A STRANGE STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 150, 12 November 1912, Page 2

A STRANGE STORY.

! REAL LIFE DRAMA. ! Some extraordinary facts were discloS' j ed during the hearing of a maintenance case in the Auckland Magistrate's Courl before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M. Variatior of an order was sought by Samue Cooper Wright, the defendant being a woman who since 1900 had passed as his wife. The story was briefly related by Mr. Singer, who appeared for Wright, the defendant not being represented by counsel. Wright, he said, was married about 25 years ago, but after some years he and his wife drifted apart. He had afterwards met defendant, and they had lived together, passing as man and' wife. Defendant had borne liini three children. Eventually his real wife appeared on the scene again, and a reconciliation had followed. Wright w;is the .son of a wealthy merchant who had recently died in England, leaving a fortune of about £ SO,OOO. He would have benefited under the will but for the fact that the defendant had written certain letters, which had caused the parent to disinherit his son. At the present time Wright was practically penniless, but was looking forward to" a position. In 1910 defendant had obtained a maintenance order a,gainst Wright for the payment of 31s 6d per week, the order being afterwards reduced to 22s Od. At the present time he was willing to keep up payments, but the defendant was not bis wife, and he desired a variation of his order. In the course of her evidence, the defendant stated that a marriage ceremony had been gone through betweu her supposed husband and herself. For over a year she had believed they were really man and wife. They had met in a country town, and Wright had c.ime to Auckland, where afterwards she had joined him. He had taken her to a house in Vincent street, and married her, as she believed. The marriage ceremony was performed by a man in clerical garb. He i was stated to be the Rev. Branker, a visitor who was touring the Dominion. I Notices regarding the marriage had, asserted the defendant, been inserted in the Nelson and Wellington papers. She sxpressed the opinion that they had been sent to those papers (she had relatives n Nelson) by Wright. The evidence of the defendant regardJig the alleged marriage ceremony by 3is Rev. Branker was flatly repudiated )y Wright. Interrogated regarding the notices in lie southern papers, he stated that he lad no recollection whatever of having icen responsible for their insertion. The Magistrate expressed little doubt .s to the fact of the defendant not ieing Wright's wife. The variation aplicd for would bo granted, defendant cing given the custody of the three hildren. His Worship remarked that omething should l>e done to lit the childen for the battle of life. lie stated hat he would probably communicate ritb. plaintiff's relatives at Home, with le idea of seeing if they could render ny assistance.