WED AGAIN

NZ Truth, Issue 1215, 14 March 1929, Page 4

WED AGAIN

Obituary Notice Good Enough BIGAMY€HARGE

(From "N-.Z.- Truth's" South Auckland ■ •- ' .Rep.) When ' a woman reads m a newspaper of the death of a man who bears the name of a husband whom she despises, should she be I'--; over, scrlupulous.VJn: confirming the ■■ death before rriarrying again? Or ;.'-... is.Houi'd she merely-: let things go at that and accept the printed notice ;as proof?; :■ ' . -'■"'■. /ANNIE ELIZABETH GODFREY, took such an alleged announcement .as proof. ,The printed, notice said that one Henry "Godfrey had died. Her husband's , name being Henry Godfrey, this surely must refer to him. Oh,

yes! There seemed no doubt about it. There it was m black and white. She had not seen her husband for a couple of years when the notice appeared. Now she would never see him again. She did not .mind poor Henry's passing. Their married life, which they " commenced at the Registry Office m Wellington on January 8, 1902, had not been overhappy, and now she was free again. For two years she had been fending for herself,:-.but m the knowledge that she was still trammelled by her marriage bonds. ' . It was m the year 1925 that there crossed her path at Hamilton a laborer .named "William Leonard Hunt. After a short acquaintanceship they decided to throw m their lot together, and lived as man and wife for about nine months; Then they, married. They lived happily together for two years, when her first husband appeared m the living: flesh. Mrs. Godfrey's excuse m the Ham-ilton-Supreme Court for her second venture into matrimony, when she was charged Avith bigamy was that. Hunt was applying for a hawker's license and she thought this might be refused him if the council knew he was living with a woman who was not his wife. The whole of the facts were admitted by accused, who was positive she had read of her "husband's death notice m the "Waikato Times." She admitted she did not inquire further, but assumed at once she. was a widow. „. Mr. Gillies for the! Crown : And you did not trouble to make "further' inquiries?- v ' „" : Accused: - 1 did not 'think it worth while. .'•. . ■"■ ' ■:.- 'And you did not even trouble to keep a copy, of the : death notice? — ~[ thought he was dead, so what was the ■use?;. ■•■ ■■;.••.. ."■■■■••-. 'The original husband, Henry Godfrey, was m court, arid ; pi-oved to be very- much alive. y The." police stated that they had searched the ' files of the "Waikato. Times" ; very thoroughly; but had failed to discover the alleged death npticel' ' ....". Mr. iustice Blair m his summing up, said'he did riot know, -but it seemed to him a" rather thin excuse for >& woman who had been living with a man for nearly a year as his wife, to say she married him merely to enable him to get a /hawker's license. After a short retirement the ..jury,, returned a verdict of not. guilty. ; - ■ ?