[Editor: This article, regarding a case of bigamy, was published in Truth (Sydney, NSW), 8 May 1932.]
Coolah girl’s lightning romance ends in storm of sorrow
Had tuppence when he left me, she said
Amazing story of hurried wedding sends man for trial
Other ceremonies — divorce
A chance meeting in the Sydney Domain, a lightning courtship, proposal, marriage and desertion — all these exciting events crammed into the course of a day or two were described at the Central Police Court last week by a fresh-faced Coolah girl, Joyce Florence Cameron, when she gave evidence against Edward George Day, or McIntosh, 30, an electrician.
Day was committed for trial on the allegation that on October 4, 1930, by falsely pretending that he was a widower of 2½ years’ standing, he induced Miss Cameron to have illicit relations with him.Motherless children
“I then read the warrant to defendant, and he said, ‘I’m guilty! Why go to all this bother?’” recalled Finlay.
On May 4, continued the officer, he again saw Day, who told him that he had attended the divorce proceedings, and knew that his wife was then alive.
The pretty Joyce from Coolah then told Mr. Camphin that she was a single woman, and that one morning in October of 1930 she was in the Sydney Domain with her little girl, then 18 months old, when (indicating Day) “the gentleman friend spoke to me.”
“He said to me, ‘What a nice little girl you have!’” she continued. “He then sat down on a seat, saying he had a sore toe. Then he said. ‘Have you any objection to my walking with you?’ and I replied, ‘None at all.’
“He then said, ‘It’s sad to look at this little girl — it reminds me of my own motherless children!’
“He told me he wanted someone to look after them and mentioned his poor old mother, saying that he was an engine-driver at Bathurst and now down in Sydney on holidays.”
The two met again the next day, went on Miss Cameron, near Government House, when Day told her that his wife had died 2½ years previously and referred to her as his “poor little Pearlie.”
“It was all ‘Pearlie’ for the best part of half an hour,” recalled Miss Cameron. “He asked me if I was single and where I came from. I told him — from Coolah; that I was down on holidays.
“‘Now, what about you and I getting married, you looking after my little children, and us going to Bathurst?’” he said. “I told him I didn’t know, and then I said I would,” recalled the witness with a shy blush. “I was tired of working,” she explained.
Another appointment was kept, and on that occasion Day told her that his people were in favor of the step contemplated. Two days later they were married, Day telling her that he had been an organist at the church, where the ceremony was performed.
“Up till then he had only called him self ‘Don,’” swore Miss Cameron, “and I didn’t know his name till I married him. Donald George McIntosh was the name he gave and I saw him sign that. We then had lunch in Campbell-street and stayed the night at a Surry Hills hotel. I had £3 15s when I first met him, but I only had £1 when I went to the hotel. He borrowed that after I had paid for the luggage.”
Mr. Campkin, S.M.: It was your party? — Yes, I paid! He said he was going to cash a cheque.
To Sergeant Napper, police prosecutor, the young woman replied, “We occupied the same room and remained there till the Monday. I believed it all; that he was a widower with three children when I occupied the same room with him. If I had known he was a married man at the time I wouldn’t have permitted it under any circumstances!
“On October 6, about 10 a.m., he told me he would be back as he was going to cash a cheque, but I never saw him again till this morning. I had tuppence when he left, and the only money I saw him spend while he was with me was 6d. for a packet of cigarettes.”
A nurse living in Foreman-street, Tempe, a smartly-dressed young woman by the name of Catherine May Campbell, recalled that on December 29, 1928, she married the defendant as Edward George Day at St. Peters, later petitioning for a divorce from him on the grounds of his alleged adultery with a woman named May Gough, or Knight.
On October 3, she added, the case was heard, Day being present, and she secured a decree nisi, which was subsequently made absolute.
Inspector Napper: Did you ever know “Pearlie”? — No.
Mr. Camphin: No, because she was dead.
Upon committal for trial at the next sittings of the Sydney Quarter Sessions, Day’s bail was fixed at £120. He stated that he intended to apply for Legal Aid for the conduct of his defence.
Source:
Truth (Sydney, NSW), 8 May 1932, p. 10
Editor’s notes:
absolute = (also known as a “decree absolute” or “rule absolute”) the taking effect of a decree nisi issued by a court of law; a final decree in divorce proceedings [see: decree nisi]
Act = an Act of parliament, a law (in its written form, a law is called a “statute”)
See: 1) “Act of parliament”, Wikipedia
2) “Statute”, Wikipedia
Christ Church St. Laurence = an Anglican church in Sydney (New South Wales)
See: “ Christ Church St Laurence”, Wikipedia
Coolah = a town in the Warrumbungle Shire (New South Wales), located north-east of Newcastle, south-east of Tamworth, and north-west of Dubbo
See: “Coolah, New South Wales”, Wikipedia
d. = a reference to a penny, or pennies (pence); the “d” was an abbreviation of “denarii”, e.g. as used in “L.S.D.” or “£sd” (pounds, shillings, and pence), which refers to coins used by the Romans, as per the Latin words “librae” (or “libra”), “solidi” (singular “solidus”), and “denarii” (singular “denarius”)
decree nisi = a provisional decree made by a court of law; a court order that will come into force at a future date unless a particular condition is met (in Latin “nisi” means “unless”), and if the condition is not met, then the court’s ruling becomes a “decree absolute” and is binding; in divorce cases a decree nisi is issued which states that a divorce will come into effect at a specified later date unless a sufficiently good reason is produced to prevent such a divorce, and, if no such reason is produced, then the decree automatically becomes absolute (i.e. the decree takes effect) on the date specified
See: “Decree nisi”, Wikipedia
Domain = The Domain is a large area (34 hectares) of parkland in Sydney which is used for recreation, concerts, rallies, and various open-air events; it is located to the east of Sydney’s Central Business District and is adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens; The Domain has long had a reputation as a place used by “soap box” speakers (especially in the 20th Century) and organisers of political meetings
See: “The Domain, Sydney”, Wikipedia
Don = a diminutive form of the name “Donald”
Government House = the official residence and offices of a Governor-General, Governor, or Lieutenant-Governor (especially in a country, state, or province of the British Commonwealth), often used as a venue for hosting official functions
his people = his family
illicit relations = socially unacceptable sexual activity; an illicit relationship (a relationship which is not approved of by, and is inconsistent with, the prevailing customs of a society)
Pearlie = a diminutive form of the name “Pearl”
S.M. = Stipendiary Magistrate [see: stipendiary magistracy]
stipendiary magistracy = a system of stipendiary magistrates (magistrates paid with a stipend, i.e. those receiving regular payments, as part of a salary or to defray expenses), distinct from a system of unpaid magistrates (the roles and functions of unpaid magistrates were typically performed by rich men and landowning men)
tuppence = two pence, i.e. two pennies (also referred to as: twopence, tuppenny, two penneth; used in the terms “tuppenceworth”, “tuppennyworth”, and “two penneth worth”)
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