohford, at St Thomas Ontario, has refused to annul the marriage of Air James Edison, the 20-years-old grandnephew of Mr Thomas Edison, the inventor, with Aliss Pearl Bridgeman, 17, who as a "gipsy queen” at a masquerade hall captured liis affections. The bride's parents sought an annulment oil the grounds that the girl was under age and thn tiler husband was unable to support her. The bride testified that she and her husband had never lived together and that he lmj never kissed her.

“What!” exclaimed the judge. “Well, hardly ever,” replied the bride. “The whole story is incredible,” said the judge, in refusing to annul the marriage.

ARAB (URL KIDNAPPED. NAIROBI, March 24

A curious litigation of a criminal nature, involving the freedom of an Arab child aiid referring hack to the. old slave trade of the Zanzibar coast, lias been occupying the Mombasa C ourts.

An Arab, Said ihn Abdulla, and bis wife, Kalinin bint-i Abdalin, were originally charged with making a claim to “the body and property” of a girl named C'eiiti, and at a later date the woman Fatima was charged alone with having, in lffli, removed the girl to hoi- owii house as a slave and with kidnapping her. It appeared that at some date after 1!)07, the date of the abolition of the l.ogal Status of Slavery Qrdinanee, a slave married a woman who was formerly the slave of the father of the accused Fatima, and the kiijiiapped girl Conti was the issue of that marriage. The court heard evidence that in 1014 the ; girl Centi’s father joined the army and she was claimed as a slave on the

ground that her mother hud originally Ihvii 11 10 nroperty of the accused woiunn’s father. The judge found, however, that the girl CcnlC l.y ic i-o.i of her age (Id), was l.m ii i • go.inn, and convicted ( the woman both of kidnapping; and slavery, 'ine s. picnics were two! dnvr in pris u uni hi: s totalling C 25, a ieiiiem v w icing taken of these serious ofTe:’' s I»*'-u*.i>o this is the first ease in Mombasa. CAREI.KHS MANSI .A I'HHTEii. BEIMIN. March 24. The pern Ire!: .- i f a cold-blooded , political murder was yesterday let off | scot free by a jury at Mei klenberg, which to-day is a. paradise of Junkers. | During the days of the Kapp regime a lahoarer t.u iiie estate el Herr von I’utkammef was dehor,heed as a Spar- | tavist and w.is seized by a hand of Roy- , ulist volunteers. Ilerr von Putkainmcr ’ regaled the volunteers with cigars and wine, and entertained him by knocking , ’ about their prisoner, the Royalist j Junker said that the man ought never to conic back, and the guests promised him they would see to it. They drove away with the prisoner in a wagon and on the way to the neighbouring town took him cut and shot him. j In court the murderer admitted tins, and Herr von I’utka miner excused himself for his she re of the tragedy by saying that he had concussion of the brain. I The jurv found the murderer guilf of “Careless Manslaughter” and he was liberated on the pica that the amnesty to Kapp’s followers covered his offence. The Herman 1 •■’■'our Party describes the vcr liit as infamous.