AN ALLEGED WAIRARAPA MYSTERY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5102, 13 August 1895, Page 3

AN ALLEGED WAIRARAPA MYSTERY.

REVEALED BY "DAYBREAK."

The following utterly foolish and iajpible story appears in the last issue of" Daybreak," a journal published " by women for women" :

" Since our announcement of tho successful issue attained by us in getting the release of an inmate of our local asylum, wo liave had a > - most peculiar caso submitted to us by "onewho knows," and as there aro two sides to this " caso," we will first of all congratulate theiiidividual in whose interest wo now take up the woapon that is stronger than tho sword, upon his escape from captivity. Now, wo will not enquire >J" how he escaped," but" how he was . put ia there." That is the question, and without, at the present, giving names, wo will give the case in a parable Those that are interested can draw tlnir own conclusions, and A to those of our fair (or unfair) readers who are not acquainted with tho circumstances, we would say "wait a while." Something over 18 months ago a shepherd, or station manager, who ' l&d somewhere beyond the Waicamo into oiie of the ffairarapa villages to have a little "spree" —or periodical recreation • and hav- * ing expended his silk, was about lo return to his station, and .had gone a considerable distance on his way, when he saw someone riding towards him from the opposite direction, who, as he nearcd the shepherd,! drew up his horse, and passed the compliments of the day, nnd by degrees grew confidential, and said, "why don't you settle down and become a steady fellow ? if you like I can get you a better position than you now occupy, then you could get married and make a home for

yourself." The shepherd replied that be did not know much of „ women folk ; they were out of his lino. To which the traveller replied, " well, I will fix that for you, 1 know as good a girl as you can get; if you feel inclined, 1 will help you along." The shepherd promised to think the matter oyer', and went his way. Some mouths afterwards he was agjfci in the same township, and MWfe wnntiei'iiicj about by himself, he was quietly touched on the shoulder, and accosted by a woman, ' whosaid she knewbim,and bo, being one of thoso easy-going Scotchmen that can be led almost anywhere, allowed this woman to walk round biin, and he eventually found liim6olf buying an engagement ring for hor, This was no sooner done than ho found himself taken intoan hotel, wbero be was introduced to, presumably, the Registrar of Marriages for the district, and one or two gentleman. The woman was there, 4 and a form of marriage was gone through, He left his wife, as he 6upposed, in the town, and went to mako a home ready for her, and when ready, he wrote to her to come up, that all was ready. To his surprise, die received lotter, in reply to his, asking him what be meant, that he (the

writer) was husband to the lady mentioned in tho letter! This, uagrally, brought the shepherd into , lie went to a well-known lawyer to state his case, but, to his iurpriso, before he had been in the office a half of an hour, he was arrested and locked in the police cells. Two doctors were obtained who certified to his insanity, and to Wellington he was sent. Now, this man was, we are informed, as sane as anybody, but tho traieller was a gentleman of high position, and you would not 1 have to go far through the alphabet before you reached his initial letter. Tho young lady referred to, had allowed him certain liberties, which ho was now anxious to cover; bonce bis suggestion to the Scotchman, and through lack of opportunity on the part of the traveller, the girl was forced to bring the matter to a close, as narrated above. While the supposed husband was away, a better opportunity opened up, and she , became enamoured with a scion of a noble family, therefore, our shepherd was a dangerous person to bo abroad, bo he had to be got rid of, When we have made further enquiries into tbjjjfinatter, we will disclose the ijaf&'to the proper authorities, and, if possible, sec the man righted.' He, although at large, is afraid to disclose himself for fear of being again placed under arrest, but, when first incarcerated, ho had a ijqrso and sheep dogs,'but now he' ' |]as nothing, and caiinot claim that with which to earn again his livelihood, He was put in tho asylum about January, 1894, and made his escape about, May, 1895. We have tho names of the principal actors in this littlo colonial episode, aud hope later to make a good use of them." j