A STRANGE DIVORCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3918, 21 September 1891, Page 2

A STRANGE DIVORCE.

TTauaual Surroundings.

Ou Saturday morning a case was heard by his Honor Ihe Chief Justice in the Divorce Court, Wellington, which possessed some very unusuhl surroundings. It was one in which Miss Margaret Josephine Dunn, of Wellington, petitioned that her marridge with Walter Essejc Cross might be declared null and void-on the ground of bigamy. Mr Bell conducted Miss Dunn's case, but the respondent did not appear, nor was he represented by counsel. The statement of counsel, and the evidence of Miss Elizabeth Emma Cross and the petitioner, disclosed the fact that Miss Dunn, who last year was a mistress in a Catholic school in Reeftoc, became acquainted with the respondent, and was married to him at Westport in December last. In June last petitioner met Mrs Cross, who informed her that she had married Cross in London in 1872 and had five children by him. When taxed with this by petitioner, Cross admitted that he had married Mrs Cross, whose maiden name was Rich, but said as he at that time was already married to another woman, who did not die until 1878, or six years after he had married Miss Rich, his marriage with the latter lady being informal ; therefore he maintained that bis marriage with Miss Dunn was perfectly in order. Here another complication arose, owing to the fact that when Mrs Cross heard that he bad informed the petitioner that his marriage with her (Mrs Cross) was informal she taxed Cross with his treachery, and the latter admitted he bad concocted the story about his having a wife alive when he espoused her in 1872 in order to gaia time with Miss Dunn. His Honor granted a decree nisi, and ordered the application for the rule to be made absolute in a fortnight.