ABSCONDING BRIDEGROOM. A Heartless Matrimonial Swindler. Wellington, April 25.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 48, 3 May 1884, Page 3

ABSCONDING BRIDEGROOM. A Heartless Matrimonial Swindler. Wellington, April 25.

What certainly appears on the face of it to be a case of the most thoroughly unprincipled conduct on the part of a bridegroom that could well be imagined, is reported as having occurred in Wellington yesterday. The facts narrated to the " Evening Post " are as follows :— "Some time ago a young man who has been employed as a clerk in an office in Wellington, became acquainted with the daughter of a muchrespected settler in the city. After a short time he began to pay her marked attentions, andfinally proposed to her and was accepted. W e are informed that he then represented that, in addition to the income from his appointment, he was possessed of considerable landed property in London, and that-t'll,ooo had been left to him as a legacy. Everything appeared to go on all right, and in due course the wedding was fixed to take place at the parents' house at 9 o'clock yesterday morning. The bridegroom, it is said, explained to the young lady and her parents that immediately after the wedding he intended that they should leave for Melbourne, en route for England, to see about his "property," and he requested his father-in-law to endorse a bill for £400 to provide the necessary funds ; but this the father (prudently, as events showed) declined to do. Every preparation, however, for the journey was made by the young lady's parents, her boxes being carefully packed with every requisite for a long voyage. The young man also explained that he had arranged for the attendance of a clergyman at the hour named that he had engaged a number of cabs for the occasion, and had secured passages by the Wanaka, leaving for the South in the afternoon. According to our information he also actually got labels and addressed the lady's boxes for the projected voyage. Yesterday morning a sumptuous weddingbreakfast was duly provided, the table being very handsomely set out. The guests arrived at the house, but when the appointed hour came, there was no appearance of the cabs of either the clergyman or the bridegroom. When half-past ten arrived, and still no sign of these indispensable adjuncts was visible, the suspicions of some of the young lady's friends became aroused, and they proceeded to make investigations. On inquiring at the office where the man had been emSloyed they were told that he had been ismissed from his appointment, and on going to the shipping office they.' found no tickets had been token out as alleged. Of course the party was abruptly broken up and it is needless to refer to the painful scene that ensued. It is unnecessary also to comment on the facts as thus disclosed. In the absence of any explanation the amount of heartlessnosß displayed seems to be absolutely incredible, and no language could be too strong to denounce the outrage, and no punishment too severe for such an unmanly scoundrel. It only remains to add that the greatest sympathy is felt with the parents, who are deservedly held in high esteem in the city, and also with the young lady. It is felt, however, that the latter, in the circumstances, has reason to be congratulated on having escaped a union which could only have resulted in misery.

Mr W. Bowron, Government Inspector of Dairy Factories, has during this week visited the factories at Paterangi and Rukuhia. He is now visiting the Lincolnshire farmers' settlement at Te Aroha. The Otago Mining Protection Association sent a deputation to Hon. Mr Rolleston to ask certain concessions 5 but they were rebuffed, being told that Government gave quite sufficient assistance to the goldmining, interest. In the House of Commons 40 members are necessary to make a quorum j in the House of Lords only three. „ ! An Indiana jury recently, returned a bitten vefdiqt of "Blo'de "toT.peces bi the biler.bivstiri," ' x '•"Xwepty 'women have taken 'the B.A. -degree i» $hsf. tTniywsity, gf I^ridon diiring