SHOCKING CASE OF DEPRAVITIY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1838, 17 April 1884, Page 3

SHOCKING CASE OF DEPRAVITIY.

[by telegraph. —i'iu:s.s association.! Wellington, Saturday. A MOSTexraordmary case was commenced at tlit! Resident Magistiate's Com t this moining. It came up in the simple form of an alleged breach of the Marriage Act Alice Lynch, a v. oin.in ot apparently 30 Years, was charged with having, on the 23rd of JSovember, ISSI, at Auckland, wilfully made a false statement touching the age and paientage of one Emma May Howell, contrary to the provisions of the Mainage Act. Mis Lynch, who is not represented by counsel, is also known as Mrs Howell, alias Tienain, alias Baxter. Mi Shaw appeared for the piosecution, and the oiicum&tances under which the pi oceedings wcic instituted will be best undei stood from that gentleman's opening, which was as follows : — Your Worships, the evidence I have to offer is of a somewhat peculiar nature. This lady (indicating the piisonei) is charged with practically making a ialse declaration for the purpose of procuring the mairiagc of her infant sister to a man named Monckton, with whom she (the piisoner) was then cohabiting. We propose to piove to the Com t that the prisoner's sister, Emma Maty Howell, at the time she went through the marrage foim, was only twelve years and two months old. According to the certificate of birth which I have in my hand, she was born on the 37th of September, IS6O, at Napier ; and we will also prove that her mother left the colony, and that her father, we understand, is dead. The infant sister, at the time of the maniage, was living with the pnsonei, who had deserted her o»Mi husband, and was cohabiting with Monckton, who had deserted his wife. In oi del to keep tins little gill in the house, Monckton conceived a plan that he should go through the form of marriage with her, though living »t the time with the gill's sister. For this purpose the patties piesented themselves before the Registrar ol Marriage at Auckland, in November, 1881, when the little girl was offeied m mamage to Monckton by the prisoner. To accomplish the inaui.ige the piisoner assumed the lole of mother, and she signed the eeititicate giving her consent to her sistei's mat nage, falsely stating her age, moreover, to be ovei fifteen veais. Theiefore the registiar duly solemnised the marriage. The giil was afteiwaids brought back to her sistei's house, and remained there, Monckton living alternately with one sister and the other, dividing his attentions between the two sisters. The young girl, who is the pioseeutiix in tins case, willfiuther pio\c that some time after this pietcnded mdiliaqe her sister and the man Monckton endeavouied to induce her to become a prostitute, and that feai ing \ lolcnce on her lcfusal, she fled to Sydney. We will show that the elder couple then swoieafaLc information, charging her with laicency, and upon that she was appiehended in Sidney and biought back hoie, and the chart'c has since turned out to be untiuo. She took lcfuge in Wellington, and her wheicabouts was discovered by threatening letteis, stating that MoncUton and the piisonti would ai lest her if she did not consent to cany on the l.u-in<&s ot a piObtitute ni the city of C!n "^chinch The pi esent summons was suved on the prisoner, and a summons ins also been issued against Monckton. The piisonei then lett Chiistehuich «ecrctly under a faKe name by the steamship Wakatipu, fiom Lyttelton on hei way to Sydney, to escape this chaige. The police had timely infoi ination ot the fact, and she was anested on hei amval in the Wakatipu on Thuisday afternoon. When auested she admitted having made a false declai.il ion as to her sister's age, and said she "thought it was for the child's good." This morning I only intend to pi ovc the woman's anest and admission, and then ask for an ad join n ment of the ea'-e for a week, a good deal of evidence having to be collected, and the Resjstiai having to be biought down fiom Auckland. Detective Campbell was callul to pio\e the anest. The case was then adjourned till Satmday next The Uench allowed bill in pii-onei's own lecognisances of £200 and two suietics of C lOO each. The fill Howell, who is now about IT) yeais of age, is at piesent icsiding with her si^-tei, Mis Lovell, whose husband keeps a baiber's shop in Conitenaj Place The man Monckton, against whom a si mlar summons has been issued, is Chailes Hemy Monckton, fonncily pro piietor of a pliotogiapnic galleiy in Manneis stieet The pi l^onei Lynch is alleged to ha\u been inairied twice, once at Opunake, and the second time to a ]ockcy now in Sidney, while her fiist husband was alive. It is likely that fuither revelations of a similar extiaordinaiy will be made as the case pio ceeds. — [The man Monckton refer led to was in Waikato soire tune ago.— Ed.]