PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 2308, 21 January 1884, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[new ZEALAND PRESS ASSOCIATION.] SINGULAR DELUSION. Wellington, January 15. A singular case was heard at the Magistrate’s Court to-day. A laboring man named John Collier was charged with failing to support his wife and five young children. A plea of “ Not Guilty" was recorded. The prosecutrix, who appeared in Court with her face bandaged and with a young child in her arms, told a most wonderful tale to his Worship. She declined to recognise the accused as her husband, although the man asserted that he was married to her at Christchurch eleven years ago. In the course of her evidence the woman said she had not seen her husband for some time. Defendant was something like the man to whom she was married, but she was positive that he was not her husband. Collier, she said, did not possess any marks on his body like those possessed by defendant, and in other respects there was no resemblance. His handwriting, for instance, was quite different, and the letters which he sent were like those of a man who was courting. Her husband was an affectionate man, but he never committed himself in that manner. And she was convinced that the letters were not those of the person whom she had married. In reply to questions from the Bench, Mrs Collier admitted that she was now cohabiting with accused, but. denied that she regarded him as her husband. Accused explained to the Court the woman was his wife, and expressed his willingness to look after her and her children. Sergeant Anderson stated that shortly after the arrival of the woman from the South she was examined by two doctors, only one of whom pronounced her insane, and she was accordingly allowed to be at large. In dismissing the information, Mr -Wardell remarked that the case was one of the most wonderful he had ever heard,