WOMAN'S PITIFUL STORY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 107, 13 August 1910, Page 4

WOMAN'S PITIFUL STORY

"WASTER'S" WIPE COMMITS BIGAMY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. "The tale T have to unfold is most pitiful—as pitiful as one c!?uld conceive," remnrVed ?Jr. Earl in pleading in the Supreme Court to-day for leniency for Mary Josephine Miriam, who had pleaded guilty at (Rotorua to committing bigamy. "She was entirely penniless," said counsel; who mentioned that he had been desired by Jtotorua residents who WiTe acquainted with the prisoner to appear on her behalf. The story he had to tell the Court would. Mr. Earl was sure, considerably mitiir.'te the offence of which she was guilty, and he did not think His Honor would find it in his heart to punish the woman, or rather to increase the punishment she had already undergone. Prisoner was married to Malam in 1001, and they lived together in various places. Malam was a wanderingcharac ter. He worked spasmodically only, and' landlords shifted the household becaul« of arrears of rent. He failed to provide a proper home and food and clothing for his wife and children. Whenever he had a few shillings he preferred to go to a hotel and make a "good fellow" of himself amongst his associates. The climax of the ill-treatment to which she had been subjected was reached one night when she obtained her husband's" permission to go to a social gathering, —a place where shabby clothes could be worn—with a lady friend, the first she had gone to for years. On returning after 11 o'clock, prisoner found she was locked 1 out. and she remained on the verandah all night. Tn the morning she remonstrated with her husband, and he said, ''l am sick of you. and I will be better without you." "Tho woman wan then desperate,'' continued Mr. Ear), "and went to wonk as a wnitress in different dining-rooms in the city, subsequently going to Rotorua, ahva'rg work« ing hard, industriously and honestly. She was denied possession of her youngest children (of whom there were' four), and was denied access to them, but while at Rotorua made frequent efforts to see them. It was at Rotorua that she met a man named Morse and, yielding to the temptation of having a home for herself and her children (who were being grossly neglected), a deep attachment having been formed, she consented to marry him. She had only been married a short time when information was given to the police, and she was prosecuted, pleading 'guilty* at once." "The married life of this woman," continued Mr. Earl, "has been one long punishment, one long misery, and it is extraordinary to my mind that she has held her head up so long under the trialg she has been subjected to. Slio is weak and low and wretched, and has been so since the prosecution was issued against her. I urge on the Court to allow her probation." It was added that friends of prisoner had offered assistance to enable her to establish a small business and to supr port herself and her children. Witnesses were called to show prisoner's unhappy married life and the neglect of her and her children by her husband, whom Constable Wainhouse described as a "waster." Mr. Sole supported the statement made by Mr. Earl, and said that all who knew prisoner gave her an excellent character for industry and honesty, while there was nothing in the nature of reproach against her private character.

'His Honor said that it was not necessary in the interests of society to send prisoner to gaol. She had no doubt been sufficiently punished, but it should not be supposed that lenient treatment would be meted out in similar offences, except in most exceptional cases. (His Honor convicted prisoner and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon.