HAWERA BIGAMY CASE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 88, 18 August 1913, Page 8

HAWERA BIGAMY CASE.

TWICE MARRIED, 1901 AND 1911. [Tm Press Association.] Auckland, August 1". At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, John Edward McKee, aged 37, was charged that 1 on .January IS, 1911, at Hawera, ho committed bigamy. Mrs May Smith stated that she knew accused and his wife at the time of her marriage in October, 1901, and as a. witness to the marriage ceremony, whic litook place at the bride s home at Potisonby. The couple left Auckland soon afterwards, but Mrs McKee subsequently returned and was now living at Ponsonby. Mrs Hannah. Sanderson, mother of Mrs McKee, gave similar evidence as to the marriage. She stated that to tiie best of her knowledge her daughter had never been divorced. Thomas Culpan, registrar of births, death.-,, and marriages at Auckland, produced a certified copy of the records relating to the marriage. The young woman with whom the accused was stated to have gone through tho form of marriage, stated that the ceremony took place in the registrar's ofiico at Hawera on January Bth, 1911. She understood that McKeo had boon divorced from his former wife. She asked him whether ho had any papers to show concerning tho divorce, but ];e told her that they were so tattered and torn that he had had to destroy them, but ho could get new copies for fc!3. He toid her that Mr T. M. Wilford, solicitor, of Wellington, had acted lor him in obtaining the divorce. Charles Hill, registrar at Hawera, produced his records of the ceremony, and stated that lie could identify the parties. McKeo reserved his defence and was committed for trial.