AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1165, 15 April 1884, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Wellington, April 12. A most extraordinary case was com menced at the Eesident Magistrate's Court this morning. It came up in the simple form of an alleged breach of the Marriage Act. Alice Lynch, a woman of apparently 30 years of age, was chaiged with having on the 23rd November, 1881, at Auckland, wilfully made a wrong statement touching the ags and parentage of one Emma Mary Howell, contiary to the provisions of the Marriage Act. Mrs Lynch, who was not represented by counsel, is also known as Mrs Howell, aliz» fremane, alias Baxter. Mr Shaw appeared for the prosecution, and the circumstances under which the proceedings were instituted will be best understood from that gentleman's opening address, which was as follows : Tour Worships, the evidence which I have to offer is of a somewhat peculiar

nature. This lady (indicating the piisoner) is charged with practically making a false declaration for the purpose of securing the marriage of her infant sister to a man named Monckton, with whom she (the prisoner) was then cohabiting. We propose to .rove to the Court that the prisoner's s'-ier, Emma Mary Howell, at the time she went through the marriage form was only twelve years and two months old ; according to the certificate of birth, which I have in aiy hand, she was born on the 17th September, 1869, at Napier. We will also prove tlr. her mother left the colony, and that I ar father, we understand, is dead. The infant sister, at the time of the marriage, was living with the prisoner, who had deserted her own husband and was cohabiting with Monckton, who had deserted his wife. In order to keep this little girl in the house, Monckton conceived a plan that he should go through the form of marriage with her, though living at the time with the gill's sister. For that purpose the parties presented themselves before the Registrar of Marriages at Auckland, in November, 1881, when the little girl was offered in marriage to Monckton by the prisoner. To accomplish the marriage the prisoner assumed the role of mother, and she signed the certificate giving her consent to her sister's marriage, falsely stating her age, moreover, to be over 15 years. Thereupon the Registrar duly solemnised the marriage. The girl was afterwards brought back to Ler sister's house, and remained there, Monckton living alternately with one sister and the other, dividing his attentions between the two. The youDg girl, who is the prosecutrix in this case, will further prove that some time after this pretended marriage her sister and the roan Monckton endeavored to induce her to become a prostitute, and that fearing violence on her refusal she fled to Sydney. We will show that the eider couple then swore a false information, charging her with larceny, and upon that she was apprehended in Sydney and brought back to Wellington, and this charge has since proved to be untrue. She took refuge in Wellington, and her whereabouts were discovered by threatening letters stating that Monckton and the prisoner would arrest her if she did not consent to carry on the business of a prostitute in the city cf Cbristchurch. The present summons was served oi. the prisoner, and a summons has also been issued against Monckton, and the prisoner then left Christchurch secretly and under a false name by the steamship Wakatipu from Lyttelton on her voyage to Sydney, to escape the charge. The police had timely information of the fact, and she was arrested on her arrival in the Wakatipu on Thursday afternoon. When arrested she admitted having made a false declaration as to her sister's age, and said ' she thought it was for the child's good.' This morning I only intend to prove the woman's arrest and admission, and then ask for an adjournment of the case for a week, a good deal of evidence having to be collected, and the Registrar having to be brought down from Auckland. Detective Campbell was thereupon called to pr«ve the arrest, and was the only witness examined at to-day's hearing. He said: 1 arrested the prisoner on warrant as she was coming off the Wakitipu on Thursday afternoon. She said, «1 did make a false statement about the girl, but she has been with me since a child, and always looked upon me as a mother. I did it for her own good. 3 The purser of the steamer has possession of a through ticket to Sydney talenoutby the prisoner in another name. Proceedings are pending against the] prisoner for a charge of bigamy. Prisoner, when asked if she had any question to put to the witness, replied that she made no resistance at the time of her arrest. The case was the,, adjourned till Saturday next. Prisoner applied for bail, and Mr Shaw aßked that bail might be fixed, as she would be represented by counsel during the week, but ae she was evidently on the wing he applied that the bail might be made substantial. The Bench allowed bail in prisoner's own recognisance of £2OO, and two sureties of £IOO each. The girl Howell, who is now about 15 years of age, is at present residing with another sister, Mrs Lovell, whose husband keeps a barber's shop in Courtney place. The man Monckton, against whom a nirailar summons has been issued, is Charles Henry Monckton, formerly proprietor of a photographic gallery in Manners street. The prisoner Lynch is alleged to havs been married twice, once at Opunake, the second time to a jockey now in Sydney, while her first husband was alive. It is likely that further revelations of a similarly extraordinary character will be made as the case proceeds. Monckton waß arrested in Christchurch Saturday morning, and remanded to Wellington.