DR M'LEOD IN COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2046, 15 May 1890, Page 3

DR M'LEOD IN COURT.

SAD MARRIED LIVES OF TWO WOMEN. Dr M'Leod, late of Napier, who arrived in Sydney under an extradition warrant from New Zaaland, was charged at the Water Police Court, before Mr Addison, S.M., with having committed bigamy. The information set forth on May 8, 1881, at St. Louis, America, he married Mnry E. Cameron, knowing his wife, Mary M'Leod, was then alive. Mr Roberts, sen., prosecuted, and Mr Charles Bull appeared for the defence.

Senior Constable Blackburn deposed to having charged the accused with the oftence whilst he was in custody on another charge. Mary M'Leod deposed that she first became acquainted with the accused when he was a minister of the Synod of Eastern Australia, and preached in St. George's Church, Caßtlereagh street. She knew him about six months previous to her marriage, and was at that time the widow of William Matsou, of the firm of Fraser and Co. The marriage was celebrated on July 13, 1872, at Winslow, Darling Point. Under her husband's will witness wa3 entitled to an annual income of £1,600. but on her marriage this was reduced to £SOO. She had, however, ready money at her disposal to the amount of £I,BOO, and this she handed over to the prisoner at bis request. After the marriage they went to Grafton to live, and afterwards to Scotland, where difficulties first began. Here her husband left her while he proceeded alone to Canada, under the pretence of buying land to settle a number of his relatives on. A few weeks later witness followed him to Montreal, and here they lived a miserable life for four years, during which time the accused Bucceeded|in obtaining his M.D. degree at Montreal College. They then returned to England, where the prisoner's conduct became worse. Witness had only £SOO remaining from the sum left her, and this he commanded her to hand over. She, however, refused, whereupon he beat her unmercifully about the head and shoulders. He then locked the doors, and forced her under threats of violence, to write letters and sign documents fixing on him a yearly income. His conduct becoming daily more brutal, she was eventually forced to leave him. She, however, on hia promising good behavior] again joined him in Boston, but a repetition of his conduct in London taking place she left him for the last time. She next heard of him in Sydney about December, 1889, on his arrival from America, when he wrote to her asking for money. The whole trouble of their married life was the prisoner's desire to obtain possession of her money. She first saw the second wife, Mary E. Cameron, about three weeks back, when they had a conversation about the accused. By Mr Bull: On hearing of accused's presence in Sydney she obtained a protection order against him and subsequently instituted proceedings for divorce. She had no knowledge at the time of the accused's second marriage, but she had frequently detected him in acta of immorality. ! Some formal evidence having been given, Mary Elizabeth Cameron deposed that she was a native of St. Louis, America, and was married, to the acoused in that city on May 8, 1889. She was under the impression that he was a widower, and he told her that his wife had died a happy death in London some years previously He appeared to feel her losa acutely, and on one occseion, on the matter being referrsd to, said; «No man has suffered more under the marriage yoke than 1 have." A few months after marriage she received information of the fact that his wife was still living, bat this he Irmly denied, swearing on the Bible that she had been dead some years. He subsequently illtreated witness in a shameful manner, and frequently kicked her His eooduct at last became unbearable, and they separated. Previous to their marriage accused was preaching at the church she attended, and he must have had good credentials in order to gain that position Before the separation accused had broken open her boxes and ransacked fchera and in retaliation she opened hia box and found papers therein which proved to hsr he was leading a false life. Three letters written by the accused were then pat in as evidence. These were full of religious sentiments and phrase?. A Prisoner was committed for