Old Age Pensioner's Love Story.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7837, 1 June 1905, Page 3

Old Age Pensioner's Love Story.

A BIGAMOUS MAURI-AGE. An old agu pensioner's love storj has been unfolded to the magistrate :it Wellington. The oiU fellow leljt his wife some lime ago, and lie lost trace of her. He thought she was 1 [dead, but it was shown that she still resided in the town where he left Ireland that inguiry on the husband's part would have elicited the information. Hut he made no inquiries, and when indirect news came from Epg land that he was entitled to a fairly large sum of money in an inestate estate he sailed for England to get possession. Jn England* he made the acquaintance of a nineteen-year-old shop girl, who married him. They enjoyed the honeymoon lor only hull' the- usual period, as money was very scarce at the end of two weeks. The clakns of the bridegroom to the estate were legitimate, but by an unfortunate twist of events ami delays he had reached England too late to participartiq;patu in the distribution, a limit of time in which to "prove" having been lixed in accordance with legal custom. The roinarce of love was rudely shattered when the two .weeks huti elapsed, for the maid went back to the country •and the pensioner went into the workhouse. The g, : rl, who believed herself to be his wife, cherished kindly feeling for him, and interested herself to get him away from the workhouse. Eventually an advance of passage money was secured from a representative of the colony in England, and by this means the couple were enabled to get to New Zealand. Here the young girl learned that her alleged husband had no property though it had been alleged he had sonra when the money was advanced to him in London. They lived in lodgings for a while, but when she discovered he had a wife living in on up-country town she left him and got a situation. Meanwhile the old man felt the straits of poverty, and lately, he appealed for a renewal of his olu age pension. Evidence of his bigamous marriage was submitted to the Court, and no denial was made by the pensioner, but hV pleaded that he had gone' through the second marriage ceremony in good faith. The magistrate however, thought it was a faith that slight iiuiuirics would have upset. The applicant repealed that he did not think his offence was l one to justify the withdrawal of his pension, but the magistrate thought differently, and told him he was lucky not to be standing his trial for bigjamy. There is an interesting point, in Criminal law protecting the old man from , prosecution. The Crown Law Office of New Zealand has no power> to sanction a prosecution, the bigamous marriage having been committed in England. There is [lower for the Emrlish authorities to ordet a prosecution in New Zealand, but it is not thought likely that they will concern themselves with a case so far removed.