The Newmarket Bigamy Case.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4226, 18 July 1882, Page 3

The Newmarket Bigamy Case.

The heroine of the Newmarket bigamy case is evidently a generally-all-round* affectionate sort of young woman. -Many years ago she was the wife of one Thomas Kelly, and with him she sailed for California. Kelly had to take a number of horses up country, and before he returned bis .dearly Beloved bad sailed again for New Zealand's shores, induced, it is said, by the loving kindness of the skipper. In process of time she formed the acquaintance of a person named Davison, and she being a very attractive young widow, whose husband had died in America, won his affections and hand. They, were married in September, 1868 TheiJioneymoon had not-expired ere it j transpired that, to put the matter mildly, there-was no proof that kusband No. 1 had taken up his residence in a happier world.' It was then arranged I hat s.h.B should live at Newmarket with her friends, whilst Davison remained in the district where he was employed. Visiting Auckland at the Ne.w Year, Davison

, hastened to embrace bis true-hearted ".b.eanty.. H? found. Ler in excellent ' spirits, 'but -low in funds. Soon she '? ■ formedl-herself into a coramitteo of ways , i and means, with a view to replenishing .1 't)ip exhausted exchequer, and concluded ' ;tl'e present would be a favorable oppoi 1-oL-lerjing a fresh tax. Davison f/sS&gd if she was going to the races^and *■ islie .replied she had no raont-y. " Where's /-■■„'. ib9-;-£r4^l". sent 'you a few days ngo P " « "asked^-lije-tender-liearted buthard.headed -'"' ,J§ebt6hiniiin. ." All gone," was the laconic •l^rcplf. Of-the tlire.o half sovereigns'in zi^A Bis*'pocket Ife' tbdrpup iTTianood-;iwo to ; V "bis expensive luxii'ry. "Next" day l'e'Jsaw C her at the -racecourse,apparently enjoying ; '/"herself to her heart's "content with' one ißichards, .the dashing young knight of the ( cleaVer to whom she afterwards bore eight 1 ..children; including two-pairs pf , -" twins.- In the evening her brother-in-law, v- Tujner, called Davison aside and said, *:'-"Don't send her any TBore money ; she is- • fiyjng-sround with Richards in cabs to they theatre and opera." Mr Turner, it is averred, at the some time intimated (hftfr he'liiniself had' seep her in certain relaironsbrp with Ej^Kards which now- " , adays is considered vejy^iir) proper on the . part of respectable married ladies. JNVxt • morning Davison interviewed her ladyship,'and accused her "of,'infidelity. Isut - she vrns'nqt ■goii>gj.o i"he lectured—not she." She p'rompiljrgaye him a slap on the face, saying, ".Get out, you are not my husband ; you hare jno-elaim on me." He, in the most amiable lone possible, retorted " It is a' blessing, you are a woman, or I would knock;yQur^b"eautiful head off your shoulders/ 'fi^Mhen left her. In the evening/ Mrs'^ur'nef sent, asking him to return and ,renevr" the - friendship. He went, and h>re is. how he did it. He took the marria'ge/ce-rtificate and burnt it in_ the candle* and'as for'the wedding rings be, flung one out of each, door, saying, " You ;go■ this way and you that; you (referring to the faithless one) go your way'.^Bnd'l go mine." He then departed for ever. She soon dried her tears «^"':i^t-J;p*Hve-with Bicbards as a wife, arid ks4JjaV been, shown,-the fruits of their-cofriijubiaLjoys were plentiful. About three'"years ago they were formally married. ".As poverty comes in at the door, love flies out at the window " is in some instances a'true proverb. v Some months. ago, the future not looking very bright, Eichards settled the house in which they lived on his wife, probably as a provision for -her and the children in the event of ' bii«oe«r' disaster, AnotberTAisturbing element crept into the household. A slaughterman lodged in the house, and he became smitten with the ever charming

•mistress.. of the household, and she likewise contracted a close friendship for - VjMfi^so- intimate indeed did it become, -;/tnjtfsißichards mildly suggested it might {•*. prove to the harmony of Y'-married, life if the love-stricken slaughter-s-man went to board elsewhere. This hint,

it is said, caused the lady to fire up with virtuotta indignation, and she wrathfully : exclaimed, "If he' goes, Igo too." And go ttfey did, proceeding to Gisborae. . Mrs Turner, her sister, then went to the bereaved hnjband as housekeeper, and to look fl|te^{,aie children, and her genial present contributed hngely to console him for hi« sad loss. At this stage the •" chaste correspondence which was read in Court was cairied on ; and some folk say that there were letters even more spicy, which flo shocked that exalted pattern of purity, jooiflity, and humility, Mr Justice Gillies, Afest he would not allow them* to • be read. The many departures of Mrs " Kelly-Davison-Eichards from the narrow path of a straightrlaced world, so moved the righteous soul of some one—it has been , insinuated Mrs Turner—that the futile proceedings for bigamy were instituted against her. It is not at all improbable that the fact of her having sold the house entrusted to her contributed

.considerably to the feeling which induced this prbbeedrae, for Kichards has been turned out of his house, and forced to sefk another abode, with' the children, who, by the'way, were registered in the name of Kelly, not Davison .or Eicbards. By;and-,bye it. came to pass that Eichards and dear Carry, did cot pull well together, and he sent to his owjj true love asking if she would condescend to meet him at the bridge, but whether she- was so condescending has not transpired; possibly she wa*s not, aa the die had been cast. Bat this all-round-affectionate, much married Mi«s Wooten, has not been guilty of b»«amy. An extremely technical, gloriously uncertain, beautifully obliging law has declared, through the verdict, prompt ■ to spontaneity, of twelve .good men and true, that she is^ts pure as the driven snow. How generally loving, she.must have felt towards them when .they unanimously de»' clared that no suspicion of impropriety on her part found an abiding place in their manly bosoms. Ithasbeen stated, and never contradicted, that some nine^r ten years apo Davison met Kelly in San Francisco. He hunted" -him up, and found him employed at a stable between New Montgomery' street and Third street. Each told his experience relative to the heroine of this narrative'; then they went'for an outing in the coun» try, and.spent a merry day.