“AN OLD BIGAMIST.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 442, 26 November 1908, Page 4

“AN OLD BIGAMIST.”

Bigamy at Wellington on 12th February, 1908, was the nature of a charge to a comparatively small man, resembling a labourer in appearance, who pleaded guilty at the Wellington Supreme Court, before Mr Justice Cooper recently. His name was John Wilson, alias Kiely, and it was alleged that he married Hanora Lynn during the lifetime of his wife. “I am very sorry for what I done,” pleaded prisoner, ‘‘lam without counsel and means, and I hope your Honour will be lenient with me.”

Mr Myers explained that prisoner had already been convicted of bigamy. He married on 28th December, 1887, a woman who was still alive and living in Canterbury. Ou 23rd April, 1895, be married a young woman in the South Island, and was convicted of bigamy ’ in Invercargill and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Thin he seemed to have married Miss Lynn. He received a sentence of six months for failing to maintain his first wife, and one mouth in Dunedin fot failing to support another. His Honour to prisoner : Have you already been convicted of bigamy ?

Prisoner ; Yes. Mr Myers: They are all living now.

His Honour said that prisoner seemed to have a liking for this kind of crime. The offence of bigamy was a very serious offence. Not only bad he committed an offence against the law, but he had done an irreparable injury to an innocent woman. He was an old bigamist, and under the circumstances His Honour would sentence him to a very substantial term of imprisonment. He would be sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour. That might be a warning to others who desired to take advantage ot innocent women. This offence, His Honour observed, was becoming prevalent in the Dominion at the present time. This was prisoner’s second conviction and it showed that he was quite a hopeless character.